“Dancing is a natural joy, a joy that I saw in Mexican movies since I was a little boy. Many years ago, in the dance halls, there were platforms, and I would sit for hours and hours watching people dance, and I would say: One day I will dance like all these people! I couldn’t take my eyes off their dancing feet. I already carry that joy within me,” stated a convinced Alberto Salazar Artavia, known as “Manzanita.”
And who would dare contradict him after seeing him dance bolero, merengue, cumbia, and salsa in the Fidel Gamboa amphitheater at the National Center for Culture (Cenac), where he lavished all his skill and joy with his particular style, to the rhythm of the National Band of Puntarenas. The port city’s band, led by Mauricio Salas, was in charge of the latest concert-dance party offered by the Ministry of Culture and Youth at its headquarters.
“With these dance concerts, we open the doors of CENAC to the best of our popular tradition: the National Bands, ambassadors of Costa Rican joy. We want music to once again be a meeting point between generations, neighborhoods, and memories. We want people to dance, to hug, and to feel that this Ministry is also theirs,” expressed Jorge Rodríguez, Minister of Culture and Youth, who never misses one of these activities.
The “Bailongo Thursdays” are held in the middle of each month, at noon, enlivened by one of the seven Distinguished National Concert Bands of the MCJ. The next dance at Cenac will be on Thursday, July 17, with the National Band of San José.
The following dates are on Thursdays: August 14, September 18, October 16, November 13, and December 18. Admission is free and for the enjoyment of the entire Costa Rican family.
Music and dance: physical and mental health for all ages
You don’t just dance with your feet or your body; you also dance with your spirit, regardless of age. It is a comprehensive exercise for human beings, and although “Bailongo Thursdays” are designed for senior citizens, audiences of all ages are actually welcome.
Don Alberto, a true San José native, is a clear example. His attire reflects the importance he places on dancing: a blue and silver shirt, white pants, and matching two-tone shoes.
“I have been dancing for almost 60 years, since I was 15 years old I have danced in every hall in Costa Rica,” he commented with pride. He is currently a healthy 74 years old. “I am very healthy because I have been consistent. If you are consistent with any sport, you never forget it; for me, dancing is a passion, a devotion; it’s my vice, habit, and sport. In fact, I have never smoked or drank, and I’m sure that’s what keeps me this way,” he mentioned.
Doña María Elena corroborates his statement: “I love dancing; I’ve been dancing since I was in high school. This life offers many opportunities, and one of them was meeting Manzanita in a dance hall, and from there we clicked, and to this day, we’ve been dancing everywhere for 13 years,” she commented with a smile.
Both are loyal followers of the National Band of Puntarenas
“These concerts are something very significant, especially for the elderly, because good music, joy, and happiness are fading away; so the elderly are being left out, and this kind of performance cheers people up, because those who dance have better physical and mental health,” added Don Alberto.
Sitting at one end of the Fidel Gamboa Auditorium were also Don Hubert Cambronero and his wife Ana María Chan, from San Ramón, Alajuela.
“The popular music played by these bands makes the audience participate by dancing. I find it innovative and very enriching because it is part of this country’s culture,” opined Cambronero, while Doña Ana María expressed: “I didn’t dance, but I enjoyed it very much.”
