Dancing to the beat of Spanish music whilst living in the UK has been Aranza Freyre’s way of staying connected to her home in Peru. 

Engaging in fast-paced salsa moves and sensual, flowy bachata beats has brought back memories of a place Aranza dearly misses. 

At 18, Aranza moved to the other side of the globe on her own to pursue her studies in Business Management at the University of Sheffield. Although excited, she said her heart felt divided as she desperately missed home. 

In her first year living in England, she admitted she wasn’t happy, and the adjustment period seemed to last longer than expected, as she felt something was missing. But after she found the Salsa and Bachata Society, everything seemed to change. 

“Now I can say that Sheffield is my home. Although my heart still feels divided between the UK and Peru, I’ve really found my people,” she said, “I have friends now who come to salsa and have created Spotify playlists of Spanish music, even though they don’t speak Spanish, just so they can sing with me.” 

Aranza thinks dance is a form of unity between people and loves that she can share part of her culture with others. She explained that contrary to what people might think, the Salsa and Bachata Society is not just full of

Latinos and Hispanics- she said there are people from all over the world. Latinos didn’t even makeup half of the people who attended the classes. 
“It’s really nice to see how others enjoy it, how they dance and how their movements are different from what I learned in Peru. It’s really nice to get to share that part of my culture with them,” she said, smiling. 

Her grandma has been the beating heart of her passion for Salsa and Bachata, as she was the one who taught her how to dance when she was younger. Whenever she dances, she is reminded of those moments they share, moving to the beat of Spanish guitars.

She remembers her grandma hosting big birthday parties, where her extended family would get together and celebrate and dance salsa. 

“Dancing Salsa for me is very nostalgic because that’s something I grew up with, and it’s very important for my whole family in general- my sister dances too,” she shared. 

Aranza also recalled having dance modules at her school in Peru, where she would be taught how to dance typical dances, including salsa. She explained that they would also have to perform during ceremonies and significant events. Although she didn’t particularly enjoy them at the time, these are memories she now fondly looks back on.

“It definitely brings me back in time when I dance now, also because the songs are in Spanish, it really reminds me of home,” she said as she struggled to find the right words. 

As social as salsa is in itself, through its partner work and partner-rotation schemes, it becomes very easy to find a connection and community through dancing, which she is very grateful for. She finds that dance allows her to relax and to “express things you cannot express by words.”