Strictly Come Dancing fan Camilla reveals she’s learning salsa

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall watches dancers during a salsa school visit in Havana, Cuba.
REUTERS
Robert Jobson27 March 2019

The Duchess of Cornwall revealed that she is learning salsa as she watched a performance in Cuba, where the dance style was born.

Camilla, a fan of Strictly Come Dancing, made the admission to Lis Cuesta Peraza, the wife of Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel, at a performance yesterday by the Paso A Paso dance company in Havana.

Her feet tapping, the duchess watched youngsters dance on a solo engagement during the penultimate day of the couple’s historic tour — the first official royal visit to the communist island.

As well as the salsa, she watched the rumba and rueda de casino, which involves pairs forming a circle and changing partners using steps and turns called out by a leader.

The Duchess of Cornwall visits a community dance group, in Havana, Cuba, as part of an historic trip which celebrates cultural ties between the UK and the Communist state.
PA

Camilla told the president’s wife: “That was brilliant. I’m very happy I saw some salsa. I’m trying to learn.” Dance is seen as an expression of national identity in Cuba. The famously sensual salsa was first performed in Cuba towards the end of the 19th century.

Later Camilla rejoined Prince Charles for a gala performance featuring the Cuban National Ballet at the Gran Teatro Alicia Alonso, which first opened its doors in 1838.

Britain's Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall attends a community dance event in Havana.
REUTERS

On Wednesday, they will learn about Cuba’s food culture as their tour of the island draws to a close. Charles and Camilla will visit a paladar, a privately run restaurant, and be presented with a range of Cuban dishes and produce.

Charles will also learn about the devastating tornado in January that ripped through parts of Havana, and discover how the communities responded to the natural disaster. It killed at least three and left scores more injured.

The prince and his wife will then embark on the final stop in their tour of the Caribbean, travelling to the Cayman Islands.