Colour is the first thing that strikes visitors as they make their way to the recently-opened La Casita, a ‘House of Latin American Art and Culture’ on Iswaran Dharmaraja Kovil Street.
The steps leading to the centre are painted in bright hues and inside the colours manifest in the knick-knacks that add character to the lively space. A map of Latin America with representative flags can be found painted on the wall, as are framed nuggets of information on the continent’s culture and traditions.
Kash Dolma Timmers, a Tibetan settled here, who heads La Casita, now intends to bring more colour to Puducherry by organising what could possibly be India’s largest Salsa flash mob early next year. Kash had already organised a similar flash mob on a smaller scale in March this year. The idea is to introduce the town to Latin culture, says Kash.
“I have always loved the colours, the streets and costumes from Latin America,” she says.
For a few weeks now, a group of 50-odd residents of all ages have been practising how to get the ‘Sombrero,’ a Salsa move right, in preparation for the big day.
Kash, who has been trained in Salsa for around a decade, is planning to get around 150 dancers for the flash mob.
The centre is offering free classes to those interested in participating, with a minimal registration fee, says Kash. Her students are a mix of the experienced and the newbie.
“We are learning new things in every class. Dancing Salsa is also relaxing and engrossing,” says Rajesh Gupta, a new resident in Puducherry.
“It has always been my dream to learn dance. Now both of us can dance in a synchronised manner,” adds Anupama Gupta, his wife.
“We sit all day long. These classes give us physical exercise. Kash has been a good teacher; so we are able to pick up the moves well,” says Prasanna Kumar, a student of Pondicherry University.
Apart from a range of classes and workshops which include Salsa, Zumba, Capoeira, Bollywood dancing and Hormone Yoga therapy, the centre aims to be a space for socialising, where people can come in and learn and share the culture of Latin America.
Visitors can exchange stories at the rooftop traveller’s café with an enviable view of the nearby temple or read books from the small library. “I never wanted to set up just a dance studio, I wanted something more,” says Kash.
Kash, who was living in Delhi, recounts ending up at a Salsa dance party and being fascinated. However, she felt stuck as she did not know the moves. “I had always loved dancing. In fact, I had also loved Salsa from a long time. Only, I did not know it was Salsa. So I decided to come back and conquer the floor one day,” she says.
Having learnt Salsa from trained international experts, she used to organise Salsa social dances in Delhi. On a visit to Auroville five years ago with a friend, she fell in love with Puducherry.
“I saw Puducherry’s openness to people and how it received different cultures. I was inspired and thus the idea for La Casita came about,” she adds.
