霍曜飛：薩爾薩舞中國第一人

做為一名知名薩爾薩舞舞蹈家，霍曜飛于2003年受岡薩雷斯(Geovany Gonzalez)邀請前往古巴。圖片中地點為薩爾瓦那，他正與當(dāng)?shù)氐囊晃凰_爾薩舞蹈老師共舞。(圖：中國日報)

Thirty Chinese salsa dance enthusiasts will fly to Cuba in September for an intensive certification process but they may find time for some sun and fun on the beach as well.

The trip will last 10 days and will be the third time Beijing-based instructor Geovany Gonzalez has sent Chinese dancers to experience salsa in Cuba over the past year.

"They will learn from Cubans who perform and teach the dance the way that made it famous 50 years ago," said Gonzalez, bouncing in his chair and slapping his arms to demonstrate the rhythm.

"Salsa means 'sauce' in both English and Spanish," he added. "It is a mix of chopped vegetables or fruit, especially tomatoes, onions and chili peppers, used as a condiment.

"The dance is as tasty as the sauce, neither of which is for show but, rather, spontaneous and natural."

These qualities, according to Gonzalez, form the soul of salsa.

Gonzalez is a Cuban who has been promoting his country's culture in Beijing for almost 10 years.

Early in 2008 he hosted free salsa classes for 40 people at his Guantanamera nightspot.

"The Chinese love to learn salsa because it's very different from their traditions," he said. "They have opened their minds and souls to things from Cuba."

The Cuban form of salsa is a bit different from what most people see on the international stage.

"It's a little looser," said Gonzalez. "Many people mistake salsa for New York salsa, thinking the dance was born in the United States. But salsa has its roots firmly based in the Afro-Spanish musical traditions of Cuba. I want more Chinese to experience the 'mother' of the style from Cuba."

Gonzalez first visited China in 2004 for a holiday when he was a member of a pop band called David Blanco. He played bass and also worked as the group's agent.

"Musicians are emotional and I am no exception," the 40-year-old said. "I wanted to make some life changes."

He married in China and settled in Beijing. He found it hard to obtain a job so he became his own boss.

Huo Yaohui, one of Gonzalez's first Chinese friends, has worked with him for years. Huo said Gonzalez is smart and creative, and full of fresh ideas.

"He is a true perfectionist," he added. "He sticks to a job around the clock, until the work is done."

Huo is the only Asian to have won a gold medal for salsa at the International Festival of Popular Dance of Cuba and is credited with bringing Cuban salsa dancing to Beijing.

By 2006, Gonzalez owned two companies - an advertising agency for Chinese companies opening businesses in Latin America and a restaurant offering Cuban food, art and live music.

"I love Cuba and its culture," Gonzalez said. "I believe opportunities occur when more people get to know it."

In 2013, Gonzalez started managing the Latin American and Caribbean Center, an arts and media hub that attracts a mix of cultures. Additionally, it offers Spanish language courses for children during the summer and winter holidays.

Gonzalez has booked the Ballet Nacional de Cuba to perform in China.

"The ballet company was founded by Alicia Alonso, a legendary Cuban prima ballerina and choreographer, and marks the highest level of Cuban ballet dancing," he said.

The company will embark on a tour of 15 Chinese cities in December.

30名中國薩爾薩舞愛好者將于九月乘機飛往古巴進行一次集中的認證過程，當(dāng)然他們也將享受美好的陽光沙灘。

本次舞蹈訪問將持續(xù)10天，這也是在過去的一年里北京的薩爾薩舞老師岡薩雷斯(Geovany Gonzalez)第三次派出中國舞者前往古巴體驗薩爾薩舞了。

“這些中國舞者們將從古巴人那里學(xué)習(xí)到薩爾薩舞的技藝和教學(xué)，并使薩爾薩舞重回五十年前的輝煌。”岡薩雷斯一邊說，一遍跳到椅子上，拍打雙臂來演示舞蹈節(jié)奏。

他補充道：“在英語和西班牙語中，薩爾薩是‘醬料’的意思，將切碎的蔬菜或水果混合而成，主要是西紅柿、洋蔥和辣椒，用來作調(diào)味品。”

“舞蹈同調(diào)味醬一樣是一種美妙的事物，都不是為了作秀，相反，它們都是自發(fā)和自然的。” 岡薩雷斯表示，這種品質(zhì)，正是薩爾薩舞的靈魂。

古巴人岡薩雷斯近十年來一直在北京宣傳自己國家的文化。早在2008年，他組織了40名薩爾薩舞者免費在他的關(guān)塔那摩爾(Guantanamer)夜總會表演。

他說： “由于薩爾薩舞與中國人的傳統(tǒng)文化有著極大的不同，因此中國人對它充滿興趣。他們和樂于接受來自古巴的事物。”

與大多數(shù)人在國際舞臺看到的薩爾薩舞表演相比，古巴的薩爾薩舞有所不同。

岡薩雷斯表示：“這里存在一些出入，許多人由此誤認為新薩爾薩舞源于美國。但事實上薩爾薩舞植根于古巴的西班牙黑人音樂傳統(tǒng)。我想讓更多的中國人感受古巴最正宗的薩爾薩舞。”

2004年岡薩雷斯第一次來中國度假，當(dāng)時他還是一支叫做David Blanco的流行樂隊貝斯手和樂隊經(jīng)紀(jì)人。

今年40歲的岡薩雷斯表示：“音樂家是感性的，我也不例外，因此我想生活不能總是一成不變。”

他在中國結(jié)婚并定居北京。他發(fā)現(xiàn)找一個合適的工作很難，因此他決定自己做老板。

霍曜飛(音)是岡薩雷斯最早認識的中國朋友之一。兩人共事多年。霍曜飛表示，岡薩雷斯是一個聰明并具有創(chuàng)造性的人，腦子里充滿了新鮮的想法。

霍曜飛補充道：“他是一個真正的完美主義者，他堅持晝夜不停地工作，直到工作結(jié)束。”

霍曜飛是唯一在古巴國際舞蹈節(jié)贏得薩爾薩舞金牌的的亞洲舞者，并因?qū)⒐虐退_爾薩舞帶到北京而聲名大噪。

到2006年，岡薩雷斯擁有兩家公司——一家為中國企業(yè)打開拉美市場的廣告代理和一家以古巴飲食、藝術(shù)、和現(xiàn)場音樂演奏為特色的餐廳。

“我愛古巴及其文化，”岡薩雷斯說。“當(dāng)更多人開始了解它時，我意識到這是傳播它的機會。”

2013年，岡薩雷斯開始經(jīng)營一家吸收多元文化的拉丁美洲和加勒比中心。此外，該中心還為孩子們提供寒暑假西班牙語言課程。

岡薩雷斯專門請來了古巴芭蕾舞團Nacionalde來中國表演。

他說： “該芭蕾舞團是一位具有傳奇色彩的芭蕾大師、古巴首席女芭蕾明星和編導(dǎo)艾麗西亞·阿隆索(Alicia Alonso)成立的，標(biāo)志著古巴芭蕾舞蹈的最高水平。”

該舞團將于12月開始在中國15個城市展開巡演。