Sneakers, flip-flops, stilettos
Inside Holden Chapel, dozens of salsa beginners face one another, feet shifting slightly on the hardwood, waiting. Then Drago Guggiana-Nilo calls out “five, six, seven, eight,” and the class bursts into action, sashaying toward embrace. The event was just one of the many classes offered by Harvard Ballroom, a nonprofit, student-run dance organization that offers social dance classes throughout the year. This summer, dance students learned how to swing, tango, salsa, and waltz, culminating in an open social dance event at the end of the session. A graduate student in biophysics, Guggiana-Nilo joined the Harvard Ballroom team in 2011. “I went to one of the social dances, saw a couple of performances, and I immediately knew: I wanted to do this.” He has taught beginning salsa for Harvard Ballroom for two years running. The other instructor for the class, Cristina Foyo Cardenas, is completing an English as a second language (ESL) program at...