As a couple of late-comers push the gym door open, vivid and lively Latin music escape and spread across the hallways of the gymnasium. Inside the room, nine students march to the beat of salsa, cumbia, samba, bachata and merengue music during the twice-a-week salsa dance class organized at SF State.

Maria Cevallos, a sophomore environmental studies student and dancer of six years, leads the group of students eager to learn, for no college credit, the specific footsteps associated with these Latin dancing styles.

“The class is a way to get away from all the negative things, change the mood, relax, express yourself with body movements, feel the music, dance and smile,” Cevallos said.

At least 12 CDs of Latin music are displayed next to the portable CD player and are used for background music while learning the steps.

SF State’s salsa dance class usually consists of a combination of warm-up, stretching and choreography as dancers cross their feet and stick their hands up in the air.

The class, in its second semester, starts with a 10-minute-stretching session, followed by a variety of footsteps. Every single gesture is performed with the rhythm of the music.

Salsa dance is a demanding sport that requires good breathing, endurance, fast feet and the necessary coordination.

As the class goes on, the sensation of thirst and warmth overwhelm the participants as they bolt toward the side of the room to drink water and remove their sweaters. But that does not seem to discourage any of these experienced or new dancers.

Maria Lepe, a liberal studies major, is attending the class for the first time.

“It’s fun and it’s good practice,” she said, hoping that in the near future partner dances will be incorporated into the class.

Indeed, the class will eventually pair off and learn to dance with a partner.

“Last semester, we sometimes just listened to the music to feel the rhythm,” Cevallos said.

Cevallos was named the student instructor of the class after she spoke to Ajani Byrd, the Director of Recreational Sports and Intramurals, about teaching a salsa class.

Music and salsa teaching are not new for Cevallos, who is of Ecuadorian origins. She has expertise in all these areas. She said that the rhythm of Latin music runs through her veins and she has always liked dancing.

Cevallos firsted learned to dance when she was 15. She travelled to Cuba and the Dominican Republic for two months where she learned the salsa Cuba style, and bachata in the Dominican Republic.

At 18, she flew to South Africa where she stayed for a year and a half to finish her final year of high school and volunteer with children with AIDS.

In Cape Town she taught Latin dance at the high school after the high school’s dance instructor and manager noticed her skills when she was performing on her own.

“There are not many Latinos in South Africa and they don’t know about the Latino culture,” said Cevallos. “So I wanted to teach them about my culture and put together people from different ethnicities in one place with one thing in common: dance.”

Multiculturalism comes alive in this class as enrolled students come from diverse origins.

Kim Anh Truong, an exchange student from France, started dancing in the class this semester.

“That is the only dance class on campus so I was curious to try,” she said.

Somandy Real, a sophomore who had never tried salsa, is from Cambodia.

“I decided to try out because it’s different from my culture,” Real said.

Anyone from any culture is welcomed to participate in the class, but some may wonder if the class is right for them. Cevallos remembers a student last semester was interested in salsa and asked if he could join the class even though he was not Latino.

Salsa dance is a joyful dance and Cevallos has a very simple yet compelling opinion that reflects this idea. “My point of view is that dancing is a way to celebrate even though we don’t have any reason to celebrate,” said Cevallos. “But we can celebrate that we are alive.”

A salsa dance performance will be organized at the end of the semester where dancers will be able to show off the progress they made through weeks of practice.