Last week we travelled to the Museum of the City of New York to experience the exhibit called “Rhythm & Power Salsa in New York.” The exhibit is intended to show the vast impact that salsa had on the cultural and social movements in New York, especially in Harlem. The exhibit features many different things, such as clothing, microphones, and awards used or won by prominent members of the salsa community from the 1960s all the way up to the present day. The salsa section was not very large, however, it told a great story about the origins of salsa and how it has greatly affected the community of Harlem, and how it spread across the world.
As we entered the room, the first thing we looked at was the floor. The floor was covered with a diagram showing several different countries around the world. There were branches stemming off of each country showing different types of dances and arts from that country. It gave a great visual of how the different dances from around the world were able to branch together to form salsa, and many other types of dances. For me, this was the most interesting part of the exhibit, and the trip in general. I knew that salsa came from different parts of the world, however, it was very different seeing an actual picture of the dances literally coming together. It is amazing that that many different cultures from that many places could come together and form one type of art in the form of salsa dancing. All of those dances and customs from around the world were some how able to come together perfectly, right here in New York, and create the dance that today we call salsa.
There were many interesting pieces of salsa memorabilia throughout the exhibit that also caught my eye. The different suits and dresses were extremely interesting to see not on someone’s body. Even not being worn, it was clear how bold they were, and that they would really stand out if someone was walking around a stage dancing with them on. Based on the videos that were provided at the museum, it is clear that the dresses made a statement in the salsa community and the on the world in general. They represent the movement and rhythm of salsa and the Latino culture. The fact that most of the memorabilia came from people who grew up right in Harlem made the exhibition that much more interesting. It is amazing that that much culture and artistic talent could come from right here in New York.
There was another interesting part of the museum, on the first floor, about trailblazers in New York. There was a small section about Jackie Robinson, who is the first well known African American to play professional baseball. This was especially interesting to me, because baseball plays such a large roll in my life, and he really changed the game forever. Jackie Robinson made it possible for all African Americans to play baseball at the highest level, and really helped the sport spread to more communities. Some of the best players in the entire world are African Americans, and all of baseball thanks him for his courage by retiring the number 42 and celebrating Jackie Robinson Day every April 15th.
