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Salsa Circuit
The Bronx has many nicknames, such as the Boogie Down and The BX. But in tribute to another moniker, El Condado De La Salsa (The Salsa Borough), Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is kicking off the first Bronx SalsaFest.
"The Bronx helped propel salsa into an international phenomenon," said Diaz.
The four days of festivities will get started Thursday with a Warm-Up Party at 7p.m. at Pregones Theater, 571 Walton Ave. in Mott Haven.
The free event includes a screening of the award-winning documentary "From Mambo To Hip Hop, A South Bronx Tale," a salsa dancing lesson and a discussion on the history of salsa music.
Doris Quinones, who heads the Bronx Tourism Council, said the goal of the initiative is to reclaim the genre for the Bronx and bring the community together.
"The great things about salsa is that it's really intergenerational," she said. "You're just as likely to have a young girl or boy who is learning the basic steps dancing alongside the abuelita [grandmother] who is doing her thing."
Bronx SalsaFest will run through Sunday. Highlights also include a Bronx Salsa Trolley tour tomorrow, a Latin music concert at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday and live music at Orchard Beach on Sunday.
SalsaFest is being sponsored by the Bronx Tourism Council and funded in part by the NYC & Company Foundation.
For more information, visit www.bronxsalsafest.com or call the Tourism Council at (718) 590-3527.
Real life to reel life
The Bronx International Film Festival is back tomorrow and Saturday with eight additional films.
The lineup includes "Below New York," an in-depth look at some of the city's top subway performers, musicians and artists, and "You Have the Right to an Attorney," a documentary on the offices of the Bronx Defenders nonprofit legal assistance group.
Tickets cost $5. Shows start at 8 p.m. The festival will be held at the Lovinger Theatre. For more information, call (718) 907-0079 or visit www.bronxstages.com.
Writers and riders
The Bronx Council on the Arts is launching a new program for aspiring young writers.
Starting next Tuesday, participants in the Bronx Write Bus Free Summer Youth Program will ride a bus to art and cultural events across the city.
During the journey, a writer or performer will introduce the youngsters to various writing forms - including humor, memoir, travel writing, playwriting and poetry.
The program is designed for kids ages 12-18. For more information, (718) 931-9500, Ext. 21.
Source Tanyanika Samuels
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