Melting pot drawn to dance
by Tim Evans, Indianapolis Star
posted July 5, 2004

A small cluster of red, white and blue balloons marked the site of INtoSalsa's inaugural Fourth of July picnic, but they weren't really necessary.Once the Latin music got pumping and the crowd started dancing, the group's gathering in a shelter house on the shore of Eagle Creek Reservoir was hard to miss.

It was an unlikely unifier -- salsa music and dancing -- that brought together the modern-day version of the great American melting pot. "A lot of people from different races and cultures are attracted to salsa," explained Yang Xiao, a 29-year-old Chinese immigrant who makes his living teaching Hoosiers the basics of salsa.On the dance floor, an African-American man twirled a Chinese woman. There were dancers from El Salvador, France and Canada.

"Salsa dancing puts you in the mood of celebrating," said Boris Marenco, 31, a native of El Salvador who moved to Indianapolis from Fort Wayne three weeks ago. Added Vinod Vachali, 37, Fishers: "This is a really nice, multi-cultural crowd and a great way to celebrate the holiday." Vachali, a native of India, said America's Independence Day set the tone for the world. "Modern-day Democracy started on July Fourth in America, and a lot of other countries picked up on it. It's just a great day."

Click here for photos from the cookout.