Learning To Salsa With Dance Instructor Rich Jaramillo

By Carol Cain
Senior Producer and Host
WWJ-TV CBS Detroit's "Michigan Matters"

How does one get her salsa groove going when she's never had a dance lesson in her life and is hamstrung by two left feet? That was my situation when Rich Jaramillo was selected to remedy the situation as my dance instructor for the "Dancing With Our Local Stars" event being held this Friday night at the San Martino Club in Troy. It's for a good cause as it is a fundraiser for the American Diabetes Foundation. The event was produced by Janet Blair, who runs Tri County Business Exchange. Never mind Jaramillo was already a legend in the salsa world, winning lots of awards. He even danced in a recent music video with recording star Sean Forbes and actress Marlee Matlin.

Watch "Let's Mambo"

Turning me into a salsa dancer might prove his toughest challenge yet. The multi-talented Jaramillo is also a comedian who performs at area clubs. And humor is a skill he would likely need to help him through the challenge of getting me ready for the 90 second dance routine.

Other celebrity dancers that evening include: Terry Foster (97.1 FM The Ticket), Amy Lange (Fox 2) , Donna Barbera (WJR radio) Sean Forbes (Deaf Recording Artist), Annette Kelly, (2011 Mrs. Michigan), Peter Nielsen (renowned fitness guru) and Eric Smith, (Macomb County Prosecutor).

And the other professional dance instructors working with them: Natalka Cap, Wesley Arnold, Fernando Caducio, Dwight Davis, Melissa Rollins, Meredith Watkins and Emily Rose.

Dancing Daze!

This would have been easier if it were a contest about who could drive the ball furthest off the tee, or shoot the most free throws on a basketball court. I have some athletic skills but dancing is not among them. The closest I ever came to displaying such talents was in high school where my friends -- who were the stars of our school plays -- would show up to root me on in my various sporting contests. Being a friend and also so we could hang out -- I would try out and get selected for the chorus which wasn't difficult as nearly everyone was. But this was hardly a "Glee" moment as I was usually relegated near the back of the stage given my obvious lack of abilities.

Stepping Out!

Flash forward when radio personality Rachel Nevada approached me about appearing in Dancing With Our Local Stars I hesitated. She pointed out that Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel and a handful of other celebs appeared in last year's "Dancing" event and lived to tell about it.

Indeed, I might appear adventuresome if you look at some things I have done recently like jumping out of a plane at 14,000 feet with the U.S. Army's Golden Knights Parachute team (see link here) but somehow dancing in front of an audience gave me more pause.

With my concerns in check I met Jaramillo who explained we would be doing a salsa. I wasn't sure what a salsa looked like so I turned to YouTube and typed in 'salsa.' This was no boogaloo. No cabbage patch. No electric line dance. No disco ball hanging overhead and Bee Gees' music playing in the background – all things I could have faked my way through. The salsa is regimented. It's meant to be hot and saucy.

Watch Video Of My Dance Lesson:

Jaramillo began the process of helping me get my salsa groove going. He patiently explained the steps. And we went over them. And over them. I learned to stop glancing at my feet and his feet for a clue on what steps came next. I learned to stop trying to take the lead which was funny given I didn't know where we were going. And I discovered the best dancing took place when I stopped trying to remember what I was supposed to do and just went with it. Will it be enough to finish among the top three dance teams chosen from the celebs dancing in Friday's "Dancing With Our Local Stars" event?" Only time will tell. But I do know those at the event will get to see Jaramillo rock the dance floor and show them why he has won so many awards when he is paired with Natalka Cap – another equally gifted dancer -- as they perform for the audience, along with 2011 Miss Michigan, Elizabeth Wertenberger, and Melissa Rollins with her partner Gilbert Rodriguez.

For more on Dancing With Our Local Stars, visit dancingwithourlocalstars.com or call 248-852-8077.

Carol Cain is the Emmy winning Senior Producer and Host of WWJ-TV Detroit's "Michigan Matters" airing 11 a.m. Sundays. You can read her columns on politics and business in Sunday's Detroit Free Press. You can reach her at 248-355-7126 or via email.