A group of salsa enthusiasts have turned their passion for dancing into a business and have launched a new website to support the operation.

The BermudaSalsa.com portal provides access to information about events, classes, promotions and presentations being coordinated by the company, which bears the same name.

?We wanted to take a holistic, multidimensional approach to promoting and supporting salsa in the local market,? said spokesman Marshall Weller. ?We provide a complete package of entertainment and instruction opportunities through the BermudaSalsa.com structure.?

In addition to the website, that structure includes the Sabor Dance School located at the Bermuda College, which specialises in Latin dance instruction, and Salsamania Productions which promotes salsa events across the island. According to Mr. Weller these developments are a distinct evolution from the informal salsa classes conducted at Club 40 five years ago.

?It?s come a long way and we?ve had a great response to each aspect of the business already,? he said. ?The salsa movement here has grown so fast over the past five years, and people have really embraced our classes and our salsa nights.?

Mr. Weller said that visitors to the website, which was developed under the direction of Kenrick Bagnall one of his colleagues in the new venture, have expressed appreciation for the information available there.

?And that?s good because we also want to educate people on all aspects of salsa, from interviews with the leading practitioners and performers, to the Latin American and Caribbean cultures that gave life to the music,? he said.

The site even includes tips on Latin cuisine and a featured monthly dish, presented in conjunction with local restaurants who receive exclusive advertising for the period and which also feature the dish on their menu for the month in question.

He added that the activities conducted by each arm of BermudaSalsa.com have expanded and continue to grow due to demand in the community. For example, Salsamania Productions hosts very successful weekly salsa events at the Champions Club on Reid Street and the Ozone nightclub on Front Street every Saturday and Thursday respectively.

?We?re now launching our Hot Summer Nights series of five salsa cruises to celebrate the past five years of the movement?s growth here,? he said.

Mr. Weller added that the classes at Sabor Dance School have also grown in popularity, and they are taught by some of the best instructors in Bermuda.

?We?ve brought together people like Steven Bean, Gerry Swan as well as Travis Gilbert and Angela Hayward,? he said. ?These are people who have been with the movement since the early days here, have experience from here and overseas and really know what they?re doing. The salsa crowd like their experience and they?re also good fun.?

Mr. Weller attributes the significant growth in interest locally in salsa to the maturity of the individuals attracted to the music and dancing, as well as the rising global profile of the movement.

?Salsa has a very clean image and attracts a mature, professional type crowd,? he said. ?We have family members dancing together at our events, as well as friends coming along just to enjoy the music. It?s all about having fun while enjoying a wholesome activity.?

This message has also hit home with advertisers for the website, which already represent a fairly broad cross-section of the business community.

?We have fostered support from businesses and the response has been good,? said Mr. Weller. ?And we also want to make sure we?re connected to the wider community not just through the people who attend our events or take our classes. That?s why we selected the Pembroke Rest Home as our adopted charity, so we can give back to the community as an organisation in a very direct way.?

Mr. Weller indicated that now the business and website are both established the focus will be on ensuring each part of the BermudaSalsa.com operation functions at the highest level.

?Our vision is to continue delivering good quality instruction, entertainment and information to promote salsa in a positive way ,? he said.