JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - Two soldiers with the 1729th Forward Support Maintenance Company, 749th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command are bringing Latin dancing to the residents of Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq.
When the 1729th FSMC, a National Guard unit from Havre De Grace, Md., arrived in Iraq in March, it brought many talented soldiers. Spc. Manuel Rivera, also known as “DJ Rico,” an automated logistics specialist and a native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, and Spc. Sergio Colon, also known as “DJ Colon,” a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic and a New York, N.Y., native, took it upon themselves to create a Latin dance night.
Although salsa night was already in full swing on Friday nights at 6 Pazzi restaurant, the dynamic duo said they wanted to add their own flavor to the mix. Not only would they play the traditional music, they would play more current music.
“We wanted more than just Salsa dancing,” Colon said. “We wanted to add all of the other Latin dances as well.”
They were granted permission to have their own night on Tuesdays. For the first two weeks, the attendance was light, but the pair, along with others from the 1729th FSMC, continued to put the word out. Soon they were sharing their talent on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Weeks later, both DJs stepped up from 6 Pazzi and into Memorial Hall to accommodate their increased following.
Not satisfied with simply mixing it up at the DJ booth, they plan to offer lessons for those who wished to learn the dances of Latin America. With the help of a dance instructor, they’ll teach Latin dance, helping many uncoordinated people get rid of their two left feet and dance gracefully.
| Date Taken: | 09.26.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 10.08.2011 05:24 |
| Story ID: | 78212 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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