|  Darren
Stuart
Director
Salsa
Caliente Dance Studio
Gainesville, Florida, USA
By
Jacira Castro
I
first met Darren (shown here with his girlfriend, Kareen Young)
before he had even graduated from High School. By then he
was already an excellent dancer, with his own dynamic style.
I
hired him as an instructor at my school, Absolute
Salsa Dance Studios, where he worked right
up until I closed it in 2000 to be able to go back and get
my Master's Degree.
Right
about that same time, Darren graduated from high school and
went off to Gainesville, Florida to study Business Administration
with the Gators.
Almost
immediately, he began to gather some friends together and
teach them to dance Cuban, Casino-style
salsa. Shortly thereafter, he found a small space and began
to offer classes.
 We
listed him on SalsaPower and at the beginning,
the Gainesville SalsaCity
page had no regular clubs and one school - Darren's!
He
would host salsa parties whenever and wherever he could find
a space. Little by little his clientele grew, and the salsa
scene in Gainesville began to take off.
In
early 2006, we were amazed at the level of the local dancers
in Gainesville. They easily equal anyone in a larger metropolitan
area in their level of expertise ...truly a tribute to Darren's
dedication and perseverance!
Now,
in 2006, Gainesville has three clubs and one school - Darren's:
Salsa
Caliente Dance Studios.
 Darren
and his instructors have just celebrated their fifth anniversary,
and SalsaPower President, Jacira Castro,
visited Gainesville for the celebration.
The
level of the students is a tribute to one man's dedicated
efforts at creating, single-handedly, the salsa scene in Gainesville,
Florida: Darren Stuart.
SalsaPower
salutes Darren Stuart as the newest member
of the SalsaPower's Who's Who in the World of
Cuban, Casino-Style Salsa and congratulates
him on his contributions of helping develop salsa around the
world!
SalsaPower President, Jacira Castro and Darren
Stuart, Director
of Salsa Caliente Dance Studios in Gainesville, Florida
January 2006
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