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You hear the beat of the clave, a distinct syncopated rhythm of African origin. The percussions, including the bongo, conga and timbals, create the uplifting rhythm in the music. The piano largely adds to the beat and is beautifully melodic. The trumpet and trombone unify the music into a perfect harmony.

All of these components grow into an amazing sound – the music that has become my major passion. This music is salsa.

Being an African American Latina at UCLA, it’s really hard to find places in Westwood or at UCLA where I can express my culture. Salsa is something that is unique to my Afro-Latino heritage, and it has the power to cross cultural boundaries, noted in the way salsa is surging into the mainstream culture in Los Angeles.

If you go to a UCLA salsa dance class on any given day you will see a very diverse crowd. This is why I, and many others at UCLA, believe the proposal by Leo Prats to open a Cuban Bistro featuring salsa dancing in Westwood is an excellent idea.

Despite what the Holmby-Westwood Property Owners Association may believe about dance locations in general, restaurants that feature space to dance salsa are pretty tame locations and do not get “out of control.” Salsa is a social dance, similar to ballroom dance in the way a couple dancing together would interact, and it’s more closely related to American jazz music than any other genre of American music.

Salsa dancing has rules of conduct: People must be respectful, and running around wild and drunk on the dance floor is frowned upon. Instead, it is an art and a skill, something challenging and rewarding.

On the salsa dance floor your goal is to interpret the music and the dance to the best of your ability. A Cuban restaurant that has a salsa dance space is very different from a nightclub.

I urge Sandy Brown and the other members of the Holmby-Westwood Property Owners Association to visit the Cuban Bistro in Alhambra to actually understand how Prats’ establishment is run, rather than simply labeling such a place as your typical wild college party. Before making the decision to absolutely oppose any such restaurant, I and other UCLA students deserve this much. Decisions should not be made on false assumptions.

I truly believe salsa is one of the most beautiful aspects of my culture, and I do not like the fact that it is being frowned upon and labeled as “out of control” without being understood by members of the property owners association.

The salsa music and Cuban food the restaurant would offer would be a great way to bring authentic Latino culture into Westwood. It would offer a new learning experience for UCLA students and would serve as a cultural staple in our community.

Salsa has been the most beautiful thing in my own life, and I would love for others to experience it in the same way. It has the power to change lives.

James is the coordinator of UCLA’s Salsa Dance Troupe.