Dec 5 2025

Flourishing through Movement Liberation: Salsa Night at the Odeh Center

December 5, 2025

4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location

Library of the Health Sciences-Chicago

Address

Odeh Center, Ste. 220, Select

Calendar

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You are invited to Flourishing through Movement Liberation: Salsa Night at the Odeh Center to warm up with dance and food! Historically, throughout life challenges, communities have found a way to band together and thrive by relying on dancing for their physical, mental and spiritual health.

The evening will involve a presentation (with a live band!) on the history of salsa, from the 1960s with Chamaco Ramírez to today with Bad Bunny, a salsa tutorial with two instructors, and hours of open dancing with a live band and Latin American food.

Please join us in welcoming our community partners from the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center and Omarcitos. A special shout-out and huge thank you to Kevin Garcia, Ricardo Jimenez, Omar Torres-Kortright, Becky Medina, and Omar Cadena for making this event possible!

Program
4 to 4:15 p.m. - Welcome + Introductions

4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. - A multimedia lecture-performance: The Story of Salsa and the Spirit of Community
Omar Torres-Kortright + The Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center Salsa Ensemble

This presentation explores the evolution of salsa music as one of the most powerful cultural movements of the 20th century — a sound born from the barrios of San Juan, Havana, New York, and the Caribbean diaspora. Combining storytelling, never-before-seen footage from the upcoming documentary, Alive and Kicking: The Story of Chamaco Ramírez, and live musical demonstrations, this program immerses audiences in the rhythm, rebellion, and resilience that shaped salsa’s golden era. At its core, the story of salsa is also a story of health, resilience, and community well-being. Born in times of economic struggle and social upheaval, salsa became a healing force for marginalized communities— offering joy, identity, and belonging where formal systems often failed to do so.

5:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. - Break + Transition

5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. - Dance Instruction: Salsa Dancing 101 - Learn Basic Salsa Steps with Becky Medina

This session is an opportunity for beginning and advanced dancers alike to practice basic salsa steps under the tutelage of one of Chicago’s best salsa instructors.

6:30 p.m. - Meal: Catering from Omarcito’s

Omarcito's is a fun, soulful, open outdoor space design with three key areas and a mission to give Chicago a chingón Latin street food experience where the vibe is perfect, the music hits right, and you feel like la familia.

6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. - Dance: Open Dance Floor

Under the musical direction of Joaquín García, the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center’s salsa ensemble will fill the Odeh Center with salsa music from the 60s to today. The rest of the evening is open for one and all to enjoy the music, practice the new or refreshed dance steps learned earlier, and enjoy some Latin American food amongst new and old friends.

Please note: This event is in person only. RSVP is highly encouraged; food is first-come, first-served while supplies last. Free & open to all!

UIC Sponsors

University Library and the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy

RSVP

Contact

Odehmenan Health Equity Center Team

odehcenter@uic.edu

Date posted

Dec 1, 2025

Date updated

Dec 1, 2025

Speakers

Ricardo Jiménez | Director of Public Health Initiatives at Puerto Rican Cultural Center

Ricardo was born in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico. He started activism at age 15 when he became involved in organizing efforts for better housing and education for Puerto Ricans in the Humboldt Park community. He was also a student leader at Tuley High School, where, due to overcrowded conditions and the insensitive and racist attitudes of the staff, students and parents protested and demanded a new high school and a change in school leadership. Ricardo was honored as the Chicago High School Senior of the Year. Ricardo lived in Puerto Rico and returned to Chicago, where he became certified as an HIV, STI, Hep-C Tester and Counselor and began his work at Vida/SIDA as the Manager for Linkage to Care for HIV/STI treatment for people with positive results. Ricardo is now the Director of Public Health-Vida/SIDA for the Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC).

Omar Torres-Kortright | Executive Director of the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center

Omar Torres-Kortright is the Executive Director of the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center (SRBCC), Chicago’s longest-standing Latine cultural institution, where he has served since 2015. Before joining SRBCC, he spent over a decade at Lurie Children’s Hospital as Manager of Language Services. A cultural producer, curator, and advocate for Afro-Caribbean arts, he is currently developing Alive and Kicking: The Story of Chamaco Ramírez, an upcoming documentary about the life of the legendary Puerto Rican salsa singer. A graduate of the University of Puerto Rico with a B.A. in Hispanic Studies and Art History, Torres-Kortright is a 2022 Chicago Peace Fellow and currently serves on the Mayor’s Cultural Advisory Council.

Joaquín García II | Musical Director

Joaquín García is an accomplished pianist, composer, and music director whose career bridges classical rigor and jazz innovation. A prodigious talent, he began winning regional percussion competitions at age nine and went on to earn top honors in city and state piano competitions for his interpretations of Chopin and Lecuona by age 15. García received a full scholarship to Columbia College Chicago, where he studied classical piano and composition before discovering his passion for jazz. He later earned his Master of Music in Jazz Studies from Northwestern University, graduating with honors in 2014. He has performed and recorded internationally, appearing in New York, Mexico City, Miami, and beyond. A sought-after performer, García serves as music director , educator, and pianist for various projects, including the U.S. band of six-time Grammy winner Gilberto Santa Rosa.

Rebecca Medina | Salsa Dance Instructor

Rebecca M. Medina is a proud Trinidadian educator, social worker, and youth advocate from the north shore suburbs of Chicago. With a background in social justice and years of experience supporting youth and families across Chicago, she currently serves as a Program Director at the Alternative Schools Network, championing equitable education and culturally grounded healing practices. Beyond her work in community spaces, Rebecca is a dedicated Latin dance instructor, dancer, and competitor with over a decade of experience. She has competed in both local and national competitions, earning multiple awards while representing her afro-caribbean roots in today's dance scene. Her dance home is with Latin Rhythms Dance Company, one of Chicago’s premier Latin dance studios. She believes in building a just world through radical love, healing, and artistic expression.

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