MONTEGO BAY, St James — Salsa classes have been added to the toolkit of coping skills for residents of this western city as they rebuild and recover from last year’s Hurricane Melissa.

For the next three weeks, British expatriate Jermaine Allison-Sheriff is offering her skills on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

“Post-Melissa, many people have been negatively affected by the trauma and physical impact of the hurricane,” she told the Jamaica Observer recently as she sat in the halls of the Montego Bay Cultural Centre, in the heart of the city, where classes are held.

“They may not feel depressed but the trauma was real for all of us who lived through that night. Dancing it out of your system is the most effective way of limiting the ongoing effects of such an event,” Allison-Sheriff added.

On October 28 last year the Category 5 storm swept through sections of Jamaica, leaving 45 dead; many injured; and billions of dollars in damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure. St James was among the parishes hardest hit.

“We drove around, and five months after the event we still see the roof damage and roadside debris as a constant reminder of the event. Those things will not go away for some time but we can build resilience and have some community fun through learning this new skill and enjoying a couple of hours of great music together,” reasoned Allison-Sheriff.

She explained that dancing, which is culturally acceptable here in Jamaica as it is an integral part of traditional rituals and celebrations, is a holistic practice that improves well-being.

“Dancing is the best medicine. Most people know that human beings are meant to move but what they may not know is that inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle is a major contributing factor to all causes of illness – both physical and mental,” Allison-Sheriff told the Observer as she waited for a group to turn up and begin learning the moves to the traditional Latin dance famed across the world.

“Physical exertion and emotional expression stimulate the body to release positive hormones, called endorphins, such as dopamine and serotonin. These hormones help manage the negative symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. In fact, neuroscience research from a number of studies across the world have shown that dancing can be more effective than antidepressants,” she insisted.

Dance instructor Jermaine Allison-Sheriff is using Salsa to help individuals in St James in their post-Hurricane Melissa recovery.

She also shared that dancing will boost confidence and improve cognitive function through memory and focus as participants learn steps and move with their partners.

Allison-Sheriff is a qualified dance coach, dance exercise teacher, and specialist advisor for health-related physical activity and mental health promotion from the United Kingdom. Although she is retired, she said her unique skill mix has put her in the position to offer these services to the people of St James.

“I still have the energy and desire to give back,” she declared.

“I am starting these dance classes with a view to growing a couples dancing community as well as giving musicians another genre to perfect, with the goal of having live music dance events on a regular basis for the benefit of participants’ physical and mental health,” Allison-Sheriff explained.

The ongoing class has been dubbed Salsa North Jamaica.

“The Tuesday class from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm is aimed at any adult and is at a time that hopefully will attract young adults after school. The Wednesday morning session is for adults aged 50 plus as the music will be slower and the sessions will not be as full. Thursday evenings are for anyone aged 16 plus who loves to dance,” Allison-Sheriff stated.

Each session costs $1,000.

“In the classes you will improve your flexibility, posture and balance, so it is ideal for older adults who do not like the gym and find walking lacks stimulation. It can also help reignite long-term relationships with quality time [spent] doing something different together. For young adults it is important to establish good movement practise, confidence and social interaction,” she said.

Salsa dancers enjoy a twirl around the floor of Montego Bay’s Civic Centre. .