CHARLOTTE -- A feature length documentary just wrapped up filming in Charlotte. The film depicts the influence of salsa and mambo music throughout the world.
The film’s executive producers wanted to show the difference between the dance in the north and the south. They chose Charlotte as one of the locations, and dozens of dancers came out for a chance at being on the big screen.
Dozens of Latin-style dancers came out to the Morehead Tavern in uptown Charlotte for a chance at fame on the silver screen.
"It's something good for our resume now too, so it's really going to bring us to the next level,” dancer Wendy Jimenez said. She’s only been dancing for a year and a half, but she travels with her husband Rodrigo all over North Carolina to perform.
The duo has its own studio in Charlotte’s university area, and they received an e-mail about being in the documentary. They got excited when they found out the film was going to be about North Carolina and about dance, so they met with the executive producer in Asheville and invited him to film the salsa scene in Charlotte.
"They would never think there's a salsa culture here, as well,” Rodrigo Jimenez said.
But dancing in the South is a little different than up North and that's what the film is all about.
"I wanted to show Latin music and Latin dance does not just exist in New York,” explained Josue Joseph, the son of bass legend Alfonso “El Panameno” Joseph.
The film, entitled “La Epoca,” documents the origin of mambo and salsa and its influence around the world. Joseph got for the film after the death of the original mambo king, Tito Puente. He said was leafing through his father's phone book and realized a story needed to be told.
"I have access to all of these legends, and if I don't do it no one else will,” Joseph said.
Filming took him to Spain, South Korea and Japan. Dancers said the popularity of television shows about dancing has increased people's interest in salsa dancing and its history.
"We all have something in common, which is the music, which I believe is very international,” Rodrigo Jimenez said.
“La Epoca” will premiere in late August in all of the cities it was filmed in, including Charlotte.
