Come on, baby, wanna dance?

Latin dance class has moms shaking their butts, babies shaking their rattles

Sam Lee preferred the merengue, squealing with joy when the rhythmic music started up. Reuben Burroughs definitely liked the salsa best, his smile growing as he gibbered away. Willem Huelsenbeck did not discriminate -- he shook his short, chubby legs to whatever music was playing. All three were literally drooling with enthusiasm.

The boys, ranging in age from six to seven months, were well on their way to becoming Latin dance experts Tuesday morning during their weekly dance lesson. It was their mothers, however, who made it possible for them to be a part of Salsa Babies, a dance class that allows mothers to learn Latin dance moves while their babies are harnessed to their fronts or backs.

For Amy Huelsenbeck, 33, taking the dance class was about getting active and having a social outing to look forward to.

"It's actually good exercise," she said. "You're carrying 16 pounds of baby in front of you."

From 10 to 10:45 a.m., the small group of three mothers and three sons was led by Susana Ramsey, who is pregnant with her third child, but does not have a baby of her own right now to dance with. Instead, she donned a baby doll in a harness to remind herself that the women she's teaching are carrying more weight in front of them.

Ramsey, 38, whose thick, blondish ponytail matched her bright, youthful face, started up Salsa Babies after learning about it from a friend in Canada, where it has been going strong for years now.

Though Ramsey is Canadian, her roots are Latin. Born in Chile, she moved to Toronto when she was five years old so her family could escape the military coup led by former dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Ramsey had to audition in Toronto in front of the owner of the business before she was allowed to purchase a license to teach the classes herself, making it the first of its kind in the state and one of only a few in the U.S.

"[They] had to see I could actually dance," she said. She is happy that she is able to work doing something she loves -- she has been salsa dancing for 15 years.

"It's kind of like an expression, it gets the heart going, it makes you feel good," she said. "It releases all energy."

Energy was everywhere during the class Tuesday morning. Room "H" in the Parkwood United Methodist Church was transformed for a short while by the intensely rhythmic music, in spite of the high-traffic carpet and white cinderblock walls.

The dedicated group took no breaks aside from a few quick moments during CD changes. The class started and ended with stretching, and advanced through dances that included the Cuban salsa, Dominican pachata and merengue. The women's feet moved swiftly to the sensual beats as new steps were learned, but the ladies did not hesitate to ask to see another demonstration or have Ramsey slow things down -- all levels of experience are welcome at Salsa Babies.

They also try to accommodate all scenarios, as babies can be unpredictable. If a baby needs a nap, no problem, he or she can snooze. Twins or triplets are welcome for the same price, and a babysitter or other family member can fill in at no extra charge. Classes consist of six-week sessions (the first session ends Tuesday) and cost $72. Ramsey has room for as many as 20 moms, and will be starting the fall session the last week of August.

Salsa Babies is a good opportunity for women who have always wanted to dance but could never convince their husbands to join them -- or never had the time. Since babies as young as six to eight weeks are welcome, many women on maternity leave or stay-at-home moms find it a nice activity to look forward to.

Heulsenbeck agrees. She learned about the class through the Durham Mother's Club, a support group for moms looking for playmates for their children, companionship for themselves, and new activities.

"It sounded like a good time," she said.

She also likes the fact that she finally has a dance partner who doesn't need cajoling.

"I've been with my husband for 14 years, and he will never ever dance," Heulsenbeck said.