“We’re going to see if there are any beautiful women.” Leonardo Palermo puts on his coat in the hallway and is about to leave for the Sabroso salsa party in the Kompaszaal. “We’re going to dance salsa.” And so 62-year-old Leo immediately reveals two of his favorite activities. “After women, it’s my favorite hobby.”
Once in the hall, the live band starts playing. “I prefer to dance to live music,” says Leonardo, who grew up near Puglia, Italy. As a little boy, he once saw Cubans dancing salsa on TV and was immediately hooked. “I call them Mulatas. They have the most beautiful buttocks in the whole world.”
When he talks about his fascination with a broad smile, it is almost as if he is that young teenager again, seeing the dance moves on TV for the first time. “When they dance salsa and shake their buttocks, yes, that’s fun. That’s just fun.”
Duracell bunny
Leonardo is a familiar face for frequent visitors to salsa parties in the city. “I’m always the first on the dance floor, I just don’t want to stand still.” Once on the dance floor, he watches for willing prey.
Many women immediately fall for the youthful enthusiasm with which Leo draws them towards him while clapping. “I’ve never really had lessons. I’m a salsa dancer from the street, I always say. If women have only had salsa lessons, it doesn’t work, it’s like they’re a Duracell bunny on the dance floor.”
His wife, now deceased, also met Leonardo on the dance floor. It was a romantic evening. “We danced to a song by Ray Baretto. Real salsa fans know him. Yes, that was just a beautiful evening, a kiss here and a kiss there.”
Dancing keeps him young, but his shoes don’t last as long as Leo himself. “Sometimes my shoes even get worn out, but I always keep dancing. Sometimes I even dance with a headache. It’s the best way to get rid of that. It just makes me happy.”
: “After women, this is my favorite hobby”){kind=link}