Finding Rhythm: An International Dance Journey

A happiness researcher set out on an international dance journey, finding out how each dance tells a story of its country and learning how beautiful life can be when you take the lead.

If you could do anything you wanted, what would it be? Alienor Salmon was working as a happiness researcher in Bangkok when a friend asked her the question that turned life as she knew it on its heels. The Franco-British Alienor wanted to learn to dance, and so she set off on a journey to New York City and then Latin America. She danced her way through Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina and learned eighteen dances in total--everything from salsa to cha-cha, reggaeton to samba, tango, bachata, merengue, and more.

As Alienor engaged with esoteric customs and cultures, she discovered that every step, pivot, and shake thrums with an undeniable spirit of place. In a world where we are over-connected but increasingly disconnected from one another, dance offers an authentically human experience. One that promotes tolerance, kindness, and vulnerability by holding the hands of a stranger and gazing into their eyes for the length of a song.

This one-of-a-kind dance-travelogue is a resplendent meditation on happiness, connection, and wanderlust, as well as a superb up-close look at the history, steps, and development of the world’s most remarkable dances. With her courageous and candid approach, Alienor will also inspire you to take the reins of your own life, to find what makes you happy and summon the courage to take the first step.

Alienor Salmon is a Franco-British writer, researcher, and consultant who has traveled the world studying happiness, education, and emotional development for UNESCO and other international organizations. Through her website, Bailando Journey, she has become a dance influencer and ambassador, promoting the discovery of cultures through dance and dance’s multiple benefits for well-being and personal development. In 2018 she received official accreditation for journalistic coverage of the Cali Fair, one of the most important traditional music and dance celebrations in Colombia and Latin America. In 2022 she gave a TEDx talk on her tour of Latin America, learning its dances and about herself in the process, the basis for her book Finding Rhythm. She has since founded the School of Happiness, where she teaches masterclasses on the science of happiness, and she teaches Mindful Latin Flow, a mindful movement class based on Latin rhythms. Aliénor currently lives in Lisbon, Portugal.