The main course is salsa

Mall patrons wiggled their hips and shuffled their feet Friday to the sounds of salsa music as they were given free dance lessons from professional dancers, including the partner of last year’s “Dancing With the Stars” winner.

Professional dancer Mark Ballas — who helped Kristi Yamaguchi win last year’s hit TV dance contest show — taught Glendale Galleria patrons a step or two about how to move gracefully on the dance floor and groove to the beats of the Latin dance known as salsa.

“Hopefully, I’ll get some people to learn some new dance steps,” he said.

Ballas, who has been dancing since he was 4, and his mother, Shirley Ballas, a world-champion dancer, showed the patrons a quick salsa dance. Mark Ballas’ father, Corky Ballas, a professional ballroom dancer, also dances on the TV show.

La Crescenta resident Margaret Mousesian watched Mark Ballas dance on the TV show and was inspired two years ago to start learning how to salsa dance. Mousesian has been a dancer for several years but had never tried to dance salsa before watching the show.

Mousesian and her mother, Voski Mousesian, hit the dance floor at the mall, hoping to learn new salsa moves.

“We’re just here to have a good time and let loose on the dance floor,” she said.

Not only was Mousesian interested in dancing with Ballas, but she said she was also trying to forget about the nation’s economic downturn.

“We want our minds to be elsewhere,” she said.

Mousesian waited patiently to dance with Ballas and, after dancing with him, was impressed.

“He is a good leader,” she said. “He doesn’t make you feel like a beginner.”

Ballas whispered a dancing tip to Mousesian.

“He told me to emphasize the hips,” she said.

The free dance lessons were given as a way to draw mall patrons to learn more about Puerto Rico and get some patrons interested in traveling to the country.

“We are bringing a little of Puerto Rico to the area by focusing on salsa and our music,” said Mari Jo Laborde, spokeswoman for Puerto Rico Tourism Company, which sponsored the Galleria workshop.

Dancer Jo Quinonez moved around the dance floor Friday with her dance partner, Francisco Martinez.

“We are going to make the ladies do some hip-swiveling,” she said.

Quinonez and Martinez, both of Pasadena, have been dancing since they were children.