The witching hour

AT CRESTON ACADEMY in the Bronx, around 50 students between the ages of 11 and 14 are dancing in sync to salsa music. “Do the Suzy Q,” yells their instructor. “Now the rumba!” Elsewhere in the building children are acting in plays, dribbling basketballs and learning how to cook. In this mostly Hispanic neighbourhood known for gangs and poverty, over 200 students are participating in free after-school activities provided by Good Shepherd Services, a charity that helps vulnerable youths in the Bronx and Brooklyn. “We’re having fun,” says Samira, a “Salsa Scholar” on break from the cha cha.