Oakville residents who have never tried salsa can start Saturday, Nov. 14. Taste of Colombia, a Bronte Road café, turns its event room, El Salón, at 67 Bronte Road, Unit 3, into a dance floor every Saturday until Dec. 19, with lessons for newcomers and a social dance afterward.
Each night runs 6 to 11 p.m. A beginner lesson comes first, then an intermediate one, both between 6 and 9 p.m. The last two hours are a social dance, where everyone puts the steps to use. One $25 ticket covers the whole night, and you don't need a partner or any dance experience to join in.
The organizers say the nights centre on Afro-Cuban music, the rhythms salsa grew out of, with occasional lessons in other Latin dances such as bachata, rumba, merengue and cha cha. They announce each week who is teaching that Saturday.
The series is run by Yury Wu-Parra, a Colombian native who founded Taste of Colombia. The café describes itself as Colombian-inspired and fair-trade, and says it started in 2012 to introduce people in Canada to Colombian coffee, food, music and people.
The Eventbrite listing says the nights are open to ages 12 and up, and refunds are available until seven days before an event. The café says there is free parking behind its units at all times, with paid parking on the street.
El Salón also hosts a Christmas pop-up market on Saturday, Nov. 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., ahead of that evening's dancing.
