Salsa nights. It's a thing. A thing that's been growing rapidly over the last couple of years. Might have something to do with the fact the salsa teachers who're taking their lessons from the studios to bars, teaching not just the steps, but the culture of salsa as a social contact-sport. A couple of years into the craze, there's a place you can go every night of the week to get your Latin dance on.
Here's a list of some salsa nights and a little info on the fine, sensuous people who put them together. Toned, bronzed, lithe, sensuous people. Pro dancers or bearded pubrockers looking for a new hobby, everyone's welcome at salsa night.
Monday @ Zapata's
Boton a teacher from Latin Soul has been hosting a dance party at Zapata's for a little over two years. There’s a short lesson at about 9.30, then everyone does their own thing—so it's a great place to start your salsa-ing experimentation. It's friendly, spacious and...dark. The crowd is made up mostly of foreigners, with a few locals. The atmosphere is super casual, with both pros and beginners, so someone will help you pick up the steps. If you ask nicely.
Tuesday (for beginners) @ Revolucion
Sprouting up in the fall of 2016, salsa night at Revolucion is the most well known. Brought to you by Alicia Valdivia of Salsa Shanghai Studio, this one is another great place for beginners. The crowd gets big with a healthy mix of foreigners and locals. Alicia does a quick lesson around 10.30pm, and the difficulty varies depending on who's there. If it's just her students it might get real fancy. The dance floor is pretty small, so there's more drinking on the sidelines here, which inevitably leads to more people dancing. The circle of nightlife.
Tuesday (for pros) @ Unico
Mike Honda owner of Latin Soul has been organizing EL Tuesday at Unico for about 5 years. Recently, he added a short lesson to the beginning of the event, starting at about 9.45pm (but there’s free-flow mojitos from 8.30-9.30pm so make sure you get there early). Unico on Tuesday, is a great place to dance, with a live performance from a Latin band at 10-10.30pm each week. Mostly foreigners here and dancers who have a few lessons under their belt. So if you don't have two left feet, head to Unico for some fun.
Wednesday @ Bar Rouge
Wednesday night at Shanghai Latin Dance, teachers Daylin Alfaro and Kevin Scandoval lead through 3 songs around 10.15pm. A little more intimate than the other nights, about 10-20 people come out on average plus several Bar Rouge bystanders usually join in. The dancing stays strong till about 1am, with both instructors, along with Ricardo, staying all night and informally teaching moves.
Thursday @ Pistolera
Thursdays are for lovers. I guess. Salsa at Shanghai Latin Dance, class here starts a bit earlier at 9.40pm and changes weekly from salsa to merengue to bachata.
Friday @ JZ Latino
The owner of JZ Latino since 2013. An oldie but a goodie, this one's stacked. Literally. There are two floors of dancing; on the first level, salsa and bachata, and on the second, kizomba (the slower, more romantic cousin of samba). This one tends to draw an experienced local crowd.
Saturday @ La Bodeguita del Medio
Starting this week, there'll be a brand-spanking new salsa night at Cuban restaurant Pistolera that runs every Saturday at 3.30pm, but you gotta pay for it (150rmb, includes 2 drinks). Check details here.
The Studios
Improve your skills so you can look super cool at salsa nights...
Latin Soul Studio
Run by Sakina Lu and Mike Honda, Latin Soul Studio teaches Salsa, Cuban Salsa, Bachata, and Kizomba. Your first trial class is 50rmb and after that a drop in is 80. Check their website for more details on pricing.
Shanghai Latin Dance
Check their website for pictures of the studio and old performances, but the most current schedule and pricing can be found on their WeChat: shanghailatindance. This studio does classes for beginners and workshops for those with dancing experience.
Salsa Shanghai Studio
Talk to Bob if you're interested, he doesn't have a set price for classes, he wants people to go try it then deal with the money stuff after. Old school, I guess? Check their official WeChat for class and schedule info: salsashanghai.
Souldancing
Souldancing is another great option for classes. Though not a traditional-just-salsa-studio, they've got a salsa party every Friday evening, for a small fee you can dance and drink at the studio.
Get dancin'.
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