 For
up-to-the-minute information on parties
and dance events that are going on in the
area, feel free to contact your Baltimore
Salsaweb correspondent, Barb Bernstein, at Barbbtalks@aol.com. Studios
Where Salsa or Rueda Is Taught:
Avalon Studio for Movement and Dance
The Avalon Studio is home to Rueda classes (Casino style
Salsa)
that span from beginning to advanced levels. The
floor there is large and comfortable. Classes are
taught on Sunday nights by Barbara Bernstein and
other talented dancers associated with DanceInTimeProductions.com.
Beginners and early intermediate dancers have class from 5 to
about 6:00 PM. If there is a wide
range in the background of this group, we
subdivide them and provide additional teachers as
needed. The class moves on to increasingly
advanced moves and ends around 7:00 or
7:15. Classes cost $10 and there is a
discount for groups of 5 or more. There is also a
discount for students and for out-of-town
visitors.
This group gives a warm welcome to newcomers
who "drop in." It's a good idea to
email BarbBtalks@aol.com
or call Barb (301-464-6244) ahead of time and
double-check the schedule since classes are
occasionally cancelled and replaced by an
evening studio party. For more information
on classes and events, please visit: www.DanceInTimeProductions.com
Advanced students can participate in the
beginners class for review at no extra charge.
Likewise, beginning students are welcome to
practice on the floor during the advanced class
at no charge. A written description of the Rueda
steps is available to class members to help them
recall which move has which name.
Sometimes another Salsa teacher, Susan Leiter who is highly
regarded, teaches at the Avalon. For
further information, you contact
spleiter@aol.com.
To go to the Avalon Studio, get onto the
Baltimore beltway (I695). Then take exit 13
(Frederick Rd) west towards Catonsville. Follow
to the second traffic light. Turn left onto
Mellor Ave. Turn left into the second parking lot
entrance. There are tons of convenient parking
spaces. The studio address is 15 Mellor Ave,
Catonsville, MD.
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Promenade DanceSport Facility
This is a beautiful, huge (55000 square feet)
dance studio with a "floating hardwood"
floor. The Promenade sponsors mostly ballroom
classes and parties, but they also do some Salsa
classes/workshops. Call ahead to check their
schedule. At the time of this writing, Grace of
DancingWithGrace.com is teaching Salsa on Tuesday nights there.
The address there is 2605 Lord Baltimore
Drive, Baltimore, MD. The phone number is
410-277-0234. To get to the Promenade, take the
Baltimore Beltway (Route 695) to Exit 17,
Security Blvd West. At the fork in the exit ramp,
bear left toward West/Rolling Road. Turn right at
the second street, Lord Baltimore Drive. Proceed
through the light at Dogwood Road. The Promenade
is the fifth red brick building, 3/10 of a mile
on the right. There is lots of parking right by
the studio. |
Above: some Baltimore area dancers are joined by dancers from Richmond,
New York, and Washington D.C. to perform Salsa and Casino Rueda at the MCI
Center in D.C. (January 2004)
Click here to see the video
This video requires QuickTime Viewer. You can download it
by clicking here
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Towson Dance Studio
This studio has Salsa instruction some
evenings. The cost varies depending on whether
you pay at the door or in advance. The classes
are one hour long. It is suggested that you call
to get their current class schedule as the days
and teachers change. Each session generally
runs about 4 classes.
To get to the studio from the Baltimore
Beltway (695), take the York Rd exit going south.
Then make a right onto Washington Ave and a left
on Alleghany. The address is 31 Alleghany Ave.
It's on the right hand side of the street. The
phone number is 410-828-6116. There is parking in
the adjacent lot.
Clubs Where Salsa Is Taught and Latin
Nights are Held:
The Belvedere Hotel (The Grand Ballroom and The 13th Floor)
1 East Chase Street Baltimore, Maryland
This hotel features Salsa dancing in various parts of the
hotel. Most recently, they have operated Salsa Nights on
some Thursdays in a big, gorgeous ballroom. There has been
something on the "13th floor" as well. You can get details
by contacting the hotel or visiting Dancingwithgrace.com. To get there from Pratt St. heading east down
by the harbor, make a left onto Charles to go
north. Take that to Chase Street. The
Belvedere is at the corner of Chase and
Charles.
Cancun Cantina
This club has a Latin night on Sundays. (They
do more country-type dancing on other nights.)
They have a Salsa lesson first from 9 to 10 PM.
Then they have a DJ till about 1:45 AM. The
DJ plays assorted Latin house music and you may
hear relatively little Salsa. However, it has a
good size floor. There is a $6 cover charge
for women which includes some free drinks such as
wine and draft beer with refills. The cover for
men is $5 and does not include any drinks.
I suggest you call to get updated information on
this cover charge as it sometimes changes.
To get there from Route 295, take Route 100
East to Route 170 North. Make a right at Dorsey
Rd and the club is a little way down on the
right. The address is 7501 Old Telegraph Rd.,
Hanover, MD 21076. The phone number is
410-761-6188.
Kasbah
Dance lessons are taught by DWG from 8-10 pm $10 each. Cover is
$10 after 10 and you only have to pay for your lesson and no
cover before $10. This is an elegant and large dance floor
on the second floor of a restaurant called Huckas in Baltimore.
It is a "dress to impress" type club with elegant surroundings,
high ceilings....you get the picture. The music is a Latin
mix. Address: 2324 Boston Street Baltimore, MD 21230
410.522.7770
Havana Club
The hot Salsa/Latin night at this club is
Wednesday. There is a Salsa lesson from9 or 9:30
to 11 PM and the DJ plays dance music from 11 PM
to 1:45 AM. It's Salsa mixed with other Latin
music. There is no cover charge. The dance floor
is wood but very small and it tends to be too
crowded for much movement. Some people just hang
out at the bar and watch the dancers. The dress
code is no jeans, shorts, athletic wear, jerseys
or denim of any kind.
The address is 600 Water Street in Baltimore,
MD. The phone is 410-4680022. The directions from
Pratt Street are to turn onto Marketplace. That
bends and dead ends into Water Street. The club
is a just ahead on Water Street, above Ruth
Chris' Steak House. There is valet parking which
many dancers use because finding a spot nearby
can be difficult.
Latin Palace
There is a Salsa lesson from 8:00 to 9:30 PM
on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Once the lesson is over, the DJ plays a mix of
Salsa, merengue, bachata, cha cha, and other
Latin music. The floor is fairly large but there
are generally lots of people there so it's still
crowded. The crowd there is diverse in all
respects. The cover charge is $10 and that
includes the lesson.
Be aware that the neighborhood is not the
best, so you'll want to walk quickly from your
car to the club. Latin Palace is closed on
Mondays. On Tuesdays and Sundays they are
open for dinner.
You would be wise to double-check the above
information by calling ahead. Latin Palace
tends to change who is teaching there and what is
going on more often than most clubs. Plus, from
time to time, they hold special events with live
bands and performances.
The address is 509 S. Broadway, Baltimore, MD
and the phone number is 410-522-6700. To get
there, go to Pratt Street in Downtown Baltimore,
turn onto Broadway and look for the address.
There are places to park on the street.
La Palapa Grill
This is a restaurant set in Ellicott City, a Baltimore
suburb. They have had Salsa dance lessons on Thursday
nights and the cost depends on whether a promotion is going on,
or whether you eat dinner at the restaurant (in which case the
lessons are discounted), etc. They have a house DJ who plays a Latin
mix including Salsa, merengue, reggaton, cumbia,
etc. Cost depends on whether they bring in a live band, so
call before you come to get exact details.
To get to La Palapa Grill (8307 Main St;
Ellicott City), get onto the Baltimore Beltway
(Route 695) and get off at Frederick Rd heading
towards Catonsville. You follow that
roughly 5 miles as it passes through the heart of
Catonsville and becomes Main Street heading into
Ellicott City. The restaurant is on Main
set back a ways. And the parking lot is around
back behind the the restaurant. It's not
easy to see so keep your eyes peeled as you go
down Main Street. The phone number there is
410-465-0070.
Salsa Uno
Baltimore's major Salsa night is held on
Wednesdays at Club One, located at 300 East
Saratoga Street (at the corner of Saratoga and
Guilford). Their website is www.onebaltimore.com
and the phone is 410-230-0049. A Salsa class
begins at 7:30 and ends at 9 PM, and the level of
the class varies each week. It can range from
beginners or advanced beginners all the way to
advanced. For complete information on what
the class will cover etc., email the teacher,
Susan, at spleiter@aol.com. Susan varies the
content according to her sense of what people
want, and she lets everyone know in advance what
she'll be covering.
Susan is a well-known teacher in the area. Her
classes are excellent and frankly, quite
entertaining. You can enjoy listening to
her amusing banter as much as dancing in the
class, and many people do. If you don't
formally take the class, you can sit on the other
levels and watch her teach, getting a kick out of
hearing her describe the do's and don'ts of dance
technique.
You should be aware that they have a dress
code prohibiting baseball caps, tennis shoes,
shorts, tank tops (for men), jeans, and
sportswear. However, "dress jeans" are
ok. The cover charge is $5 before 7:45, and $7
after that. Open dancing begins at 9 PM.
This Latin night is well run; they have great
DJs and it's nearly all Salsa music. It's a
multi-level club with a dance floor on each
level. You can see and hear from all levels and
as a result, there's the excitement of a crowded
club but still room to dance comfortably.
Sometimes there are Rueda circles on one of the
levels above or below the main dance floor.
To get there, if you are coming from the
north, take 83 South (the Jones Falls Expressway)
and get off at Guilford. The club is at the
corner of Guilford and Saratoga. If you come from
the south via Route 295 or 95, go to Pratt Street
and turn right. Next make a left onto Calvert
Street and then a right on Centre Street. From
there go south on Guilford until you get to the
intersection with Saratoga, where you'll see the
club. There is lots of parking in the lot next to
the club.
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We are happy
to provide information on places where you can take Salsa or Rueda lessons, and
where you can dance the night away. There are a
number of clubs and studios where Salseros gather
which are listed below and described in detail
further down on this page. They include: