Salsa dance classes downtown offer the perfect mid-week pick me up

The B
Corissa Campbell | The Arbiter

Driven rhythm, exuberant horns, percussion sections with cow bells, timbales and powerful vocalists — add flavor to your pallet by experiencing the popular notable flavor of Salsa Wednesdays’ Latin American dancing.

Conveniently minutes away from Boise State in downtown Boise, ID, Solid Grill & Bar offers $5 lessons that start every Wednesday at 8 p.m. Featuring buy one get one free drinks and $6 appetizers for a spicy midweek pick me up to power you through the rest of the week.

The event was started by Tabish Romario, owner of Idaho DanceSport and winner of the Idaho Governor’s award of excellence in the Arts in Boise of 2021, an award given to only one person in Idaho every two years.

Idaho DanceSport is a studio and community in Boise led by a professional Latin ballroom competitor presenting quality instruction by fostering personal and artistic growth.  

“The music is infectious,” Romario said. “The music is very high energy. There is no formal etiquette you have to follow. You can have really hot, sweaty, warm fun in the form of beautiful tradition and dance.”

Salsa dancing is a great way to try something new, meet someone or bring you closer to a partner or friend.

Even if you have two left feet, you are bound to get a kick out of these entry-level lessons. Even if that kick entails nervous laughter, don’t let that stop you. Embrace the discomfort and open yourself up to new cultures through unique experiences.

In a world where we often find ourselves glued to our phones, why not try something new? Force yourself to put your device down for an hour of breaksteps, spins and showy performance. 

“Money is no obligation. I started Salsa Wednesdays so anyone could come. We will make accommodations for anyone,” Romario said. “We offer student discounts when you show your student ID a buy-one-get-one discount making for $5 for two.”

This unique partner dance gives a variety of Latin dance, teaching both Salsa and Bachata.The instructor will have you counting and clapping to the beat of the music, 5-6-7-8, even if it sounds like a foreign language at first. 

This is a shockingly private event, making it easier to embrace yourself and your partner. With more publicity, this event will get the attention and participation it deserves. 

It’s an exceedingly small price to pay for lessons from a professional dance studio that typically charges $75 for 50 minutes of private lessons according to Idaho DanceSport’s website. As college students, this is a huge steal. In addition, Idaho DanceSport also offers $15 group lessons on Sundays including both Salsa and Bachata at their studio 600 S Orchard St at 5 p.m. or $60 for six weeks.

By the end of the hour session, the dance instructors will have you counting to the beat of the music in your mind and able to perform a basic routine. The lessons are certain to end with high-spirits and delightful memories while kindling a newfound appreciation of the Latin culture through beautiful dancing and music. 

During the lessons, you’ll receive one-on-one counseling through each move with ease to ask questions until you and the instructor feel you’ve perfected a move and are ready to move on. For people who are by no means dancers, or beginners, it’s encouraging to receive constructive feedback and patience. 

The instructor and his partner stay at the students pace, thoroughly explain and demonstrate each move, and teach each student how to implement each move with their own partner.

Especially in a partner dance, Salsa and Bachata dancing is a hands-on experience that requires full focus and commitment, enhancing the skill to work collaboratively by teaching you about yourself and your partner in an often undiscovered way.

The class was followed by social dancing until 11 p.m., meaning you can practice the fresh moves you just learned for a couple hours on the same dance floor you learned them on — with no pressure. 

The real excitement is from sitting back and watching the instructor and his partner in their perfected performance. Even if dancing is something new to you, it’s a great way to put some motivation back into your week and get you past the Wednesday halfway mark. 

“It is a very natural and organic way to meet people,” Romario said. “It’s an activity you’ll do joyfully. Once you are natural and comfortable in your own body there’s this natural unstoppable confidence you feel. It’s a skill that will change your life forever.”

Get your dancing shoes on, grab a partner and transport yourself into the sizzling Latin culture Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. at Solid Grill & Bar for a midweek pick me up.

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