For anyone heading to the Caribbean, Mexico or Latin America this summer or who wants to remember a past trip south, a free Salsa dance party is back in Coquitlam next week.
On Saturday, June 22, the Salsa Dance Zone returns to Town Centre Park for its fourth annual Outdoor Salsa and Latin event at the amphitheatre, featuring traditional beats as well as tunes from such contemporary singers as Camila Cabello, Mark Anthony and Ricky Martin.
Launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the outdoor dance party has risen in popularity.
Last year, it drew several hundred people from across the Lower Mainland to try out the Salsa, merengue, bachata, cha cha cha and cumbia moves, and many more to watch from the sidelines.
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Organizers Alberto Gonzalez and Teresa Szefler said the 2024 edition is already gaining a lot of traction from amigos across the region with 2,800 Facebook friends “Interested" in attending the multicultural and social event, which is sponsored for the second year by the Tri-City News.
“It’s for anyone who loves Latin music and dancing, or who wants to try it out,” Szefler said Wednesday, June 12, during an interview at the venue.
“We see a lot of Latinos, and a lot of people who are going to travel or have been and have fond memories of their trip like to Cuba or the Dominican Republic.”
The couple sees plenty of their dance students on site, too, who have a bigger space at the park to twirl around.
For the past 16 years, Salsa Dance Zone has held lessons at the Evergreen Cultural Centre, the Port Coquitlam and Port Moody legions, Site B Brewing and, most recently, St. Clare’s Hall.
At the June 22 party, attendees can get the basic steps in a free class from 6 to 7 p.m. before the floor heats up from 7 to 10 p.m. No partner is needed and all ages and skill levels are welcome.
