Salsa and the City: San Diego, California U.S.A.

Article written by John F. Bello for OnlineSalsa.com

Salsa Dancing in America’s Finest City: San Diego, California!

San Diego can best be described as an ever growing Salsa and Latin dance scene. Over the years I have seen San Diego evolve from a few Salsa dance venues to a much greater expansion of dance venues bringing Latin music 7 days a week.

Much of this expansion is due in part to the popularity of many of San Diego’s fine dance groups including Majesty in Motion, Alma Latina, Ooh La La Dance Company, Positive Energy, and  A Time to Dance Studio. San Diego is home to national dance talents including Deseo Dance Serena Cuevas (featured nationally on TV and in Gatorade commercials) and Christina Santana on “So You Think You Can Dance”.

Below is a short list of some of the venues in San Diego that regularly host Salsa and Latin dancing throughout the week. You can see the entire list on my own website Ritmo Bello at this link.

Café Sevilla

One of San Diego’s original salsa and Latin dance venues, Café Sevilla is the quintessential Latin experience. The restaurant and club offers fine Spanish cuisine coupled with nights of Flamenco, Salsa, Bachata, and even Rock en Espanol. Café Sevilla is one of the few clubs in town that offers multiple nights of Salsa dancing during the week all right in the heart of San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter downtown. Long time instructor Valerie Wallace has done a great job of keeping a fun dance environment alive for those new to dancing Salsa. You can find out more information about Café Sevilla right here.

La Jolla Marriott

Another San Diego staple, the La Jolla Marriott, has seen many changes over the years in terms of management but it still represents a consistently fun dance venue. The club is located in the hotel’s bar area and boasts nice open spaces for dancing on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Located north of San Diego in La Jolla, this venue represents a nice change of pace and better accessibility for those coming from North San Diego.

Events

The San Diego Salsa Bachata Festival is in its fourth year of existence and in that short span of time there has been tremendous growth in the event. Dancers from all over the world can take advantage of a full week’s worth of social dancing, workshops, pool parties and of course dance shows. It does not hurt that the event is here in San Diego as many dancers can take advantage of the myriad of activities San Diego has to offer including Sea World, LegoLand, and Old Town San Diego. To find out more information about the Festival check out this web page.

Community

The San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group

When you visit San Diego either to stay here indefinitely or just a few days, a good place to find Salsa and Latin dance events is the San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group. Comprised of each of the main dance studios here in San Diego, the organization serves as a community calendar of most of San Diego’s Latin dancing events. The main point of the group though is to meet other dancers face to face so make sure to RSVP for some of the events on the calendar if you are going to attend. To find out more information about the group please visit the site.

Ritmo Bello – San Diego’s Guide to Salsa and Latin Dancing!

If you would like more information on San Diego, please visit Ritmo Bello. My website serves a central hub for all things involving Latin dance in San Diego and I try to keep it updated with the latest important information. When you do visit San Diego please feel free to contact me at bello_jf@RitmoBello.com and I would be happy to help you find the Latin dancing you need.

This is the winning video of RitmoBello's YouTube Contest.

See you all on the dance floor here in San Diego, California!

 

About the author

John F. Bello is the owner of San Diego's biggest Salsa portal “Ritmo Bello - San Diego's Guide to Salsa and Latin Dancing!”, a Salsa Festival organizer, promoter and an oracle for Salsa dancing in San Diego. He can be reached at bello_jf@ritmobello.com.