Salsa dancers of all levels of ability can find their niche in Eugene. Whether they want to take a class, go dancing or compete, there is a venue to accommodate.
This weekend, Eugene is host to a two-night salsa experience, featuring several events centered around the dance. The Vet’s Club in the Veteran’s Memorial Building at 1626 Willamette St. has salsa dancing almost every Friday night. This Friday is no exception. The night begins at 10 p.m. and lasts til 1:30 a.m. If you arrive at 9 p.m., you can pay $5 for a lesson by guest instructor Florabelle Moses. Cozmic Pizza, at 199 W. Eighth Ave., holds salsa events twice a month hosted by José Cruz, who teaches a lesson before he begins spinning as a disc jockey. Cruz will be at Cozmic Pizza on Saturday from 8:30 p.m. to midnight with a lesson at 8:30 p.m., also for $5.
Cruz has been a DJ and a salsa dancing instructor at Cozmic Pizza for two years and has been teaching salsa classes at Studio B for longer. He especially enjoys being a DJ.
“I like to see the people dancing. I’m excited to see a lot of people having fun,” he said. Cruz, originally from El Salvador, has lived in Eugene for 11 years and has witnessed the salsa scene grow and affect people in the area. “People are depressed at home, they find salsa, forget about their problems and start dancing.”
Last Saturday, Cozmic Pizza was host to the semi-finals of the second annual Eugene’s Salsa Competition organized by Cruz, which provided an opportunity for advanced salsa dancers to show off their skills. Five of six couples advanced to the finals. Cruz also has a dance company called Salseros.
Eugene resident Josh Remis created eugenesalsa.com, a resource for salsa dancers in Eugene, after experiencing salsa when he went to Latin America. He wanted to continue his love for the dance when he returned home to Eugene.
“I realized there wasn’t any place to find out about classes,” he said. Remis describes the Eugene salsa scene as having “expanded and contracted a lot.”
“There’s not enough salsa dancers in Eugene to carry a place,” said Remis. Several years ago there were two salsa dancing clubs in Eugene, but they are now both closed.
Eugene resident Lonnie Clark, who attends salsa dancing at Cozmic Pizza and the Vet’s Club often, regrets the fact that Eugene does not have more of an active salsa club.
“It’s kind of sad that this is all we have in Eugene,” she said. “I wish there was a club in Eugene that was an actual Latin club.”
Salsa classes at the University are taught by adjunct professor Florabelle Moses, who requires students to attend salsa dancing events at Cozmic Pizza twice a term. There are also several places around Eugene where residents can take salsa classes: Studio B, the Eugene School of Ballet and Staver Dancesport 41.
Overall, attendees of last Saturday’s event at Cozmic Pizza responded positively to their experiences dancing.
“It’s a good environment. People are always happy and having a good time,” said Kristen Vandling, a Eugene resident.
To find out about future salsa events and classes visit cozmicpizza.com, eugenesalsa.com or salseros.com.