It was good while it lasted. Not every organization has had the ability to offer free salsa lessons as long as we have. For 8.5 years we've provided some great lessons at the studio for a price that's hard to compete. Unfortunately, that has to come to an end on Friday nights. We have instructors that need to be compensated, and although we are a non-profit organization we still need to have some sort of money coming in to support the infrastructure. Times have been tough for everyone, as a result we will have to turn Fridays to a paid class. Friday classes will now be $5 per person.

Free Friday classes start roughly around in 2003, about a year after Free Thursdays began. I taught both the Thursday and Friday classes until two classes a week was overwhelmingly too much work for me. As a result, Guillermo Pier took on the class and supported the idea of continuing the Friday lessons for free all the way through 2010. During that time Meri Roscher joined the class with Guillermo. In August 2010 Guillermo had to leave and move on to greater opportunies, and Ryan Male joined us to take over the class with Meri Roscher. In March 2011 the instructors asked that they be compensated for maintaining Friday's salsa lessons.

Although it will be $5 to take in their beginning salsa lessons, additional changes will be made to add value to Fridays. Rodney "Rodney" Aquino, one of our most important pioneers of Bachata dancing in the United States, will be teaching Absolute Beginner Bachata lessons every Friday from 9:00pm - 10:00pm, following immediately after the salsa lessons by Ryan and Meri.

And of course Bachata Addictionz, the Friday night Bachata Dance Social, will be from 10:00pm - 1:00am with two of our top bay area DJs: south bay's DJ JazzyJez and San Francisco's DJ El Guapo.

Starting Friday March 25, Friday classes will be $5 per person regardless of what time you come in. Please continue to support our organization and continue to attend Friday's excellent Salsa class by Ryan and Meri.

 

Jimmy Bui