ExploreDance

If you are looking for Salsa in the greater LA area, be sure to check out the Monsoon Café Salsa Wednesdays in Santa Monica. This event has everything a Salsero could ask for: a restaurant with great food (I had the roasted crispy chicken, which was both succulent and tasty), a visually engaging setting (both in terms of architecture and décor), two dance lessons included in the price, a floor in excellent condition, a live band and a lively full house.

Admission is $15 per person. A small bottle of water is $5 and mixed drinks are $10.

The beginner lesson starts at 7:30 pm, the intermediate lesson starts at 8:30 pm, the DJ starts spinning at about 9:30 pm and the band starts around 10 or 10:30 pm.

There were 40 to 50 people there for the lesson. More people arrived later. By 11 pm there were at least 70 people there, and quite possibly 100. The main dance floor was packed. People were also dancing in a back room and on the balcony overlooking the main part of the restaurant. If you plan on getting fancy, be sure to sharpen up your floorcraft. There are worse faults than having a few too many enthusiastic dancers at an event.

Monsoon Salsa Wednesdays had great style both kinetic and sartorial. The dancers had a range of ability levels. There was plenty of talent and minimal attitude. The dress ranged from jeans and a t-shirt to khakis and collared short sleeve shirt to high style.

Monsoon Salsa Wednesdays was an all around excellent party. The band even played a cha-cha during which the floor was almost as crowded as during the Salsas. If you live in the LA area and are into Salsa, make sure to check this out. If you are into dance, but Salsa is not your main dance, you might want to check this party out every now and again anyway. If you live several thousand miles away and you own your own Lear jet, you have no excuse not to grab your dance shoes and drive to the airport now because this party is offered on Saturdays too. If you don't own your own Lear jet, find some reasonable excuse to make the trip to Santa Monica, sooner rather than later.