Latin Dance Boone Social
6 - 6:30 Beginner Lesson
During the beginner lesson, we will go over the basic steps for salsa and bachata so you can start having fun. The Beginner's Lesson will overview basic stepping patterns for Salsa and Bachata and apply them to a few basic partnered dancing moves so even beginners can start having fun on the dance floor.
6:30 - 9 Social Dancing
From 6:30 - 9 pm the dance floor will be open for social dancing including Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha Cha, Merengue and Rueda de Casino.
A cash bar with beer, wine and mojitos will be available for patrons over 21. Soda and water will be available for patrons under 21.
About Latin Dance Boone
Latin Dance Boone is a grassroots dance organization that seeks to cultivate a Latin dance community and celebrate diversity in the high country of Boone, NC and surrounding areas. LDB’s mission is to learn, practice and share styles of Latin social dance, including: salsa,
bachata and rueda de casino. The organization facilitates opportunities for community members to learn and practice Latin dance styles though weekly classes, occasional workshops with guest instructors and social dance events. Activities are often held at Northwestern Studios, in Boone, NC.
Latin Dance Boone was founded and is directed by Emily Daughtridge. As a professor of Dance Studies at Appalachian State University, Daughtridge co-created and co-leads a faculty-led, short-term, study abroad program to Cuba. Experiencing Cuban culture first hand inspired her to learn more through immersion in the thriving North Carolina Latin dance community. In 2017 a group of ASU students approached Emily, requesting classes for a combined club event. Subsequently folks from the community began to inquire about classes. In the interest of sharing the joy of Latin dance with the Boone community Emily founded Latin Dance Boone in 2018 with the support of collaborators, Marco Meucci and Holly Rivers. By the fall of 2019 Aaron Ratcliffe and Emily were teaching weekly classes in bachata and Cuban style salsa, known
as rueda de casino. Latin Dance Boone also offered monthly, 1 st Friday social dances at Ransom restaurant and bar on Kings St. Then the world shut down in March 2020. The pandemic lockdown was not conducive to social partner dancing. The silver lining for Emily was that Latin dance schools around the world were suddenly offering lectures and live, solo movement classes online. Emily signed on and took these classes from her living room as often as possible.
As the pandemic eased Emily sought opportunities both online and in person to share Latin dance once again. Latin Dance Boone tentatively re-emerged in the latter part of 2021. In 2022 sessions evolved into open, informal rueda de casino class/community practices. Also in 2022,
LDB hosted 4 social dances with beginner’s classes, and 4 workshops.
Latin Dance Boone is currently offering community dance classes 3 Sundays afternoons a month through spring 2023. Classes are held at Northwestern Studios in Boone, NC.
For information about upcoming classes and events, please follow Latin Dance Boone on Facebook at Latin Dance Boone (group), Latin Dance Boone (page), or join the LDB listserv by emailing Latindanceboone@gmail.com.
This event is free to attend but we do ask participants to please register so we may anticipate group sizes.