Two months ago, a trip to San Francisco to visit a friend unexpectedly ignited a passion within me – Latin dance. Venturing into the city’s nightlife, I was introduced to the vibrant world of cumbia and salsa. Despite years of friendship, I was amazed to discover my friend’s incredible dance skills, particularly her lead. That night sparked an immediate love for Latin rhythms and partner dancing. However, this initial foray into the dance scene also highlighted a stark reality many women and queer individuals face. At a straight club, an unwelcome encounter with sexual harassment quickly soured the experience, reminding us of the need for safer spaces. Seeking refuge, we found ourselves at a gay bar, where the atmosphere shifted dramatically – it was liberating, safe, and truly free.
Returning to Los Angeles, I yearned to combine my newfound love for Latin dance with the sense of security and community I experienced in the queer bar. My online searches for “queer Latin dance nights” in LA clubs and LGBTQ+ events yielded little. It felt like a missing piece in the city’s vibrant cultural landscape. Serendipitously, I stumbled upon a repost on @queertrans_events Instagram account – a flyer for Queer Latin Dance LA’s salsa and bachata Dance Classes In La, held in Highland Park. This discovery was a beacon, promising a space where passion for Latin dance and queer community could harmoniously coexist.
Finding a Safe Space to Dance in Los Angeles
For many in the LGBTQ+ community, the typical Latin dance scene can be fraught with discomfort and even danger. Stories of harassment, unwelcoming environments, and rigid gender roles are unfortunately common. This reality underscores the critical need for spaces like Queer Latin Dance LA, which prioritizes safety and inclusivity above all else.
“I want people to feel that when they come to the studio or to my class that they’re coming to my house. And they do, right?” says Arlene Santos, co-founder and instructor at Queer Latin Dance LA, with a warm laugh, highlighting the intimate and welcoming nature of their classes held in her garage.
Alt text: Arlene Santos, co-founder of Queer Latin Dance LA, smiling warmly during a Latin dance class in her garage studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles.
Queer Latin Dance LA offers weekly salsa and bachata dance classes in LA every Tuesday evening, from 7:30 PM to 9 PM, along with monthly dance socials and a performance team. To date, they stand out as the only dedicated queer Latin dance community in Los Angeles. Founded by Arlene Santos and Karin Gut, their mission is to make Latin dancing accessible and enjoyable for queer individuals, fostering an equitable and safe community environment. While Santos herself identifies as straight, her collaboration with Karin Gut, who sought a dance space for her LGBTQ+ meetups, blossomed into Queer Latin Dance LA. Gut’s initial dance journey began in Santos’ Pasadena studio, Lumina Dance Academy, proving that anyone, regardless of experience, can find their rhythm.
“There are also men who think, ‘Well I’m a macho man, I’m the leader of this dance,’ and ‘a woman? What are you trying to do here? Be a man? I’ll show you how to lead.’”
Karin Gut emphasizes the importance of their mission: “It’s important to me because I want to create a safe, welcoming space for everybody in the LGBTQ community to come learn how to dance, be comfortable, be themselves, not being looked at funny.” This sentiment resonates deeply with those who have felt excluded or unsafe in mainstream dance environments.
Reclaiming Dance: A Beginner-Friendly Approach
Karin Gut’s personal experiences highlight the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in traditional dance settings. Whether at lesbian or straight bars, she encountered assumptions, rejections, and discomfort simply for wanting to dance with other women. This often led to feelings of self-consciousness and a diminished enjoyment of dance. In straight clubs, the discomfort of women dancing together was palpable, often forcing Gut to minimize interaction and draw as little attention as possible.
Alt text: Karin Gut, co-founder of Queer Latin Dance LA, demonstrating a bachata step with a student during a beginner-friendly Latin dance class in Los Angeles.
“There are also men who think, ‘Well I’m a macho man, I’m the leader of this dance,’ and ‘a woman? What are you trying to do here? Be a man? I’ll show you how to lead.’”
These experiences fueled Gut’s determination to create a safe haven for queer dancers. This vision led to the inception of LGBTQ+ dance classes in LA offered first at the Oxwood Inn, a lesbian bar in Van Nuys. After the bar’s closure, the classes moved to various locations before finding a home in Santos’ garage. About a year and a half ago, they officially became Queer Latin Dance LA. Currently, the weekly sessions are structured with Santos teaching salsa, followed by a break, and then Gut leading bachata instruction.
For my first class, I was nervous to go to someone’s house I didn’t know, so I brought a friend. Almost the entire class, we laughed at how terrible we were at dancing, but unlike in ballet classes, laughing wasn’t received with scolds or glares, it was welcomed.
My own initial apprehension about attending a dance class in LA at someone’s home quickly dissipated. Bringing a friend for support, we found ourselves laughing through the beginner steps. This lighthearted atmosphere was a refreshing contrast to my past experiences with ballet.
Alt text: Students laughing and enjoying themselves during a Queer Latin Dance LA class, highlighting the fun and relaxed atmosphere of these dance classes in Los Angeles.
Having spent 14 years in ballet, including a dance company, I was accustomed to a rigid and often critical learning environment. Ballet classes often involved strict instructors, harsh corrections, and an intense pressure to achieve physical perfection. The emphasis on gendered roles in ballet partner work, and the restrictive attire further contributed to a stark contrast with the liberating atmosphere of Queer Latin Dance LA. The focus on precise lines and body shapes in ballet is a world away from the fluid hip movements and body rolls celebrated in Latin dance.
“When you’re dealing with something that has ingrained gender roles, you need a space that is open and accepting and playful in order to figure out how those gender roles can be rearranged and reclaimed…”
The positive experience in class encouraged me to attend one of their dance socials. These socials offer a relaxed setting to practice and connect with fellow dancers. The welcoming environment extended to dancers of all levels, from beginners to seasoned professionals. Students consistently praised the accessibility, inclusivity, and safety of Queer Latin Dance LA.
“When you’re dealing with something that has ingrained gender roles, you need a space that is open and accepting and playful in order to figure out how those gender roles can be rearranged and reclaimed…” explained Zenzele Price, a student at Queer Latin Dance LA, emphasizing the transformative power of this inclusive space.
Alt text: Zenzele Price, a student at Queer Latin Dance LA, enjoying a partner dance during a social event, emphasizing the inclusive and community-focused nature of these dance classes in LA.
Santos explained her conscious effort to break down traditional gender roles in dance instruction. Instead of the typical “ladies on one side, gentlemen on the other,” she now teaches all her classes, regardless of the audience, with “leads on one side, and follows on the other.” Price aptly noted, “As society is adapting, things like that are becoming more and more normalized. Queer people need to learn how to dance together too!”
Redefining Gender Roles in Los Angeles Dance Classes
Indeed, the need for inclusive dance classes in LA is paramount. Stepping into a dance class as a beginner can be daunting, but Queer Latin Dance LA prioritizes creating an environment that eases this initial apprehension. Students like Bailey Albinger, who initially felt nervous, were pleasantly surprised by the welcoming and patient pace of the classes. Gina Cho echoed this sentiment, highlighting the comfort level for beginners and the absence of judgment at Queer Latin Dance LA.
“A lead and a follow should be something where you’re equal. That’s why I like being in this space because I feel like I’m equal with whoever I’m dancing with, and standing outside of that patriarchy and domination.”
While not all mainstream Latin dance clubs are inherently negative, many unfortunately harbor toxic elements, including sexual harassment, violence, and unwelcoming atmospheres for LGBTQ+ individuals. My own recent experience was a stark reminder of this reality, and stories of sexual assault and harassment are sadly commonplace in the broader Latin dance club scene. The tragic Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting, which targeted a Latin night event just a few years ago, serves as a devastating example of the dangers faced by the LGBTQ+ community in such spaces. Students at Queer Latin Dance LA shared experiences of feeling a lack of agency, facing sexual harassment, and being constantly on guard in typical dance environments.
Alt text: Students at Queer Latin Dance LA practicing salsa steps in pairs, demonstrating the equal partnership and non-hierarchical approach to dance instruction in these Los Angeles classes.
“A lead and a follow should be something where you’re equal. That’s why I like being in this space because I feel like I’m equal with whoever I’m dancing with, and standing outside of that patriarchy and domination,” Michelle Rodriguez, a student, articulated, capturing the empowering ethos of Queer Latin Dance LA.
Gut further elaborated on the exclusionary experiences at straight clubs, such as LGBTQ+ individuals being overlooked or rejected for dances. She recounted instances where dancing with Santos led to being ostracized for the rest of the night, highlighting the subtle yet pervasive biases present in some dance communities.
Queer Latin Dance: A Festival and a Movement
“Everybody should be able to learn to dance and feel comfortable,” Santos firmly believes, and this philosophy is at the heart of Queer Latin Dance LA.
Interestingly, a significant portion of the students are not Latinx, defying the expectation that these dance classes in LA would primarily attract individuals seeking a connection to their cultural heritage. However, for Latinx students like Rodriguez, the classes offer a valuable avenue to connect with their culture in a safe and affirming space, especially for those who may have felt excluded from traditional Latin dance environments. Santos envisions their dance team performing at events like the World Salsa Fest to raise visibility and awareness for the queer Latin dance community and the existence of inclusive spaces like theirs.
Their team has already graced stages at Outfest, a Latino fashion show, LA Pride, and the Queer Latin Dance Festival in Oakland – recognized as the first and only festival of its kind. The Queer Latin Dance Festival underscores the widespread need for LGBTQ+ Latin dance spaces and demonstrates that Queer Latin Dance LA is part of a larger, growing movement. This annual two-day festival attracts queer dance companies from across the US, Mexico, Canada, and beyond, offering workshops, classes, socials, and performances, creating a vibrant hub for queer Latin dance enthusiasts.
“That’s the most fun one I’ve ever been to and I’ve been going to festivals for 20 years,” Santos shared, emphasizing the unique and joyful atmosphere of the Queer Latin Dance Festival.
According to Santos and Gut, the Queer Latin Dance Festival stands apart from mainstream festivals due to the absence of cutthroat competition and the strong presence of community building and mutual acceptance. This ethos of inclusivity and acceptance permeates Queer Latin Dance LA’s dance classes in LA, creating a space where everyone feels welcome and valued, regardless of their dance experience or background.
Whether you are naturally outgoing or a bit shy, a seasoned dancer or taking your very first steps, Queer Latin Dance LA offers a unique opportunity to find liberation, build community, and discover the joy of Latin dance in a truly safe and welcoming environment in Los Angeles. If you’re looking for dance classes in LA that prioritize inclusivity and fun, Queer Latin Dance LA is waiting to welcome you to their dance floor.
