Beats & Baile: A Salsa Social, hosted by Latino Arts Inc. at the United Community Center, brought Milwaukee residents together earlier this month for an evening of music and movement. The event featured beginner-friendly dance instruction with a bilingual twist.
The evening began with a 30-minute salsa lesson led by Karlies Kelley Vedula, owner of Panadanza Dance Co., an Afro-Latina dance company in Milwaukee.
After the lesson, the dance floor opened for two hours as local DJ Jose Montes, known as DJ Saffiro, drew people in with a mix of music.
He said Bad Bunny’s music, which is currently trending, is a crowd favorite.
“When you play that, you know everybody’s gonna dance,” Montes said.
He said that Milwaukee’s Latin dance scene continues to grow.
“The community definitely is growing. Little by little,” Montes said.
Latino Arts Inc. launched Beats & Baile in October to create a space for community members to gather outside the traditional club scene.
This year, Latino Arts Inc. celebrated its 40th anniversary.
“We started last year as a way to connect with the community in a fun way where people can go out dancing,” said Jacobo Lovo, managing artistic director at Latino Arts Inc.
Since then, the event has grown organically.
After the first Beats & Baile event last year, organizers were introduced to Montes through previously featured DJ Gia Fu.
“This is a natural progression,” Lovo said.
The series also reflects Latino Arts Inc.’s broader mission.
“It’s right in line with our mission to share the cultural heritage of Latin America,” Lovo said. “Music is one of those things that’s universal, and we invite everybody to come dance with us.”
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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