Salsa - Oahu
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NOTE: This page is a daughter page of: Dance
| Covid Warning: This info could change at any time due to covid (call the venue first). This info was last updated Sep 10, 2021. Rumor has it that Shorefyre is allowing dancing again, it was on the first week of June, but I'll wait a while to confirm its return. |
Oahu is an island of about 1 million, so there is a salsa scene, but it's quite modest. I guess people on Oahu are more drawn to Fire Dancing (which has an amazing scene!). Due to covid, most salsa places are closed, but there's a few places opening up if you want to learn, or want to dance (with masks). Also be warned that unlike other places.... Hawaii just doesn't stay open late, so if you show up at 11pm (as people do in other cities), the place may have closed 2 hours ago!
Websites
... couldn't find anything up to date.
Oahu Dance Timetable
It's pretty sparse!
- Mondays: .......... *was* SurfJack every 1st & 3rd Monday but they suddenly cancelled dancing.
- Tuesday: ........... Gordon teaches small free lessons near Queens Beach (the bandstand in the park). * message me for his number, he is old school.
- Wednesday: ..... Bachata "afterparty" by the Hilton Lagoon. Email/text me for more details.
- Thursday: ........ Noche de Fuego Latin Night at Aloha Tower.
- Friday: .............. Typically a batchata night at Sakura, check Facebook.
- Saturday: .......... Check the "Sakura" timetable - often have batchata nights.
- Sunday: ............ Call up "Arthur Murray Dance Center Hawaii" - often have latin nights.
If you find out about anything, please email me! 
Salsa Events/Venues in Oahu
| Name | Location | Evaluation / Times |
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WAIKIKIMoved there Dec 2020
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Hilton Lagoon, Waikiki
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Evaluation: This started as an "afterparty" for Shorefyre on Wednesday, but since Shorefyre closed it has grown in size to a much bigger party. There is a lovely little patch of grass between the Hilton Lagoon and Kahanamoku Beach, where Joy sets up a speaker system and from maybe a dozen people in the beginning it has apparently grown to a pretty big bachata party, with some salsa sprinkled in. Great vibes, and of course free! Parking is pretty easy at that time of night, but pay attention to when parking closes.
Open: Wednesday 8:00-late
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Kapiʻolani Park Bandstand, 2686-2882 Kalakaua Ave
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Evaluation: Gordon Walker is pretty old school (he's not on the social media), so text me for his number, but if you like free lessons and building community, he's the one that told me about the salsa events, and his lessons are pretty darn good! Think easy-intermediate... if you're a total beginner he's very accommodating.
Open: Tuesdays 5:00-sunset
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The Beach House Aloha Tower, 1 Aloha Tower Dr
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Evaluation: Rickey Hines is a force of nature! Great guy, great dancer and also happens to be amazing as a DJ and event organizer. This "salsa, batchata, merengue & more" night attracts anywhere from a hundred to a couple of hundred people (can vary). It's an interesting mix of latin dancer and more club going people - meaning you see people dressed for both. At first I thought it was a one-off event, but so many people have been coming it's every Thursday now. Arrive before 11:00 for a cheaper ticket price ($10) and make sure you arrive before 11 or they close the doors. I haven't been this early, but 8-9pm is a dance lesson... and 9pm to midnight is the DJ (Rickey), with a mix of all his favorite music. Don't be surprised if they stop the music a little for a game of musical chairs, or throw on a club song where all the clubbing enthusiasts jump onto the dance floor to shake booth.
Open: 8pm-midnight Thursdays (but arrive before 11). Check the Facebook page "I love 2 dance" for the latest event details.
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184 N King St
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Evaluation: The magical Mayu runs this place, and they have all kinds of yoga events! During covid it all died down, and is masked dancing only, but occasionally you might see a bachata or latin event on their calendar. Don't miss their Bachata events, they are amazing! Rickey has started running them every Friday, but it's good to call to check ahead - his nights are usually a mix of latin danceers and your clubbing crowd. Great people, great atmosphere, although can be pretty dang crowded and it gets very hot because they don't have great ventilation. You will swear. Nobody wears masks FYI, but if you are under 60 and vaccinated you probably won't care - it will just be a little shock at first.
Open: Maybe once a month, check calendar - but all kind of yoga events if most days.
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770 Kapiolani Blvd, Ste 115
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Evaluation: Wow. There are some really great dancers here! If you want to become a better dancer, it sounds like they have amazing lessons, and the socials feature very high level dancers. The wooden dance floor is beautiful and spacious, enough for 30 dancers on the floor and still have some room! I went in June for the first time and there we easily 40 people there. It actually felt like a pretty even mix of bachata and salsa.... and some amazing song selection by the DJ with some modern stuff.
Open: Not clear, but I think every second Saturday from 8pm till 11pm. Call them to check. It's $10 at the door.
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Cancelled / Expired Salsa Events/Venues in Oahu
| Name | Location | Evaluation / Times |
|---|---|---|
WAIKIKIMoved there Dec 2020
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International Marketplace, 2330 Kalakaua Ave Suite 396 (level 3)
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Evaluation: Just above the Tesla store in touristy Waikiki (take the elevator to level 3) is this wonderful outdoor restaurant that has an amazing live salsa band every Wednesday. You'll need to book online (eventbrite link) to reserve a table outside ($15 each and a minimum of 5 people), else you simply won't get in (it's a popular restaurant for tourists). The outside area isn't huge, you're kind of dancing between tables with your masks on. The music is great! Be sure to arrive 6 sharp, and you might even consider eating a little first or arrive early to enjoy the happy hour food ($30 gets you 4 nice tapas plates) and drinks without cutting into dance time. At 8pm you'll probably wish you could dance later... and the fun thing is that there's an unofficial after party on the beach near the Lagoon & Gilligan's beach shack... just a few fun people with a speaker system dancing outside on the grass. Good people and good vibes. WARNING: Sadly the dancing was prohibited on April 28, 2021.... so it's still good music, but for most of us not worth $15 if we can't dance. Maybe in a few months it will come back on again. Rumors are that you can dance, but they still email you out rules that you can't. Open: Every Wednesday from 6-8 (so only 2 hours).
 Shorefyre...(see video)
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412 Lewers St
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Evaluation: Lovely restaurant by a pool, with a tucked away area to dance. They set up little X's for 6 couples to dance inside (with masks), and you can overflow into the pool area (for maybe 6 more couples), but it's harder to hear the DJ outside. Still a really fun vibe. Entry is I think $15 or "free" if you buy food and drinks. They have decent happy hours, and they also police the social distancing pretty nicely - if you don't dance on your designated spot the bouncer will say something. Fair warning, they seem to play more bachata than salsa. WARNING: Sadly they cancelled this event in April... let's hope they bring it back - it was very well attended so must have been covid concerns. Open: Every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month (call 808-923-8882 to check) 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Arrive before 6 to get a good table near the action.
 Surfjacks...(see video)
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Links
For information about Salsa dancing check out my dancing pages:
- AndrewNoske.com - All About Dance - links to several docs I wrote, including:
- Dancing_Tips_For_Beginners.pdf - wrote back during my PhD... be warned, it's LONG!
| Acknowledgements: Gordon Walker for starting salsa lessons, and letting myself and at least three of my friends about the events that are going on! Without Gordon I would have no idea about any of these events, because most of my Google searches show very outdated (pre-covid) salsa information. Thanks Gordon! |
