Salsa and Bachata are social dances and a great opportunity to meet new people in the city you live in. Fortunately, Madrid is a great Salsa and Bachata culture featuring dance events, clubs and classes. In this post I will tell you what Salsa and Bachata is, the best places to dance and where you can take classes in Madrid. And if this is not enough read until the end to learn more about the Salsa and Bachata Festivals.

What is Salsa?

Salsa is a dance which originates from the Caribbean area but had its largest development in Cuba. Salsa is closely related to Mambo dancing and thanks to its name to the people of New York. The name evolved from the variety of the music that it was danced to, therefore the Salsa dance is difficult to define as just one dance. Within the Salsa dancing, the emphasis is on the movements within the dance, instead of being a static form of dancing. As well as Bachata, there are multiple styles of dancing because of the large influence of other Latin American countries. Both dances have developed in not one, but multiple countries and therefore both changed significantly in every area.

What is Bachata?

The Bachata is a dancing style which originates from the Dominican Republic and doesn’t have exact guidelines. The dance has three different styles, namely: Dominican style, Antillean, and dance school style. The most adopted style in Europe is the dance school style, which creates less distance between the dancers and doesn’t have the most difficult moves and the quick footwork. Couples in Bachata dancing mostly consist of man and women dancing together, but on some occasions, women get paired up together as well.

The best places to dance Salsa and Bachata in Madrid

Madrid has a lot of cool options to dance Salsa and Bachata every day of the week. In the following you have my favorite spots where I enjoyed the most.

Meet & Dance Madrid – Learn Salsa and Bachata while meeting new people

Meet & Dance Madrid is the perfect class to learn Salsa and Bachata on a beginner level. The event aims to show you the basic dance moves while meeting people from all around the world. It takes place every Monday at 22:00 at Sala Cool and it is very popular amongst the international crowd of exchange and full time students. The cover fee is 5€ and it includes a drink of your choice (alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are available) and the dance class.

It is not necessary to bring a dance partner. Whether you come in a group of friends or alone you will quickly get to know new people and dance. Meet & Dance Madrid is a place where many friendships have started.

The Salsa and Bachata class is led by professional dancers and takes two hours. In the first hour you will learn the basics as well as some “vueltas” and combinations. The second hour is social dancing with the dance teachers mixing with the crowd and helping you to apply what you have learned before in the class. The event ends with a group dance where the teachers are on stage and the crowd is following them on the dance floor. Also, they will take an awesome group photo which you can find on Facebook and share with your friends on social media. Check out Meet & Dance Madrid in our party section.

If you are up for an after party, Madrid’s most popular international party takes place at the same venue. You do not need to buy an extra ticket as you are already inside the club. The party is called Fucking Monday Madrid and the club will open all thee floors for the huge crowd. There will be a Main Room with a commercial music mix, a Latin Room and a Beer Pong Room. Check out Fucking Monday Madrid in our party section.

Address: Sala Cool, Calle Isabel la Católica 6, Metro: Santo Domingo, Plaza de España, Callao

The Host Madrid – The perfect venue for beginners and pros

The Host is surely the best club to dance Salsa and Bachata in Madrid. It is located close to Templo de Debod and only a short walk from the Ventura Rodríguez metro station. With the exception of Saturday where they host a Latin party all other nights consist of classes and social dancing. The two-hour classes are split into three different levels. You can choose to take one, two or like me, all three classes. The cover fee is 8€ and it includes a drink. It is not necessary to bring a partner. The classes start with the basic dance moves which you dance individually. Later on they rotate the partners which gives you the opportunity to meet almost all participants throughout the night. 

After the classes the night continues with social dancing. People at The Host Madrid are very open-minded and it is very easy to mix and dance. Every night they focus on either Salsa, Bachata or Kizomba which makes it easy for you to select your nights. Check out the the weekly program of The Host Madrid to see what are your favorite nights:

• Tuesday: Kizomba – Classes from 21:00 to 23:00 and social dancing until 3:00
• Wednesday: Bachata – Classes from 21:00 to 23:00 and social dancing until 3:00
• Thursday: Salsa – Classes from 21:00 to 23:00 and social dancing until 4:30
• Friday: Bachata – Classes from 22:00 to 23:59 and social dancing until 5:30
• Saturday: Latin party from 23:59 to 5:30 
• Sunday: Kizomba – Classes from 20:00 to 22:00 and social dancing until 2:30

Address: The Host Club, Calle Ferraz 38, Metro: Ventura Rodríguez

El Son Madrid – A great venue to change dance partners

El Son Madrid is one of the most known places for Salsa, Bachata and Merengue dancing. The club is located right in the city center and offers classes from Monday to Thursday from 22:30 to 23:59 and afterwards social dancing with DJ music. It is a melting pot for locals, Latinos and tourists that are into Latin rhythms. Although it has the same set up as The Host Madrid starting with classes and subsequent social dancing the vibes are very different. At The Host you will see that people are regulars and at El Son Madrid it is rather random people mixed with a few regulars. I used it as a spot to meet new people and dance with people I have never danced before.

Address: Discoteca El Son, Calle Victoria 6, Metro: Sol

Tropical House Madrid – Dance Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba in one single night

Tropical House Madrid is a great place to dance Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba on the weekends. On Fridays and Saturdays they open two floors. On the main floor they have Salsa and Bachata and on the second floor they have exclusively Kizomba. This gives you the chance to practice all three dances in one single night. Those dance parties have a cover fee which includes one or two drinks depending on the offer you choose.

They also offer Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba classes with professional dance instructors before the social dancing starts. I recommend you to get in touch with them to figure out how the current program looks like.

Address: Tropical House, Plaza de los Mostenses 11, Metro: Santo Domingo, Plaza de España

Take Salsa and Bachata classes in Madrid

If you want to get more into the Salsa and Bachata dancing there are different dance schools around the city. They offer from beginner to advanced classes and the prices depend on the school and whether you take private or group classes. Keep in mind that if you are new in Madrid in the group classes you have the chance to meet people with which you can go to the above mentioned Salsa and Bachata clubs to hone your dancing skills.

We have gotten positive feedback from U!Dance which is a bigger school that is present in various cities. The Madrid branch is located in the city center and they are offering a free trial class to get started. Check out the U!Dance website for more information.

Visit a Salsa and Bachata festival in Spain

The Bachata is a dancing style which originates from the Dominican Republic and doesn’t have exact guidelines. The dance has three different styles, namely: Dominican style, Antillean, and dance school style. The most adopted style in Europe is the dance school style, which creates less distance between the dancers and doesn’t have the most difficult moves and the quick footwork. Couples in Bachata dancing mostly consist of man and women dancing together, but on some occasions, women get paired up together as well.

– Greta