We focus on helping you beat the Seattle Freeze through friendship making, socializing & building a dance family. Our weekly social parties are at beautiful Club Sur, Seattle's "salsa palace", where all the world famous salsa bands from out of town perform. We also have our studio with wood floor & mirrors for most classes.
This class is designed for beginners, to learn and develop coordination, rhythm, and enriches the knowledge of the Afro-Cuban Culture. Wear comfortable clothing, this can be a workout, Be ready to sweat. Spice up your Salsa styling & flavor by incorporating elements of Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, and Afro-Cuban movements.
This class is designed for beginners, to learn and develop coordination, rhythm, and enriches the knowledge of the Afro-Cuban Culture. Wear comfortable clothing, this can be a workout, Be ready to sweat. Spice up your Salsa styling & flavor by incorporating elements of Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, and Afro-Cuban movements.
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We focus on friendship making, socializing & building a dance family to beat the Seattle Freeze. We understand that dancing is not just about dancing, but a way of making new friends and being a valued member of a community. Our classes are designed around this philosophy. We take you on a dance trip to Cuba once a year.
Learn to dance regular partner Latin salsa, the most popular of all Latin dances. In this class you will learn the basics steps, rhythm, musicality, shines, routines, and flavoring from master Salsa instructor Reinier Valdes. Want to look like a real Latino dancing? We are the only Salsa dance studio in Seattle that teaches authentic Latin Salsa by incorporating Afro and Cuban flavor for that extra "wow" factor.
Reviews (22)
Tatiana Nikitina
Dec 21, 2021
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I recently moved to the country and was looking for new friends to socialize and spend time with. I danced a bit of Rueda de Casino before I moved and I enjoyed it, so I was looking for that specific class. I was beyond excited when I had found Reinier and Daniella! They are not only great teachers, but also they are able to create such a welcoming and friendly atmosphere in the class. I met so many nice people there and even my best friend! It feels great to come to the classes every time. So if you’re looking for the same, it’d highly recommend La Clave Cubana school!
V. P.
Dec 16, 2021
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Responsible teachers, broad material, very positive attitude community. Things never get old. School offers different levels, as well as experimenting with different directions of learning. Teachers are really patient and also really want you to get material properly. Everyone. And so you can use it on next social or Rueda.
A ton of complimentary events like Gas Works or parctica on Sundays. Or Socials after classes sometimes. I'm sure to become a part of the community feels like to be a part of family. It's hard to keep low key profile, but it's also possible.
I really hope there will be more
A ton of complimentary events like Gas Works or parctica on Sundays. Or Socials after classes sometimes. I'm sure to become a part of the community feels like to be a part of family. It's hard to keep low key profile, but it's also possible.
I really hope there will be more
Stacey Fitzpatrick
Dec 13, 2021
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I highly recommend La Clave Cubana! I have done classes with Daniela and Rey and learned so much. They are each highly skilled dancers with a wide breadth of knowledge with respect to Cuban dances and are above all patient, encouraging and effective teachers. Furthermore, they just know how to create a really fun environment in which to learn. Great for dance newbies or seasoned latin dancers looking to add some depth and flavor to their dancing.
Aimee Samara
Dec 13, 2021
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Daniela and Reinier are offering fun, upbeat classes and socials in casino (salsa Cubano) and casino rueda, leading the Seattle area cuban dance scene with authenticity and *ánimo*. Reinier brings a wonderful balance of humor and high expectations to his teaching, modeled from his Cuban heritage, while Daniela brings positive, clear instruction, and a natural, impressive dance form to learn from.
Rustam Mamedov
Dec 13, 2021
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An amazing place to learn Salsa.it is my favorite place for salsa in Seattle! Rainer and Daniella created a very friendly welcoming environment. Their style of dancing is different to other schools I have been to in Seattle . It’s very much Cuban salsa .very smooth and beautiful.they dance so well but also teach well!
Also their progressions in class all make sense because they all are connected from class to class from lower level to higher level . I have learned a lot from them !!
They teach at club sur which has plenty of space to spread out. There is plenty of parking at the area all the
Also their progressions in class all make sense because they all are connected from class to class from lower level to higher level . I have learned a lot from them !!
They teach at club sur which has plenty of space to spread out. There is plenty of parking at the area all the
Eleanor Liebhaber
Jun 27, 2021
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Thank you to Rey for making my partners birthday AMAZING! Rey came over and hosted a salsa lesson for us and a few friends; we had so much fun! Rey brought a great energy and everyone was talking about the class long into the evening. We even are considering taking some of their classes at the studio; we loved it that much! Thank you, thank you!
Khadija Shirazy
Mar 15, 2021
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I absolutely love taking Reinier's classes! He is an amazing instructor, super patient, kind, funny and such a great cheerleader! Reinier makes learning Cuban Salsa easy, accessible and fun to learn! I started taking online classes via Zoom when COVID happened (as a complete beginner and have made so much progress)! If you are thinking of taking any dance classes with Reineir, stop thinking and just do it! You’ll be so happy you did!
Lorena Castillo Ware
Mar 13, 2021
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Wendy Katz
Mar 07, 2021
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Jeanna Schultz
Jan 24, 2021
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Sandy Jeter
Jan 19, 2021
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Kristen K.
Jan 15, 2021
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I attended a virtual La Clave Cubana - Salsa Fusion class led by Reinier, as part of a virtual series he's teaching at UW.
Reinier has great energy (even on Zoom) and the lesson was very easy to follow and good exercise (I didn't expect to sweat at home!). Reinier is a handsome cuban man with good rhythm. He chose fun and upbeat music, too. The many dance moves we learned were very practical (I recognize them from casual salsa nights I've attended in the past - without any lessons). I liked how he went over each move and we practiced at just the right pace -- not too fast or too
Reinier has great energy (even on Zoom) and the lesson was very easy to follow and good exercise (I didn't expect to sweat at home!). Reinier is a handsome cuban man with good rhythm. He chose fun and upbeat music, too. The many dance moves we learned were very practical (I recognize them from casual salsa nights I've attended in the past - without any lessons). I liked how he went over each move and we practiced at just the right pace -- not too fast or too
Lucas Suarez Field
Aug 16, 2020
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I have been taking online classes through Zoom with Reinier and Daniela for perhaps 2 months or so and I always have a ton of fun! You get an incredible work out (lots of sweating, movement and tons of dancing). I highly recommend you take their online classes! I searched around a ton for online dance classes until I found them! Lots of practice, … breaking down the steps, repetition, followed by dancing with music! If I could give them 100 stars on here I would <3. They are the best, you should go sign up right now for classes with them!! They have so many different classes that you
Mira A.
Aug 08, 2020
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Though the studio is closed right now because of Covid-19, you can still catch classes online. The live online classes are very good! Reinier, owner and instructor, can take more time for you to understand the moves and the reason for it. Understanding that makes it easier for you how to do it because you understand the intent behind it. I've been taking classes at the studio for over a year, and love the vibe of the studio. Today, online, we learned Son. We look forward to more classes on this dance. You can bring Son into salsa and timba, but not the other way around. So, you've just
Adam L.
Aug 03, 2020
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I have been enjoying taking Afro-Cuban dance classes from Reinier Valdes during the pandemic. Classes are offered online through zoom and then he sends a shortened 9 minute tutorial on each dance in an email. I love learning about different cultures and learning through dance is an amazing way to do it!
Cathy Chandler-Klein
Jul 30, 2020
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Scott Saunders
Jan 31, 2020
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Dragos Rotaru
Sep 06, 2019
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If you are looking for a place to dance Cuban style in Seattle this is it!
The instructors have a great way of explaining new moves by breaking them down into simple pieces so that everyone can understand them.
Moreover the atmosphere is really friendly and it feels like you are surrounded by a large welcoming family there who cares about your progress and makes sure everyone is having a good time.
You should definitely give La Clave Cubana a try!
The instructors have a great way of explaining new moves by breaking them down into simple pieces so that everyone can understand them.
Moreover the atmosphere is really friendly and it feels like you are surrounded by a large welcoming family there who cares about your progress and makes sure everyone is having a good time.
You should definitely give La Clave Cubana a try!
Mwana Wa Salma-Muhammad
Jul 29, 2019
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Martha A.
Jan 18, 2018
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Absolutely love this place! They have a great variety of really fun classes, although I have only attended two so far, cuban salsa and rueda de casino. Reinier, a real cuban instructor, and Daniela, his wife, are very professional and experienced instructors who make of the classes a very fun experience. Everyone in the community is very warm and welcoming. I'm grateful for having developed a great friendship with many here. I simply can't recommend La Clave Cubana enough to anyone looking to learn salsa from really great instructors and become part of a great salsa community!
Fadha A.
May 26, 2017
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Updated: I have since been contacted and offered a complimentary class to clarify what may have been a misunderstanding and will update once the issue has been resolved. Previous review: Very disappointed! I bought a groupon thinking I could attend Tuesday classes only to find out it was only for Thursday classes during my work hours and they were unwilling to come up with some kind of compromise(transfer/refund/credit towards another class)
Chi M.
Nov 04, 2015
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La Clave Cubana teaches Cuban salsa and other Cuban dances. I am taking private lessons from Reinier Valdez who is originally from Cuba. I am an intermediate salsa dancer and am a little shy about taking a group salsa class so I figured that I would take some private lessons first. Reinier is a great instructor and the classes are very reasonable! He is very encouraging and works on dance steps until I learn them. Cuban salsa has a lot more body movement than the typical Salsa that is taught in Seattle. It is fun! He teaches group classes too, and various forms or other Cuban Dance such
