Dance away on Friday Nights in DTLA

LOS ANGELES (News4usonline) – The Jerry Moss Plaza was jammed packed on Friday, July 22. That’s because it was dance night. More specifically, it was a night of festive enjoyment at the Music’s Center Dance DTLA, featuring Cumbia (Columbia) Night.

Dance DTLA

So here is a rundown of how the Music Center Dance DTLA works. The event takes place most Friday nights during the summer in the Jerry Moss Plaza which overlooks a beautiful view of city hall. The festival offers free dance instruction and dancing across the plaza to any Angeleno that shows up.

Instructor Fransini Giraldo teaches crowd Colombian dance. Photo by Dylan Bryant/News4usonline

Each dance event typically offers a free dance lesson on the main stage with a top Los Angles Instructor and a DJ that plays the jams for the remainder of the night. Each event welcomes all ages and those who want to learn about a new culture, for free.

The Music Center: Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles hosts a different theme every week, for example, one night will be disco and the next may be Tango. The festival usually lasts four hours from 7 to 11 p.m. Food and drinks can be bought around the plaza from participating restaurants. The center does encourage those to bring their own food and drinks, as it is allowed.

All of the tables and chairs around the dance floor are first come, first serve. Fortunately, the center does allow guests to bring their own chairs and tables. Most people typically bring small camping-style tables and chairs.

Cumbia (Colombia) Night

Celebrating Colombian independence this past Friday, July 22, it was Cumbia night or Colombia night; featuring Colombian folk music and Dance. Fransini Giraldo, a Samba/Salsa Kinesiologist, took charge in leading both classes or workshops on stage. Giraldo led hundreds of guests in the first hour to dancing a folk style of dancing common in Colombia.

After the locals learned the basics from top dance instructor Giraldo, DJ Pachnaga took the stage and had the crowd dancing all night long with Colombian classics, from salsa, vallenato, and cumbia. The open dance floor was jam-packed and guests did not want to leave after the four-hour festival.

History of the traditional Cumbia dress

Giraldo added a special touch to the evening by sharing the history of the music and traditional wear. When dancing cumbia, it is common for women to wear a pollera or a full dress that usually has an assortment of colors or most popular, the colors of the Colombian flag. This dress is very iconic and looks great in photographs.

Other Items guests brought were hats, bandanas (panuelos), and a Guiero, a popular handheld Latin American musical instrument.

Cumbia is all about music and dance. It all originated from African communities that lived in the coastal parts of Colombia and it is said that it started as a type of courtship dance.The tradition spread into Colombian culture, mixing European and indigenous instruments that are today’s cumbia.

Remaining schedule for DTLA Dance:

The Music Center offered a total of 11 dance nights this summer with still six to take advantage of moving forward. Below are the following DTLA Dance nights left this summer.

-Voguing: August 5

-K-Pop: August 12

-Disco: August 19

-Bachata: August 26

-Samba: September 2

Two entertainers dance the night away during a performance on July 22, 2022 at The Music Center Dance DTLA! outdoor stage. Photo by Dylan Bryant/News4usonline

Take advantage of these free events and learn about dance, culture, and music from different parts of the world.


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