Bachata Lab

About this event

Bachata Lab is a weekly Friday-night bachata class and supervised practice social in San Francisco, hosted at the Smuin Center for Dance in Potrero Hill.

Doors open at 8:00pm, followed by a shared warm-up focused on footwork and body movement from 8:00pm to 8:30pm. From 8:30pm to 9:30pm, the room splits into three concurrent partnerwork classes (beginner, intermediate, and advanced), making it easy to jump in on a first night or keep leveling up over time. Partners rotate about every 90 seconds, so no partner is needed and coming solo is completely normal.

After class, the floor opens for social dancing from 9:30pm to 1:00am, with plenty of time to drill what was just learned or simply enjoy the music. The weekly focus is Bachata Moderna and Bachata Sensual, with visiting artists brought in from time to time for workshops.

Pricing is $20 for the class + social when booked ahead or $25 at the door, while social-only is $15 (arriving at 9:30pm is welcome for dancers who just want the social). Payment at the door is available via Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle.

There is no dress code—just wear something easy to move in, bring non-scuffing shoes, and plan for a studio setting with a ballet floor; spike heels are not permitted. This event is for adults only.