Shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance” have viewers all over America wanting to learn how to dance with the best of them. At Sacramento State, the Salsa Loca Club and UNIQUE Programs are making that happen.

Created in 2007, Salsa Loca is a club dedicated to teaching Latin dances to students and community members every Wednesday evening in the University Union. To mix things up, the club went “live” on Thursday and hosted an event where live bands and salsa dancers came to campus to showcase their talents.

“We wanted to expose our members to Latin dancing in the community, rather than just from campus,” said club vice president O’Connor Griffin, junior sociology major.

Conjunto Alegre was one of the bands that performed at the event. It is a Puerto Rican band that spreads its love for world rhythms through music. Some of the instruments used were the bongo, keyboard and the cuatro – a 10-string acoustic instrument resembling an oversized violin.

“Salsa music has a rhythm that you just can’t sit still to – you want to move to the music,” said LeRoy Rodrigues, manager of Conjunto Alegre.

Rodrigues said playing at the live event is something his band loves to do, something they have not done for six months.

“Performing for a live audience is indescribable,” Rodrigues said. “People have told us that our band projects a lot of energy – we put out great sounds.”

The live music is what undeclared freshman Ashley Garza, member of Salsa Loca, enjoyed most about the event.

“Just having the band right there in front of us made the night that much more special,” Garza said. “I could just feel the music as I danced with my partner.”

Even though she joined the club earlier this semester, Garza said Salsa Loca has provided her with friendships and a sense of family.

“Since this is my first year on campus, I didn’t really know that many people,” Garza said. “Once I got involved with the club and made new friends, I just fell in love with dancing.”

Besides the live band, the event also featured salsa performances from dance groups around the Sacramento area. Both the Yemaya Salsa Dance Company and Bachata Fuego showcased their talents.

Composed of more than 30 members, co-director Kevin Andagan said the Yemaya group began 10 years ago with just two couples dancing in a garage.

“We have come a long way since we first began,” Andagan said. “Performing at this event shows the talents of our groups and builds our dancers’ confidence.”

Since salsa is a dance comprised of different cultural rhythms, Andagan said this type of dance has something for everyone. From beginners to advanced levels, anyone can get carried away in the music.

Also performing at the event was Bachata Fuego, a dance group led by Peter Gunn that focuses on the Dominican Republican dance called “bachata.” Very similar to the salsa, bachata involves Cuban hip movements and uses the same basic steps.

Joining the two dance companies was Sac Town Salsa, a dance team that finds its members locally from the Sacramento area through a website. By posting all of its venues and dance events happening around town, Griffin said this group lets people know what is happening in the dance community.

“We are supporting the local dance communities by having them perform,” Griffin said. “In return, they are showing our students their passion and love for salsa through some truly amazing dancing.”

Even though normal Salsa Loca nights do not feature live bands, UNIQUE programs adviser Zenia LaPorte said students can still enjoy free salsa lessons every Wednesday night.

“They are out there trying to let people know about salsa dance, it is always good for students to learn something new,” LaPorte said. “This is a free event that allows students to be a part of something on campus and have fun doing so.”

For future salsa events, students are encouraged to visit the Salsa Loca page at www.sacstatesalsa.com or join the club for their free weekly salsa lessons at 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday in the Orchard Suite, on the second floor of the University Union.