Welcome to La Peña! Promoting social justice & intercultural understanding through the arts since 1975.
This four week series introduces students to the basic rhythms of the plena percussion ensemble and to a few songs representative of the genre. Participants will learn to play panderos -- the seguidor and punteador patterns -- and the güícharo or güiro, and will study four plena songs in diverse styles. The workshops also introduce […]
This is a 4-week series designed for beginner-intermediate students to learn and enjoy three popular Latin dance styles: Salsa, Bachata and Merengue! Explore the possibilities of your body and how to communicate with others through dance, rhythm and flavor! Partners are not necessary! This class is taught by Venezuelan dance instructor Juliana Mendonca. Juliana’s teaching […]
Due to popular demand of our beginners series, we are adding a Salsa, Bachata and Merengue Dance Class series for INTERMEDIATE students! This is a 4-week series designed for students that already know their basic rhythm and steps, to go beyond the basic rhythms and steps. Please DO NOT sign up for this class if […]
This is an ensemble class for musicians and singers wanting to learn salsa music! Directed by Josh Jones. Come learn a variety of salsa favorites. The class perform 3-4 showcases per year! Email the instructor for audition times: joshjonesdrums@yahoo.com Cost: $15 per class Find them on Facebook!
Sliding Scale Donation: $5-$20 Series: Tuesdays, January 8th - July 30th All proceeds benefit La Peña Cultural Center's mission of promoting social justice through the arts! Join us in a friendly and supportive yoga class that encourages self-discovery, mind-body awareness, and community building. Taught by a certified yoga therapist, the class is designed to […]
Check out footage from last year's Bay Area Dance Week! What we teach Kizomba, derived from the traditional dances Semba (Angola) and Pasada (Cape Verde) among others, is a sensual partner dance coupled with music from Angola, Cape Verde and the Caribbean primarily sung in Portuguese or French Creole. Why we teach Our chief goal […]
