Cardiff salsa nights and classes

None of the promoters/teachers of the nights below have asked to be included in this list. It's provided purely as a source of information for dancers, particularly those who travel some distance and want to know which nights are worth going to.

If there is no comment by a class, it means I haven't been to it (or heard comments from others about it) recently.

Mondays at O'Neills - Cuban (ish)
Classes (beginners, then improvers, then intermediate) 7-9, dancing 9-12 (recently extended from 11)
Plus points:
John Pamplin's beginners' classes are popular and inclusive (though some of his jokes are pretty cheesy). Like a lot of dancers in Cardiff I started off with him. John's happy to dance with the punters (and women love dancing with him.) Plenty of space on the dancefloor. Quite a relaxed atmosphere.
Minus points:
The most expensive salsa classes in Cardiff, but not the best. Music quality a bit variable.

Tuesdays at Cuba (LA/CBL)
Classes 8.30 beginners, 9.30 improvers, dancing until 2
Plus points:
Music is usually good. Lively.
Minus points:
Full of drunks and students on the pull. Often stupidly crowded.

Tuesdays at Zync: themed nights, salsa classes twice a month, and early evening tapas. I haven't been yet but it's supposed to be good. It's run by Mikey from Peru and includes a mix of Latin music. Runs from 8 until 2 and costs £2.

Wednesdays at La Tasca (LA/CBL)
Taught by Tammi. Classes (beginners, then improvers, then intermediate) 8-10. No free dancing afterwards.

Wednesdays at the Toad
New Latin night. Dancing only, no classes. Not been yet.

Thursdays at the Toad (LA)
Classes: beginners, improvers, intermediate run concurrently from 8.30 - 10ish. Free dancing from just after ten until midnight or later.
Usually the biggest salsa night of the week, attracting people from Bristol as well as Cardiff. Teaching from Natalie, Kate, and Andy. All the teachers are good: Andy (intermediate) knows more about how to teach dancing than any other salsa teacher in Cardiff, with lots of individual advice and detail. Free dancing can be a bit of a manic scrum, but tends to get better later as it thins out. You get almost all of Cardiff's best dancers there at some time or another (and some of the worst!) and the music's usually good.

Friday
La Cachaçaria, downstairs in Las Iguanas (Mill Lane), on 19 August. Small dancefloor, free, 8pm-2am, Than plays good music.

Saturday
Free dancing in La Tasca. Good music and a live percussionist. Sometimes it's overrun by drunk muggles - best avoided on big match nights - but it's usually got a real buzzing atmosphere. It runs from 11 until 2 and it's free.

Sundays in the Wharf (LA)
Absolute Beginners: 7-8pm
Improvers: 8:00-8:45pm
Intermediate: 8:45-9:30pm
Free dancing 9.30-11
Good points: Andy's teaching (see above). Music is usually excellent. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Great music. Usually a few good dancers there (particularly women).
Minus points: Can be quiet. Finishes at 11.

Also:
Paul Gordon-Smith teaches beginners' courses at the David Lloyd Centre off Newport Road - you have to be a member.

Who goes to what nights? You get more older people on a Monday; younger on a Tuesday, particularly in Cuba. If you like Cuban style or come from Latin America you may find like-minded people later on Thursday in the Toad, and on Saturday in La Tasca.