Chris Granger / McClatchy Tribune
Tennis shoes and salsa dancing do not usually go together, but that will change Saturday night.
The Kinesiology Pedagogy Club and the Fresno State Salsa Club have partnered to put on Latin Night, an event that will feature dance lessons, performances, an open dance floor and live music.
Adriana Mendoza, the Fresno State Salsa Club president, said members of local dance organizations will teach multiple dance lessons at Latin Night. Those lessons include beginning salsa, intermediate salsa, the cha cha cha and bachata.
Local disc jockeys DJ Son, DJ Dean ‘Z’ and DJ Carlos El Matador will play live music at the event. There will also be special dance performances by the Salsa Club performance team, Prodigy Salsa Dance Co. and the Fresno State Salseros, Mendoza said.
Othon Gurrola, the chair of promotions for the Salsa Club, is part of the Fresno State Salseros, and will be performing with the group at Latin Night. He said the dance team is made up of four couples, and has been practicing their routine all semester.
“We prepare by training three days a week, with two-to four-hour sessions,” Gurrola said.
He said students should attend the event, because it will be a great learning experience.
“There will be some great teachers there,” he said. “They are all local and perform with different local teams.”
Gurrola said dancing is inviting and easy to enjoy. He said the performances will also be entertaining for attendees.
“They’re going to see some really great local talent,” he said.
Idalia Reveles, the president of the Kinesiology Pedagogy Club, said the event is being put on to raise funds for the 2010 kinesiology department graduation reception.
She said the evening will also feature a shoe drive to collect gently used athletic shoes for physical education programs at local schools.
“It will benefit public schools that have children in need of shoes,” Reveles said.
Mendoza said students should attend the event because it will be a unique experience. They will also simultaneously be able to benefit students from local schools and in the kinesiology department.
“They’ve all worked very hard to graduate,” Mendoza said. “They should be able to have their graduation ceremony for their department with family and friends present.”
Tickets can be purchased for $10 in advance, or $12 at the door. Students with a valid school ID can purchase tickets for $8. Participants who donate a pair of gently used athletic shoes with get a $2 discount off admission.