Tropicana Dance School

Tropicana Dance School is a long-running London-based salsa and bachata school that runs evening classes across multiple central London venues, with each class always followed by a social. The school caters to three levels — beginner, improver and intermediate — so absolute first-timers and experienced dancers are equally welcome on the same floor. Salsa classes blend cross-body (Puerto Rican), Colombian and Cuban styles for all levels, and bachata covers sensual, moderna and Dominican varieties with touches of merengue, body movement, shines and Rueda de Casino. Weekly nights include Latino Sway on Mondays at Sway Bar, Latino Royal on Wednesdays at Sway Bar, and Wild Bachata Thursdays at Forge Bar in the City. On Saturdays the school runs rotating monthly party nights — Party Pa' Ti, BOS (Bachata on Saturdays) and 50/50 — combining classes with full socials. Pricing is straightforward and friendly: GBP 12 for a 1-hour class, GBP 15 for 2 hours, GBP 20 for the Saturday class+party, with multi-class bundles, student and NUS discounts. Instructors emphasise individual attention while keeping the energy collaborative, and the welcoming social-first atmosphere is regularly cited as a major draw for both newcomers and seasoned London dancers.

Tropicana Dance School was founded by Bolivian-born instructor Ramiro Zapata, who has been teaching salsa for over 20 years. The school has built a long-standing presence in Central London with regular weekly nights at Sway Bar (Covent Garden) and Forge Bar (City of London), and has run its own flagship event series including BOS (Bachata on Saturdays) — celebrating its 5-year anniversary in 2020 with the 'Like A BOS' Festival, which has run multiple editions (the first in April 2019 and again in March 2020). The school has also hosted weekenders and overseas dance holidays such as 'BOS Goes To Ibiza'. Tropicana continues to expand, with classes in Central London and Camden and plans for further venues in the heart of the City.