Cubaneo Dance School/Dance Full Stop

Cubaneo Dance Studio is located upstairs at 341 Lygon Street, Carlton, above Intersection Café. The studio teaches Cuban salsa, rumba, Son Cubano, and Afro-Cuban dance under the instruction of Aloy Junco, a dancer and musician who trained at Cuba's National School of Art and performed as principal dancer with the Havana Nights Dance Company and the Cuban National Folkloric Dance Company.

Aloy Junco has been dancing and teaching Afro-Cuban Dance since his days with Conjunto Folklórico Nacional, Cuba's national folkloric dance troupe. He grew up in Havana surrounded by music and dance, trained in percussion under maestro Juan de Dios Ramon Morejon, and performed at numerous festivals and prestigious stages in Cuba before touring the world. He is recognized as one of the finest Latin and Cuban folkloric dancers and dance teachers around the world, and one of the true pioneers of Cuban dance in Australia.

Classes run Monday through Wednesday evenings. Monday offers Timba & Cuban Salsa at four levels: Beginners Level 0 (7pm), Beginners Level 1 (7pm), Intermediate (8pm), and Advanced (9pm). Tuesday includes Rumba covering Yambú, Guaguancó and Columbia (7pm), Son Cubano (8pm), and Afro-Cuban Dance & Chanting (9pm). Wednesday repeats the salsa progression with a Performance class at 9pm. Both group and private classes are available.

African-Cuban folkloric dances taught here come from ancient ritual traditions based on the worship of deities (Orishas) and include styles such as Eleggua, Changó, and Yemayá. Rueda de Casino, a circle salsa format where partners swap with moves called out by a caller, is also offered at two levels with minimum beginner or intermediate prerequisites.

The studio organises Latin Social Nights where you can dance salsa, enjoy drinks, and experience Cuban vibes. Cubaneo also runs annual trips to Cuba for dancers to improve their skills. The concept behind Cubaneo incorporates dance classes, performance, music, social events, and excursions.

Walk upstairs above Intersection Café into a working Cuban dance studio. You'll join classes at your level, from absolute beginner to advanced, learning steps and rhythms from an instructor with decades of professional experience. You don't need a partner to start.

Aloy Junco is the founder and principal instructor. A musician and dancer who trained at Cuba's National School of Art, he performed as principal dancer with the Havana Nights Dance Company and the Cuban National Folkloric Dance Company, and trained with Conjunto Folklórico Raices Profundas. He has been teaching Afro-Cuban Dance since his days with Conjunto Folklórico Nacional.

The studio offers dedicated beginner classes (Level 0 and Level 1) in Cuban Salsa on Monday and Wednesday, and welcomes people with little or no dance experience.