There’s a new way to shake off the Monday blues in the Santa Ynez Valley. Thanks to a partnership with Santa Maria-based dance company Klein Dance Arts, Zaca Creek in Buellton is hosting salsa dance sessions twice a month.
Each event in the Mojito Monday series is paired with a selection of tropical cocktails and bites for attendees to enjoy—either before, after, or in between learning some salsa moves on the dance floor.
Zaca Creek co-owner Joe Rushing was the first to propose a salsa dance program at the venue, said his daughter, Chelsea Rushing, in an email interview.
“When we were coming up with ideas to bring to the community, he suggested it, and to our surprise, nothing like that was really available in the Santa Ynez Valley,” said Chelsea, also a co-owner at Zaca Creek.
During her college years, Chelsea was an avid salsa dancer herself, she added.
“When I was an undergrad, I’d spend every Monday night dancing at a salsa club that my roommate taught lessons at, and my dad loved visiting and seeing the energy and great environment,” Chelsea said.
The Zaca Creek staff strove to bring that same kind of energy to the Mojito Monday series, which kicked off in September. Salsa dance sessions are held in Zaca Creek’s Buellhouse event space on the first and third Monday of every month. The next event in the series will take place on Monday, Oct. 17.
Chelsea said that her father has been out of town often lately and missed the first few sessions, but she added that “my mom has not missed a lesson and plans to hit the dance floor with him from now on.”
“[Joe] is very excited and can’t wait to throw back a mojito and show off his dance moves,” Chelsea said.
Although it’s the only drink in the dance program’s title, Zaca Creek’s mojito is just one of several cocktails available for purchase during Mojito Monday, along with some sweet and savory food options.
“We also have a fantastic selection of mezcal, pisco, and cachaça, so it’s giving people a chance to maybe have a pisco sour or a Brazilian caipirinha for a nice change of pace in their cocktail selections,” said Chelsea. “As for the food, the zesty ceviche and magic-shell mole ice cream—complete with crispy churros—are also fantastic.”
Quesadillas, tacos, chips with salsa and guacamole, and salads are among the venue’s other food options during Mojito Monday. Soft drinks, coffee, and other nonalcoholic beverages are also available for dance participants to purchase.
The salsa dance sessions at Mojito Monday are led by dance instructors from Klein Dance Arts, which was on Zaca Creek’s radar while staff sought out a dance company to collaborate with for the program.
“We wanted to work with a local studio, and Klein Dance Arts kept coming up when we asked around for recommendations,” Chelsea said. “Meeting them sealed the deal, and they’re just terrific in a group setting. It was a fantastic match, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the collaboration.”
One of the Mojito Monday instructors is Irene Kleinbauer, the founder of Klein Dance Arts, which was established in Santa Maria five years ago. A dancer since her youth, Kleinbauer has trained in salsa, ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, tap, and ballroom, among other styles.
Kleinbauer’s favorite fuel during breaks in Mojito Monday dance sessions? A margarita and ceviche, according to the dance studio.
Zaca Creek’s salsa dance program is scheduled to continue at the Buellhouse throughout October and November but will take a pause during December and January, before resuming in February, Chelsea said.
“After the holidays,” she said, “it should be a great way to shake off those extra treats we all will have inevitably indulged in.”
Send salsa and ceviche to Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Oct 13-20, 2022.
