The Salsa, Timba, Bachata and Merengue

Taco Tuesday never had it so good. Experience the extra spice of salsa dancing and more when Latin Dance with DJ Vito takes over PLAY Eugene Jan. 7. Besides the sensual movements of Cuban salsa, DJ Vito will take requests for timba, bachata and merengue music as well. He will play to the crowd. “I like to read the energy of the audience,” he says, and he has a vast amount of Latin music to choose from. “He spends many, many hours listening to music,” notes Courtney Garcia, DJ Vito’s wife who, along with her husband, co-owns Azúcar! Cuban Dance y Más in Eugene. “Each event has different music,” she says. Latin dance music took root for DJ Vito while growing up in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Upon entering the United States in his mid-20s, DJ Vito aimed to spread the lively and dynamic art that is Latin dancing, including a class at the University of Oregon attended by his future wife. “I pretty much learned dancing from Vito,” says Garcia, who was a grad student at the time. The two struck up a friendship, fell in love and were married in 2011. Azúcar! Cuban Dance y Más opened soon afterward, and DJ Vito has been spreading the joy of Latin dancing ever since.

Latin Dance with DJ Vito is Tuesday, Jan. 7 and Tuesday, Jan. 21 at PLAY Eugene, 232 West 5th Avenue. An introductory beginner lesson is at 7 pm, followed by social dancing from 8 pm to 10 pm. After 9 pm, it’s 21-plus. FREE. Latin Dance with DJ Vito also is Jan. 14 and Jan. 28 at Cowfish Cafe and Lounge, 62 West Broadway, with the same 7 pm start and an $8 cover. More information about Azúcar! Cuban Dance y Más, including class and event schedules, is at EugeneCubanSalsa.com.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

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None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

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Thank you for standing with us!