Cumbia Beginner Dance Classes at La Peña!

Cumbia (Mexico City Style) Dance Class Series - 4 sessions
Saturdays, May 9 - June 6, 2026 | 12:30pm - 1:30pm

Explore cumbia through the vibrant lens of Mexico City (CDMX) in this four-session series blending foundational technique with social dance skills. Open to beginner and intermediate dancers, this course focuses on building musicality, partner connection, and confidence; both dancing with others and on your own.

At the heart of this series is joy: enjoying the learning process, feeling uplifted, and cultivating positive energy through movement. We work closely with each student to help you discover your own rhythm, style, and authentic expression.

Unlike traditional classes, we use “leaders” and “followers” instead of gendered roles, making space for everyone to feel seen and empowered on the dance floor.

Over four classes, you’ll learn essential partner steps, turns, and communication, along with solo footwork and variations for the social dance floor. Each session includes guided practice so you can integrate what you learn with ease and confidence.

By the end of the series, you’ll feel more connected to the music, your partner, and your own movement.

All are welcome. No partner required!

• Dates: Saturdays, May 9, 16, 30 & June 6 - 2026
• Time: 12:30pm - 1:30pm
• Location: La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA (near Ashby BART)
• Enrollment Cost: $100 for the 4-class series (+ Eventbrite fees)

✨ Bonus: All participants receive one complimentary entry to , our monthly Cumbia dance party featuring dance classes and live DJs spinning sounds from México, Perú, Colombia y más. The perfect place to practice what you’ve learned in a joyful, community-centered environment

• Partner coordination and communication
• Musicality: how to hear and interpret cumbia rhythms
• Foundational steps, turns, and partner dynamics
• Solo footwork for social dance settings

• A supportive, fun, and welcoming environment
• Space to challenge yourself and move beyond fear
• Guided practice to build confidence and ease on the dance floor

A range of cumbia styles with a strong Mexico City (CDMX) Cumbia Sonidera influence: playful, rhythmic, and rooted in social dance culture.

Warm, inclusive, and body-aware. Classes emphasize observation, repetition, and connection, supporting each student in developing their natural rhythm, expression, and confidence in social dancing.

🏳️‍🌈 La Peña Cultural Center is a queer-affirming, community-based cultural space dedicated to collective joy, resistance, and creative expression. We are committed to creating accessible, inclusive environments for all 🏳️‍⚧️

📩 Questions? Email us at: [email protected]

Donaji Lona brings over two decades of experience as a dancer and more than 20 years of community organizing and collective coordination. For 13 years, she has worked as a somatic coach and teacher, supporting individuals and groups in developing body awareness, listening, and coordination.

She has been teaching cumbia for the past three years, integrating her deep love for the dance with her somatic approach. For Donaji, cumbia is a pathway to resilience, healing, and connection to the heart. She sees dance as a powerful way to reconnect with vitality and aliveness.

Her teaching weaves together somatic practice, community, and expressive movement, creating spaces where students can feel supported, empowered, and fully present in their bodies.

Chavita Peñaloza discovered her passion for dance at a young age, training in her hometown and later in Mexico City. There, she built strong foundations, learned from experienced choreographers, and fell in love with baile de barrio. She began choreographing early on for performances, quinceañeras, and weddings, developing her own distinctive style.

With over 18 years of experience in the Bay Area, she has taught choreography and multiple dance styles, including Mexican folkloric dance, and has performed in community events and celebrations. She also participated in the San Francisco Carnaval for three consecutive years.

Her intention is to create a joyful and welcoming space where students feel energized, confident, and inspired. She focuses on understanding each student and supporting them in discovering their unique rhythm, style, and expression. Her goal is to share the rhythm and flavor of cumbia while fostering learning, harmony, and self-confidence.

📩 Questions? Email us at:
We look forward to seeing you soon on the dance floor!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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