If live in or are visiting the Bay area, be sure to stop at Alberto's in Mountain View on Friday nights. Go early and take advantage of the two hours of lessons.

My wife and I were in San Mateo in early April and we stopped in. The lessons were great--good for beginners and working up to challenging for intermediates and advanced. And after the lesson they had a nine piece Latin Jazz/Dance band named "Broken English" that was superb. The band even had a flute player and he sounded a bit like Herbie Mann at times.

It's one thing to dance mambo/salsa or merengue in a studio or instructional context but it is great to get out and dance the same tings in a real nightclub with real Cuban or Puerto Ricano club dancers.