LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- There’s a moment when a first-time dancer might feel a little uncomfortable, possibly embarrassed or intimidated, but it doesn’t last long because there are smiles all around.
Welcome to Louisville Salsa Underground, where instructors are educators, any dancer can be a performer and music unites everyone.
"The goal is just to have fun," founder Rob Nickerson said. "There is no judgment. We are excited anytime a fresh face comes to one of our events."
Nickerson started Louisville Salsa Underground in 2015 as a way to promote and enhance dance parties around the city.
"My idea at the time was to pull all of that information together and put it in one place where everybody could find it," Nickerson said. "Shortly after that, I started to experiment with hosting my own events."
With the goal of sharing salsa music to more people, the musician and former graduate student at the University of Louisville School of Music settled on a name that he thought appropriately fit: Louisville Salsa Underground.
"I always felt that salsa dancing or Latin dancing was kind of an underground scene," Nickerson said. "It’s never really been integrated into dominant culture, mainstream society here. It’s kind of been you had to go find it."Â
Tony Johnson and his wife, Cierra, attended Waterfront Dancing, an event promoted by Louisville Salsa Underground, on Sunday. Waterfront Dancing is hosted by the Ville Casineras.Â
As dozens of people danced near the Ohio River's edge by the Big Four Bridge, Cierra Johnson said she was hesitant at first, but any nerves were shaken off quickly.
Cierra and Tony Johnson dance during the Waterfront Dancing at the Big Four Bridge on June 12, 2022.
"There are a lot of things that can separate us, one thing that unites a lot of cultures is music and dancing," Tony Johnson said. "If you look around, there's not just one type of person out here, we're all having a good time."
It wasn't the couple's first introduction to salsa dancing, that came prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, at a place Nickerson had become involved in the salsa community.
Nickerson played in a salsa band, performing at SkyBar at Saints in St. Matthews every Thursday. The salsa dancing community grew as promoters and dance instructors began to collaborate.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Nickerson would hold two to three events a month, seeing new faces at every event.Â
While the pandemic presented challenges and prevented the group from holding dance parties, the local salsa community wouldn’t let it die out. Nickerson said there’s now typically three to four nights a week to dance in Louisville.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are regular nights for dancing, along with some other opportunities offered on weekends.
|  Day | Time | Event | Location |
| Â Tuesdays | Â 7 p.m. | Â Tumbao Tuesday | Â Logan Street Market |
| Wednesdays |  7 p.m. |  Mambo Nights |  PLAY Bar |
|  Thursdays |  8 p.m. |  Coconuts Salsa Thursdays |  Coconut Beach |
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"There’s ample opportunity to learn how to Latin dance here in Louisville," Nickerson said.Â
At Louisville Salsa Underground Events, the first hour of events features a dance lesson focused on beginners. Nickerson said welcoming more people in the salsa community starts with education.
With dance instructors at events, Louisville Salsa Underground teaches attendees about salsa dancing and the music behind it.
"We’re always looking to introduce people into the art, into the culture, and it can be intimidating," Nickerson said. "The way we dance is different from other dances we see or that are popular here in the States."
On Sunday at Waterfront Dancing, Zack Lowery and Sarah McQuillan admitted to some nervousness for their first time at the event.
"It's slightly intimidating, but we're out here to have fun," Lowery said. "It's a lot more inviting."
Zack Lowery and Sarah McQuillan dance together during Waterfront Dancing on June 12, 2022.
"We saw this was going on and we thought it would be fun to come out and dance," McQuillan said. "To have events like this that you can go to. It's nice to have."
While Louisville Salsa Underground introduces newcomers to salsa dancing, it also serves the city's growing Latinx population by providing a cultural outlet.
"I have no idea what it feels like to uproot and move to a different country," Nickerson said. "If it’s just one thing that makes them feel better about being here in Louisville. This isn't Miami, this isn't New York or LA, we're in Kentucky."
"We think that if as long as you’re having fun, you’ll enjoy learning, regardless of how you might look on your first experience, and that you want to come back and continue to learn and grow with us," Nickerson said.
To learn more about Louisville Salsa Underground and see the list of events, click here.
To learn more about Waterfront Dancing, click here.
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