Dance is all about expression, movement, freedom and community. Alegría Dance & Entertainment strives to make the art accessible to everyone, regardless of their experience level.
The Spokane-based company was founded in January 2023 by Jesse Rennaker, who spent four years dancing in Los Angeles before returning to the Inland Northwest.
"I wanted to start something here locally in Spokane and bring the knowledge and my experiences dancing outside of Spokane to the area," Rennaker says.
Alegría started with about five dancers and now has more than 20. The company primarily focuses on Latin-based dance styles, like salsa, bachata and hustle, but Rennaker says one of his goals is to expose both dancers and audiences to a wider array of styles, including hip-hop or jazz.
Currently, the group offers two types of classes: weekly training sessions for its core dancers, including rehearsals and performances, and classes open to the public.
"You could take one class only, or you could take all of them," Rennaker says. "We offer that also for people that want to have an outlet to dance but are just not on the same schedule as people that might have more interest or time to be able to connect consistently to dance training and practicing."
Alegría has performed a number of times in Spokane, and also at events in Las Vegas, Portland, Denver and Seattle this past year.
The company frequently invites dancers from outside the area to perform and teach classes as well, further broadening the styles of dance that can be experienced locally.
"We bring in other professional dance artists that are from countries where some of these dances originated, or [who] have many years of experience in those specific dance styles, and they provide classes to the public and they also do shows," Rennaker says. "We brought in a total of 17 professionals last year, and they were from places like Cuba, Mexico, New York, Miami — just all around the world."
To mark Alegría's one-year anniversary, the company is throwing a Hollywood Glamour-themed gala. An introductory salsa partnerwork lesson kicks off the evening, which also includes dinner and a cash bar before the evening's performances. Honduran guitarist Josue Castro plays live during the dinner hour.
A number of other Spokane-area dance groups, including Quiero Flamenco and Vytal Movement Dance, are set to perform in addition to Alegría's dancers. Guests Ahtoy Juliana and Edwin Tolentino from New York City; Alién Ramírez from Cuba, and two dancers from Miami's C.A.M. Dance Company are also on the program.
All of these guest dancers are leading classes before the gala as well, with sessions on the Latin hustle, bachata, salsa caleña and more. Interested members of the public can find a complete schedule and sign up for a session ($20-$60) on EventBrite.
"When people go to the gala, they can see what Latin hustle looks like from the professional artists and then also take classes from the professional artist," Rennaker says. "It's basically trying to reinforce some of the things that we're teaching in the classes and also trying to make a more diverse set of dance styles available to people."
To cap off the evening Rennaker says there will be live DJ music from one of the company's own members and, of course, dancing.
"What's really unique about our event is that it's really focused on the arts. It's not supposed to be a community fundraiser, but more so a celebration of art and culture," Rennaker says. "I hope people find something really cool to wear and they just come out and have a good time with us at the gala." ♦
Alegría Gala: A Night of Elegance • Sat, March 23 from 5-10 pm • $75-$950 • Riverside Place • 1110 W. Riverside Ave. • Facebook: Alegría Dance & Entertainment • Instagram: @dance.alegria
