Stepping into a world of salsa, salsa dance steps that is, locals tried their moves at Cubanissimo Cuban Coffee House & Cafe on a recent evening. The dance class, held Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m ...

Julissa Alvarado, a dance lover who recently moved from New York to West Haven, found a new spot to groove at Salsa in Ninth Square, a bimonthly open-to-all dance party at the Orange Street Promenade.

OF ALL THE things I thought I might like about salsa — and I liked many things — holding hands with a stranger while learning new dance steps together was not one of them. I thought I might hate that.

Salsa music, fast and loud, rings from speakers over the clanging of nearby slot machines; the room is bathed in moody blue and pink lights and the dance floor is filled with the fast rhythmic ...