Back in April, I reported about a failed attempt to find Cien Fuegos, the salsa club which I wanted to check out for its reportedly free Thursday dance lessons. Turns out the second time is a charm, and it doesn’t hurt to have a Colombiana steering you in the right direction.
Cien Fuegos
Alejandra suggested we check it out last Saturday night, and if I am to be cast in the next Dancing With the Stars, I need to stay disciplined in my practice regimen. This time around, we found the proper address via the internet (see below) and took off by taxi for the location near the Industriales metro station and Trilogia Bar (love that place). Upon arrival, the red neon sign lit up the building’s facade. It was a far cry from Tibiri near Estadio, which lacked any sign at all!
The professional dancers take the floor
The cover was 12,000 COP per person, and once inside, we were greeted with a massive dance floor, stage with live band, and three seating options. The best seats were reserved for patrons ordering a bottle of liqour. The second best seats were tied to half bottles, and the rest station themselves at the bar. Being only the two of us, and me still in recovery mode from Blue the night before, we pulled up a few stools at the bar.
I sat there, staring out at the massive central dance floor, surrounded by people watching from their tables. It was immediately apparent that there were a lot of good dancers in the room, and it wasn’t even full yet. It took me about 15 minutes to get up the nerve to venture out on the floor with Alejandra, however once we got going, it was a lot of fun. Sure, there are couples doing ridiculously complicated moves all around you. Women are being spun like tops left and right, but I learned as long as I focused on my partner, everyone else faded into the periphery. Of course I was excited to practice my latest moves, and Alejandra was able to show me a few as well. Later in the night, fog was misted out onto the dance floor which added to the whole atmosphere.
Drinks were quite a bit costlier than what you’ll find at the smaller bars like Tibiri, and El Eslabon Prendido in Centro. For example, a bottle of water costs 5,000 COP, while beers start at 10,000 COP. Expect to pay around 17,500 COP for a cocktail. There were at least three groups there for birthday parties, and each was presented with a cake as the band played Happy Birthday.
Cien Fuegos - A great place to dance salsa
Throughout the night, there pairs of professional dancers would perform, as well as take customers onto the dance floor. They were amazing, of course, however I was just as impressed by some of the customers dancing. And I was pleased to find out the club offers dance lessons on Thursdays and Fridays! I had a hard time imagining they are free given the upscale nature of the place, but I’ll keep you posted. We called it a night a little before 2 am.
Bonus Video!
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Cien Fuegos Cabaret – Carrera 43F, #18-158 (barrio Colombia, near Industriales metro). Live band, large dance floor. Salsa lessons offered Thursdays and Fridays.
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[...] 20 people there, and the live band was in action, but it lacked the vibe and crowd of a full-blown Saturday night. On the plus side, there was no cover charge, and no minimum to drink if you wanted a table by [...]
[...] In a bar you typically pay between 2,000 – 3,000 COP ($1 – $1.60) but the price can climb to 7,000 COP ($3.80) in a club or fancy restaurant. For example, a beer at Mango’s Discoteca will run you at least 10,000 COP, while the price climbs to a stratospheric 13,000 COP at Cien Fuegos. [...]
[...] (around 9:30 pm if you want a table). If you actually want room to dance, then go to the upscale Cien Fuegos, which features the biggest dance floor in town. inside Dulce Jesus [...]