Salsa Shines Beneath The Stars

Alisa Bowens-Mercado teaches in Westville. Jarelis Calderon Photos.

Under a canopy of string lights and an open evening sky, people from all walks of life gathered on a wide, outdoor patio, drawn together by the rhythms of salsa music pulsing through the warm air. The class was free, open to anyone willing to move, and filled with nothing but good energy.

That was the scene on a recent Tuesday, as New Haven salsera, beer brewer and Renaissance woman Alisa Bowens-Mercado led “Salsa Under the Stars” on the Westville Central Patio. With music flowing through the open air and people of all backgrounds dancing together, the event created a warm, joyful atmosphere and celebration of movement, culture, and connection. It marks the fourth concurrent year that the series has run in Westville.

The next Salsa Under the Stars takes place August 26 on the Central Patio; classes run through late September. In the meantime, Bowens-Mercado is busy running her Blake Street studio, which offers classes each week, and pop-up events like Friday Night Salsa at the Mattatuck Museum, which takes place this Friday at 6 p.m.

“My energy level is through the roof and this feeling is so euphoric …  you see people out here and you see the smiles, you see people dancing, you see the kids, you see adults, you see people that have never danced before,” said Bowens-Mercado, owner and director of Alisa’s House of Salsa.

The class, sweaty and happy, at the end of the night. Jarelis Calderon Photos.

The dance studio, now located on the second floor of 506 Blake St., is a testament to her love of salsa and mission to spread its joy throughout New Haven. 

Bowens-Mercado’s dancing journey began at age three at Gloria Jean’s Studio of Dance in North Haven, where she rigorously studied ballet, jazz, and tap. Then as a young adult, she took her first salsa class. At the time, it was just something she wanted to do for fun: she didn't realize it was about to change her whole life.

But the music, the propulsive movement, the way she could feel the horns and percussion in her body all stayed with her. By 2002, she had opened a studio in New Haven, with satellites in Waterbury and Hartford that followed. For several years, the studio looked out onto Whalley Avenue, where Malby's Pastries is today. Then last year, she moved just around the corner to Blake Street.

Now, salsa is something she wants to share with as many people as she can, she said. When Bowens-Mercado first heard salsa music, she wanted to immerse herself into the entire culture from which it blossomed. Driven by determination, she insisted that her Spanish- speaking friends communicate with her only in Spanish. She considers salsa so universal because it’s connected by music.

“I’m African American, so I’ve embraced the African portion of the music and the culture," she said. "But I tell people all the time—I have Asian people, I also have people that speak Italian but they speak no English. It’s a melting pot of beautiful people, beautiful cultures as people that know no language, and don’t ever let your race be a barrier because dancing connects us and ties together.”

Iz and Karen, who declined to give their last names. Jarelis Calderon Photos.

Tuesday night, that was on display in the diverse, multigenerational and almost always smiling crowd that came out to dance.

Mother and daughter duo Iz and Karen were absolutely thrilled to be at the salsa class. Iz, already familiar with the rhythm and moves, came because she had taken salsa classes before and absolutely loved them. For Karen, this marked her first time doing a salsa class after trying out Zumba.

Despite their different levels of experience, they were both excited to dive in, and share this lively new experience together.

They weren't the only ones. For spouses Beatriz Serigneri and Tony Torres, salsa is a shared passion and a love language. They bring energy, culture, and joy wherever they go, especially when supporting Bowens-Mercado.

Serigneri, 57, is originally from Argentina and has been dancing salsa for eight years. She loves coming to these salsa events for the people, for Bowens-Mercado, for support and to enjoy herself and have a good time. For Serigneri, salsa is more than just music—it’s a celebration of life.

Beatriz Serigneri and Tony Torres. Jarelis Calderon Photos.

“Salsa for me is life, it’s happiness, it’s joy,” she said.

Serigneri encourages young people to explore the dance, even if it pushes them out of their comfort zones.

Torres, 62, is from the Dominican Republic, and has been dancing salsa for over 30 years. He also puts on his DJ cap at all of the salsa events, creating an atmosphere that keeps people moving.

“I don’t do it for the money,” he said. “I do it for the rhythm, dancing and to see people happy.”

Vazquez, 36, has known Bowens-Mercado since they were both in high school and has continued to go to her classes over the years and enjoys them every time. “What I enjoy most about dancing salsa is the freedom that I feel when I dance and move my body, it’s so freeing,” she said.

Jarelis Calderon Photos.

Bowens-Mercado will soon be celebrating a major milestone with the 25th anniversary gala of Alisa’s House of Salsa and DJ Harry T, taking place Saturday, September 20 of this year at Cielo Catering and Events in West Haven.

“I love doing this always just as much as I did 25 years ago," she said. "Every day is like my first day and I just enjoy it because it’s such a great community.”

This article comes from the 2025 cohort of the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative (YAJI). YAJI is a program in which New Haven, Hamden and West Haven Public Schools high school students pitch, write, edit and publish articles through the Arts Paper. This year, YAJI advisors include Arts Paper Editor Lucy Gellman and reporter and YAJI alum Abiba Biao. Jarelis Calderon is a rising junior at Wilbur Cross High School.