Feb 4, 2015

By day they are gallery curators, massage therapists, graduate students, administrative assistants and scientific illustrators. But on Monday nights, they were salsa dancers. On a frigid February evening, they came for the last time to the weekly salsa party at the Harbor East restaurant Talara, The nuevo-Latino is scheduled to close on Saturday. More than 100 dancers showed up. Most were veterans, but some had come for the first time. They twirled, spun, twisted with careful foot movements. Most did anyway. Some slow-danced like they were at the prom. There’s talk of relocating the weekly salsa party elsewhere, but for now, this was it.

Richard Gorelick

For more information about salsa go to www.facebook.com/SentimientoDanceTeam

: Cedric Teamer with Rueda de Casino Baltimore gives a salsa lesson in partnership with Sentimiento Latin Dance Company. This is the last Monday night salsa party at Talara, where a group of devoted salsa dancers has been meeting for years. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: This is the last Monday night salsa party at Talara, where a group of devoted salsa dancers has been meeting for years. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: Salsa students link arms as they practice their footwork at the last Monday night salsa party at Talara. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: Brandon “Bachata” Ross, left, and Nancy Alers, alias Nancy “Salsa,” center, both with Sentimiento Latin Dance Company which runs the salsa class in partnership with Rueda de Casino Baltimore, demonstrate salsa moves. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: Cedric Teamer with Rueda de Casino Baltimore, center, and Brandon “Bachata” Ross, right, with Sentimiento Latin Dance Company, both double as DJs and salsa instructors.(Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: Nancy Alers, alias Nancy “Salsa,” center, with Sentimiento Latin Dance Company which runs the salsa class in partnership with Rueda de Casino Baltimore, gives a demonstration with Brandon “Bachata” Ross, also from Sentimiento, left. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: Nancy Alers, alias Nancy “Salsa,” far right, demonstrates salsa footwork. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: Salsa instructor Nancy Alers, alias Nancy “Salsa,” demonstrates foot moves. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: Nancy Alers, alias Nancy “Salsa,” with Sentimiento Latin Dance Company, counts out the rhythm and timinig. The Dance Company teaches the class in partnership with Rueda de Casino Baltimore. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)

: Cedric Teamer with Rueda de Casino Baltimore gives a salsa lesson. The Casino Baltimore is giving lessons in partnership with Sentimiento Latin Dance Company. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun)