Youth & Family Programs
Información en español · Niños, jóvenes y familias
DC Casineros · 21 years of dancing, community and culture
Growing Together Through Cuban Dance
For children, teens, young adults and families, Cuban dance is an invitation to move, connect and belong.
Since 2005, DC Casineros has shared Cuban music and dance through performances, school outreach, classes and community gatherings. Our youth and family work brings that same spirit to the next generation—with room for curiosity, cultural learning and the joy of dancing together.
Learning Through Participation
Children learn by moving, listening and taking part. Our youth programs invite them into Cuban dance and music through shared activities, with room to explore rhythm and build confidence together.
Young People Dancing Across Our Community
From neighborhood gatherings and school workshops to outdoor performances, young people are invited to join the dance.
Programs for Every Stage
Children and Families
Explore rhythm, movement and Cuban dance through playful group activities and opportunities for children and their grown-ups to participate together. Our Glen Echo Park work includes a dedicated Kids and Parents lesson alongside the wider community dance.
Schools and After-School Groups
Invite us to develop an age-appropriate workshop, cultural demonstration or dance series. We work with educators and community partners to make space for creative expression, cooperation and connection.
Teens and Quinceañeras
Bring cultural traditions and choreography into a youth workshop or family celebration. William Sánchez’s quinceañera work offers a connection between dance instruction, preparation and a meaningful milestone for teens and their families.
College-Age Young Adults
Connect campus groups with Cuban social dance, musicality and group learning. Paul Cassens brings experience teaching World Dance and working with university dancers at George Mason.
Tell us your participants’ ages, group size, goals and preferred dates. We will work with you on the instructor and format that fit your program.
Join Us or Plan a Program
Glen Echo Park · October 24, 2026
Cuban Dance Matinée · 2–5 p.m.
Spanish Ballroom, Glen Echo Park
Warm-up at 2 p.m.; Kids and Parents, beginner, and intermediate/advanced lessons from 2:15–3:15 p.m.; social dance from 3:30–5 p.m.
Children and teens ages 19 and under: $5 at the door. Adults: $15 online or at the door.
Dance Place and Community Partners
Our teaching history includes Dance Place’s children’s programs, Cuban Social Dances classes and school outreach. For a school, community group, children’s event or private lesson, contact DC Casineros directly.
View Dance Place’s current children’s class schedule
Dance Place’s full schedule includes classes from many teaching artists. Offerings change by session.
Learn the History Behind the Dance
Give young people a way to connect Cuban music and movement with the artists, communities and histories behind them. Our lectures and demonstrations can be planned for youth groups, high schools and campus audiences.
Meet Our Youth and Family Instructors
Adrian Valdivia, Naomi Washington-Roque, Amanda Gill, William Sánchez and Paul Cassens contribute different strengths—from children’s dance and school-community youth work to quinceañera choreography and university teaching.
Adrian Valdivia
Artistic Director · Choreographer · Principal Dancer · Instructor
Adrian brings together Cuban dance, youth development and community leadership. Alongside his artistic work, he serves as Youth Development Program Director / Violence Prevention Coordinator at Columbia Heights Educational Campus through the Multicultural Career Intern Program (MCIP), working with middle- and high-school students.
His youth work includes mentoring, conflict de-escalation, restorative conversations, family engagement and after-school activities that help young people find connection and support. He has also taught in Dance Place’s children’s programming and, with Amanda Gill, brought Cuban dance to a Mundo Verde school workshop in 2020.
His vision is to expand opportunities for young people to explore Casino and Cuban dance after school: a welcoming space to build friendships, express themselves, practice cooperation and find positive alternatives to violence. Dance is part of a wider commitment to helping young people feel valued and connected to their community.
Naomi Washington-Roque
Rehearsal Director · Afro-Cuban Dance Trainer · Choreographer · Principal Dancer · Instructor
A Washington, D.C. native and DC Casineros instructor since 2014, Naomi brings a passion for Afro-Cuban dance, education and youth work to the company. Her teaching connects movement and rhythm with cultural understanding and the joy of dancing together.
Naomi’s work with young people includes the company’s Cuban Social Dances teaching at Dance Place. Her approach invites children and families to participate, learn together and feel part of a dancing community.
Amanda Gill
Founding and Former Artistic Director · Current Instructor
As the company’s founding and former artistic director, Amanda helped establish DC Casineros’ lasting commitment to Cuban dance education and community participation. She continues this work as an instructor, including teaching children and families at Glen Echo Park.
Her background in ballet, modern dance and dance/movement therapy informs her approach to movement and connection. Her teaching history also includes school outreach with Adrian through Dance Place, including the Mundo Verde workshop in 2020.
William Sánchez
Choreographer · Principal Dancer · Instructor
William began dancing Salvadoran folklórico as a child in school and community settings. A DC Casineros performer since 2009 and Rueda de Casino instructor since 2010, he brings cultural knowledge, musicality and choreography experience to his teaching.
His specialties include quinceañera choreography and special events. This experience is especially valuable for teens and families preparing a meaningful celebration together. Contact the company about quinceañera preparation, youth dance instruction or a group workshop with William.
Paul Cassens
Instructor Chair · Choreographer · Principal Dancer
Paul brings dance teaching and a musical background to his work with students. He is an adjunct faculty member in George Mason University’s School of Dance, where he teaches World Dance courses and works as a percussionist. He also teaches with Azucar, the university’s dance club.
His experience is particularly relevant to college-age young adults and campus communities. With DC Casineros, he performs, teaches and choreographs in the United States and abroad. Contact us about university workshops and youth or young-adult programs with Paul.
For private lessons, children’s events, family programs or youth workshops, use the company booking form and include the instructor’s name and the program you have in mind.
Cuban Dance for Children and Families at the Kennedy Center
Our Kennedy Center story includes both performance and participation. During Artes de Cuba in May 2018, DC Casineros taught a children’s workshop with Adrian Valdivia, Amanda Gill and Naomi Washington-Roque, opening a space for young people to learn through movement.
May 12, 2018 · Children’s Workshop
Adrian, Amanda and Naomi taught Cuban dance to children during Artes de Cuba, bringing the festival’s celebration of Cuban culture into a workshop for young learners.
May 13, 2018 · Public Lesson and Performance
The following day, the company offered a public Casino lesson before its Millennium Stage presentation of Cuban popular and social dances.
Watch our May 13 Millennium Stage performance, which followed the public Casino lesson.
September 2019 · Learning and participation at the REACH
At the REACH Opening Festival, DC Casineros joined the After School Dance Fund program with performance and interactive teaching. Son, Casino and Rumba connected the company with the audience, including young people learning and dancing with us.
This work continues our commitment to sharing Cuban dance culture with children, families and students in classrooms, community gatherings and cultural institutions.
Sharing Cuban Dance with Young Audiences
At the Camagüey Youth Festival in Cuba, DC Casineros shared the energy and community of Rueda de Casino through a company demonstration. Watch the recording, shared in 2017, to see our dance in front of a young audience.
Company demonstration at a youth festival in Camagüey. From the DC Casineros archive. Watch on YouTube.
Explore our cultural exchange in Cuba · Request a youth or family program
2005–2026: A Growing History of Youth and Family Engagement
These milestones show how performance, education and community participation have shaped our work over 21 years.
- 2005 onward · Community Roots
- Founded in 2005, the company brought Cuban dance into Washington-area neighborhood festivals and public gatherings, including Adams Morgan Day and Mount Pleasant Day. A teaching relationship with Dance Place began around 2006. School outreach has included Bell Multicultural High School, Wilson High School, Sandy Spring Friends School and St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School.
- c. 2006–2008 · Youth Rueda at CHEC
- Amanda Gill brought Rueda de Casino to students at Columbia Heights Educational Campus, forming a group with young people from diverse backgrounds, including El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. Through rehearsals and shared performances, students built connections across cultures and brought their dancing to Mount Pleasant Festival and other festivals and fundraisers in Washington, D.C. This work forms an early chapter in DC Casineros’ commitment to youth, families and community through Cuban dance.
- 2017 · Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods
- On July 25, DC Casineros presented The History of Cuban Popular Dance at Wolf Trap’s Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, sharing Cuban dance traditions with young audiences and families.
- 2018 · Artes de Cuba Children’s Workshop
- On May 12, Adrian, Amanda and Naomi taught a Kennedy Center children’s workshop. Explore this teaching history.
- 2019 · Family and Community Participation
- The company’s work included classes and a performance at Arena Stage’s Community Day, alongside interactive Cuban dance teaching through Kennedy Center programming.
- 2020 · Dance Place and Mundo Verde
- Amanda Gill and Adrian Valdivia were the teaching artists for a January school workshop at Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School, coordinated through Dance Place. The collaboration connected young students with Cuban dance and a school-day performance opportunity at Dance Place. The company also offered a children’s Cuban Partner Dance class there.
- 2024 · Celebrating Young People’s Literature
- On December 12, DC Casineros closed the Library of Congress celebration for Meg Medina’s tenure as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature with a Cuban dance performance. Watch the public celebration.
- 2025 · Kids on the Move
- DC Casineros’ Cuban Social Dances teaching at Dance Place included Kids on the Move, with Family Observation Week creating an opportunity for families to connect with their children’s dance learning.
- 2026 · Children, Parents and the Next Generation
- Glen Echo Park’s Cuban dance programming continues to include a Kids and Parents lesson and a community social. As the company celebrates 21 years, our instructors bring together experience in schools, youth development, family celebrations and university teaching to build the next chapter of our youth and family work.
Explore the music and cultural background of our programs in our guide to Casino, Son and Cuban dance history.
Questions from Parents and Educators
Looking for salsa classes for kids in Washington, D.C.?
Families often find us while searching for kids’ Latin dance or salsa classes. At DC Casineros, we introduce young people to Casino, Rueda de Casino, Cuban Son and Afro-Cuban dance. We use the names of these Cuban traditions so children can learn about the music, culture and communities behind the movement.
Do you offer a weekly children’s class?
Our youth work includes family lessons at Glen Echo Park and programs arranged with schools and community partners. Check the event details above for current public opportunities, or use our booking form to discuss a class series, school workshop or children’s event. Dance Place’s children’s schedule changes by session.
What ages can participate?
We work with children, teens and college-age young adults. Share your group’s age range, size and goals so we can plan a suitable format and instructor. Each public event lists its own participation and ticket details.
Can we request private lessons or a program for our school?
Yes. Request a youth or family program and include your preferred dates, location and instructor, if you have one in mind. You can also email dccasineros@gmail.com.
Let’s Build Something for Your Young People
Whether you are a parent, teacher, youth-program leader or event organizer, we would love to hear what you have in mind. Share the age range, number of participants, location, preferred dates and goals. You can request a specific instructor or ask us to help you choose.