If you enjoy dancing, you should know that Porto has several locations, from associations to bars or music schools, with sessions dedicated to tango, forró or folk. Don’t worry if you’re not an expert, because what really matters here is to have fun and enjoy a good evening.

Dances of the world in Galerias de Paris

You might not be aware that the street where you can find Galerias de Paris, one of the streets with the most movement at night in the city, was opened in 1903, in the block that was previously taken by the convent of Carmelitas. The original idea was to build a glass roof over the street, similar to the Parisian galleries. Nowadays, it’s not only a space with several bars and restaurants, it’s also one of the locations where you can dance at night in the city.

The bar Galeria de Paris, in downtown Porto, transforms into a stage for dances of the world, where beginners and amateurs learn to dance or just have a good time to the sound of forró, folk and tango.

On Mondays and Thursdays, there are dances with forró at the Galeria de Paris, on Saturdays at the Café Ceuta, one of the most famous coffee shops in the city opened in the 1950s, and on Sundays at the Espaço Compasso.

If you want to try the rhythms of Argentinian tango, every Saturday the Escola Esquina de Tango hosts the oldest Milonga in the north of Portugal. Milonga is also a music genre, greatly influenced by African sounds, that gave birth to tango. To try as a group, with a partner or alone. On Sunday evenings, tango is king at the Bar Galerias de Paris, and, even though there isn’t a set dress code, it’s common to see dancers dressed with traditional tango clothes. The mood is relaxed and you only have to show up, choose a partner and let yourself go.

Folk dances

Folk is gaining more and more fans, judging by the number of people that attend those dances in Porto. One thing is for sure: folk means happy sounds, good mood and delightful moments. That’s definitely what both beginners and veterans, or those who just love this style of music, look for, after the reinvention that occurred in the 1960s, with influences from different music genres, giving way to electric folk, rock folk or indie folk.

To dance to folk, all you need is comfortable clothing and shoes, and, of course, good mood. Then you just have to follow the rhythm and the choreography of the circle. Don’t be shy about joining a folk circle, especially because if you don’t join it yourself, someone is bound to pick you up to dance. The mood is relaxed and you will easily get the hang of it and feel integrated in this “dancing community”.
On Tuesdays and Sundays there is folk at the Galerias de Paris. Every Tuesday, Coreto – Associação para a Promoção de Artes e Culturas Tradicionais organizes folk meetings, for those addicted to dancing. Starting at 22h, at the Salão Nobre dos Bombeiros Voluntários do Porto.

The Café-Concerto of the Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espectáculo (ESMAE), one of the schools in Porto that trains professionals in the fields of music and theatre, is also a stage for musical meetings with folk dance, jam sessions and music workshops. Check the schedule here.

Dance, eat, attend an exhibit

Start with a matinée of folk at the Associação Espaço Compasso and finish with a vegetarian dinner to recharge energies. At Compasso, there are always initiatives being held: lunches and concert-dinners, jam sessions, workshops to learn how to build instruments and not just that (there are also several activities linked to Nature). More information here.

The tapas bar Rua is also a good suggestion to listen to music, dance and snack. On Thursdays, the usual Circle of Samba is held, and, on the first Saturday of each month, there’s live salsa.

And what if you can add an exhibit or attend a photography workshop to dancing and eating? The Embaixada do Porto gathers in the same space a bar with daily parties and a store with products for photography and music (Lomo, Fuji, Polaroid cameras, retro vinyl disks and players, among others). On Tuesdays, starting at 22h, there’s forró; on Wednesdays, lindy hop; on the penultimate Monday of each month, there is folk; and on the penultimate Sunday of the month, there are live jazz concerts. The entrance is free.