Dance nights with DJs or live music are regularly held at several popular bars, cafés, and other venues. The most popular dances currently include salsa, tango, and swing, whereas traditionally, polka and waltz are danced in Slovenia. Lately, there has been a lot of interest in somewhat more exotic dances such as bachata, kizomba, oriental dance, and Irish dance.
It was years ago that social dancing as part of lifestyle outgrew its local context. Local dance schools and amateur dance clubs organize internationally recognized annual dance festivals combining workshops led by world renowned dance teachers with socializing at large dance parties. There is also a number of smaller social dance events that regularly bring together groups of dance lovers from different countries.
The last few years have seen growth in the popularity of mass participation social dance events held in various parts of the city centre, including the historical part of it. Some of the best known include the salsa evenings held in the Ajdovščina quarter in the summer and, particularly, the Secondary School Graduates' Parade, which features a quadrille dance performed by secondary school graduates in the streets of various Slovenian cities and has entered several editions of the Guinness Book of Records as a world record breaking synchronous dance.
For dance events in Ljubljana check these websites:
- Salsa Slovenija
- Tango: milonge in drugi dogodki
- Salsa open-air party Plato
- Plesno društvo Swing Kids
- Plesni večeri v Festivalni dvorani
- Plesni Coctail
- Dance Evenings at Ljubljana Castle
Notable dance festivals in Ljubljana: