VALLEJO — Since 2014, Dennis Bain Savigne has been bringing Cuban music, dance and culture to Vallejo and gaining loyal followers who say his expert teaching and passion for dancing has changed their lives.
His Cuban and Rhythm Dance Studio, located at 1029 C Tennessee St., offers dance lessons for Cuban and other Latin rhythms, but more than that, it teaches its students “dancing from their soul,” Bain Sevigne said.
Patricia Zayas, a two-year veteran of the dance studio, said she’s experienced the transformative power of dance firsthand.
“Nine years ago my only child died unexpectedly,” she said. “I can truly say that I have found my way back to joy, and dancing was the vehicle. Dennis’ enthusiasm and energy are infectious. As far as I am concerned, he’s not just a dance teacher, he’s a dance therapist.”
Zayas lives in Oakland but makes the trek to Vallejo on a regular basis to take classes at the studio. A Cuban herself, she was no stranger to Latin dancing and had other teachers previously, but found Bain Savigne’s knowledge and teaching style far superior.
Bain Sevigne was a star of the famous Havana Night Club—The Show for seven years. He lived in Cuba when Nicole “ND” Durr, a German-born producer and artistic director, visited the island, fell in love with the music and culture, and decided to create a choreography to showcase it.
Durr conducted auditions in Havana. Bain Sevigne attended and was chosen, one among 50 artists who made the cut. The show premiered in 1999 and went on tour to 16 countries.
In 2004, the production was going to the U.S. for the first time for a performance at the Stardust theater in Las Vegas when the Cuban government denied them visas. The U.S. government decided to offer entry visas to the artists anyway.
On the first day of the show, 43 artists, including Bain Sevigne, went to the federal courthouse in Las Vegas and applied for political asylum. Seven other members who were traveling from Germany sought asylum later. It was the largest defection of a group of artists in the history of Cuba.
When the show’s run in Las Vegas ended two years later, Bain Sevigne moved to Vallejo to pursue a relationship with his now wife, Whitney Bain Sevigne. In 2014, he opened his studio.
“I decided to introduce my art to this beautiful Vallejo community,” Bain Sevigne said. “In the beginning it was hard, because there was a large community of dancers in San Francisco and Oakland, but not in Vallejo. But little by little, people saw my energy and they started to come.”
Bain Sevigne said that he often sees people dancing in clubs as if it were a competition. That’s not the goal for his students. He wants them above all to feel the joy of dancing.
“You don’t need to dance professionally to come here,” he said. “Dance is a gift. Dance is energy. Dance is love. When you dance, you change. If you are sad or you have a problem, when you dance you get a different feeling. When you’re dancing, nothing is wrong.”
Lana Lacy, a student since 2019, also experienced a transformation through these classes. She was going through big changes when she started, and in danger of retreating to her usual introverted self. But the classes, she said, helped her find “a new form of expression. Dancing and being there with our dance family is the therapy we never knew we needed.”
No previous experience is required to attend the classes, and students can come as individuals or couples. Prices are very reasonable, starting at $25 per group lesson and as low as $12 per class when you buy a 20-class package.
“I wanted to set low prices, because I want people to come,” Bain Sevigne said. “I want a community.”
Aside from being a dancer and a dance teacher, Bain Sevigne is also a musician and a singer. He is developing his own group, Denny el Elegante, and he is part of the popular Cuban music group Dos Four, which performs often in Martinez and Walnut Creek.
He also teaches Cuban percussion at his dance studio on Sundays. “Perhaps you have an instrument and you never play,” he said. “In this class you can give it a second chance. And if you don’t have an instrument, it’s okay. I have drums here you can use.”
Bain Sevigne can also teach choreography for special events, like quinceañeras or weddings, a skill he learned during his years at the Havana Night Club show. But his priority is transferring his love for Cuban dancing, music and culture to his students.
“I don’t think that people in Vallejo recognize that they have one of Cuba’s absolutely best all time dancers teaching in their hood,” Zayas said. “Some people are great performers but not great teachers. Dennis is both. He reads the room and he teaches to each student. He does an amazing job.”
If you want to practice your new steps after taking some classes, you have a couple of venues in Vallejo that offer Latin music regularly: First Fridays Salsa at Vino Godfather from 6-9 p.m. and a Latin Music Party every Sunday at the H-Lounge Bar from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
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