Ochos provides a place for people from the Caribbean, Central America, and South America to show off their culture with a little Latin flavor on Friday nights.
"Ochos is amazing," said Beren, a Friday regular. "It is the best place ever to dance salsa here in Idaho," replied her husband Daniel.
This couple is from Chile and they love to dance, and Ochos also provides them with a place to socialize. They met Jose, who is from Mexico. Jose and Beren have been working on a choreographed dance practicing three times a week featuring the Salsa and Bachata.
"The Bachata is more sensual. It’s more intense," said Beren. "The Salsa is more woo ... more turns and spins."
The dance floor really starts hopping around 10:30 p.m. when the regulars show up. There are some really good dancers who enjoy the music of DJ Tomas. He has been at Ochos for seven years and has 20 years of experience teaching these dances.
"There is a big part of my heart in this because a lot of people spent a lot of time teaching me," said Tom Reitan. "I don’t want to disrespect the culture and history I have behind me, of the people that helped me get where I am today, and the enjoyment that I have for it."
Before the dance floor comes alive, DJ Tomas teaches these partner dances focusing on different forms of Salsa and the Bachata. Tom grew up in Minnesota, but he fell in love with the culture after a student foreign exchange trip in Venezuela.
"My host brother said 'Hey, we are going to a party, dress up, let’s go and you hear Salsa, Meringue and Bachata,'" said DJ Tomas. "That’s what you hear at the parties down there, so it is cultural, that is their music, so it was pretty easy to get hooked pretty quickly."
Ochos features several dance classes including the Argentine Tango, Swing, Zouk, and Salsa on Friday nights. Here is a link to their calendar as the classes will start an hour earlier in November. The Salsa and Bachata class is $15 per person.
I took the class and enjoyed it, but I found out it would take a lot of practice to get good at it. I also enjoyed watching the regulars do their thing and it's something they look forward to every Friday night.
"We have a really good time every Friday dancing here at Ocho’s, every Friday yes," said Daniel and Beren. "If you are stressed, you start dancing and then you feel really good," added Jose.
Ochos also features an amazing back patio. Customers also told me the bartenders make excellent drinks, although I admit I didn't have one.
