Alex Lloyd shakes off the snow and looks forward to summer and salsa.

LET'S face it. The snow was all right for a couple of days but I bet you're bored now.

There's not enough to make a decent snowman and your shoes get soggy on the walk into town.

Instead, why not look ahead to long summer nights with a spot of salsa at Orgasmic on Monday?

Havana Nights is the name of the new event, which is organised with dance school Encuentro Latino. It's only been running for two weeks and has already drawn huge crowds, even on a damp Monday.

Dance teachers Laucinda and Gareth Roberts have been holding social dancing sessions and improvers' lessons at the riverside caf-bar for a while, but the impetus to hold a more high-profile evening came about by accident.

The venue for the Monday night beginners' lessons was flooded one week and they had to decamp to Orgasmic. The bar was impressed by the popularity of the classes and Havana Nights was born.

Laucinda says: "We have always had a class and some social dancing upstairs but this is a complete Latin night. There is a big emphasis on the atmosphere. Orgasmic is quite a cramped space but it has a lovely dance floor for spinning."

The evening starts with a beginners' class at 7pm, followed by an hour of practice. Then there is a class for dancers of an intermediate level, with a chance to put your moves to good use between 10pm and midnight as Gareth DJs and some of the city's more advanced dancers strut their stuff.

"We have people travelling from as far as Newcastle and Manchester, even on a Monday night, because of our reputation," says Laucinda. "We have got an established scene in York now."

Thanks to such popularity, it is advisable to arrive early to take part in the classes. There is only enough space for 25 men and 25 women, although people are welcome to watch for free.

Laucinda says the alternative is to attend one of their classes at the University of York on Wednesdays or Next Generation gym, in Hull Road, on Fridays. Details of these classes can be found on www.encuentrolatino.co.uk

Havana Nights, Mondays, at Orgasmic Caf, St Martin's Courtyard, off Coney Street, York. Phone: 01904 631541. Entry to the bar and social dancing is free, classes are £4.

Updated: 16:31 Thursday, February 24, 2005