Callanwolde Fine Arts Center to host inaugural Salsa Night

ATLANTA - If your New Year’s resolutions involve burning some calories and learning a new skill, Atlanta’s Callanwolde Fine Arts Center has an idea that’ll help you achieve both: salsa dancing!

The nonprofit arts center and venue — located in and around a historic 27,000-square-foot mansion — is hosting its first-ever Salsa Night on Friday, Feb. 2, allowing attendees to first learn some moves from salsa dancer and teacher Julian Mejia, then put those lessons to good use while dancing the night away inside the mansion. Proceeds from the event — which Callanwolde executives say they hope to make a regular occurrence — will help fund the Progressions outreach dance program, which is offered to Title I schools and makes professional dance training available to students.

And, of course, Salsa Night is also a great way to explore the 12-acre Callanwolde estate, which sits tucked away off of Briarcliff Road near Emory University. Callanwolde was the home of Charles Howard Candler and his family from 1920 until 1959; Candler was the son of Coca-Cola Company founder Asa Griggs Candler, and eventually served as president of the company and as chair of Emory University’s board of trustees.

Callanwolde Fine Arts Center is located at 980 Briarcliff Road Northeast in Atlanta — for more information on programs and events offered by the center, click here. And click the video player in this article to check out our morning at Callanwolde, learning some new steps (or, at least trying to…) from Julian Mejia!