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![A live musical performance in a dimly lit venue, featuring a band of four musicians playing instruments including drums, violin, double bass, and keyboard, with an audience seated and watching.]()
Music
Motivo LA presents creative music that transcends the boundaries of genre. Utilizing the warm and intimate space, artists and audience come together, building a community that is founded on artistic substance, sincere connection, and meaningful creation.
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![A dark ballroom filled with people dancing under round disco balls hanging from the ceiling, with draped curtains and soft lighting.]()
Dance
At Motivo LA, dancers of all levels come together to explore the art of true social dancing—where improvisation, connection, and musicality take center stage, nurturing a culture rooted in presence, authenticity, and shared movement.
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Intro Classes
At Motivo LA, our Intro Series are designed for absolute beginners to explore the foundations of social dancing in a welcoming, supportive environment. Through rhythm, connection, musicality, and movement, students build confidence step by step while discovering the joy of dance, community, and shared experience.
All Events
West Coast Swing (part 2): Whip Series
Whip Fundamentals & Intro to Eight-Count Patterns
✔ No partner required
✔ Complete the Intro series before joining the Whip series
Intro Series: Argentine Tango
This progressive Tango Intro Series is designed for brand-new dancers:
✔Absolute Basics & Foundational Patterns
✔ No partner or experience required
Milonga Gavito
Milonga Gavito at Motivo LA 1st Friday of the month! We're looking forward to sharing a beautiful evening with you - filled with lovely tandas, warm hugs, delicious snacks!
FusionVibe: a Fusion & Micro Social Dance
Fusion dance is a world in which everyone is free to express themselves through movement, regardless of their dance background and experience.
Intro Series: Argentine Tango
This progressive Tango Intro Series is designed for brand-new dancers:
✔Absolute Basics & Foundational Patterns
✔ No partner or experience required
Heels Fusion Series
Join us for a special pop-up Heels Fusion series with Briellle!
For intermediate dancers ready to stretch themselves with a different style. You’ll be learning a fusion heels combo to Raye’s “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” You can take this class in heels, flats, or bare feet.
Salsa On2: Intro Series
Each week, we’ll break down new material step by step and review what you’ve learned before - helping you develop a strong, confident foundation by the end of the series.
✔ No partner required
✔ All levels welcome
Samba de Gafieira: Weekend Intensive
Be transported to the dancehalls of Rio de Janeiro at this Brazilian music concert and dance party! Conveniently located at the beautiful Motivo LA, just off the 5 freeway in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Creative Music at Motivo: Vardan Ovsepian - Spiderweb Project
In the eastern philosophy “Maya", which translates as Illusion, is often compared to a spider’s web. This metaphor describes how we are born and entangled by our own illusions. The spider weaves its web from its own body, sits safely within it, and relies on it for survival, yet it can easily become trapped in the same tangled web if it loses its way…
Beginner Bootcamp: an introduction to Argentine Tango
Curious about Tango? Come try out a class for an introduction to Argentine Tango.
Milonga del Sol
Milonga Del Sol at Motivo LA! We're looking forward to sharing a beautiful afternoon with you - filled with lovely tandas, warm hugs, delicious snacks and twilight ambience.
Club Velvet - Jonathan Stout & his Rugcutters feat. Hilary Alexander
Join us for Club Velvet - a night of live music, swing dancing, and community ♥️
Intro to Swing Dancing & Live Band Night
Come experience the magic of Club Velvet — a one-of-a-kind night out in Los Angeles where live music, vintage ambiance, and social dancing come together for an unforgettable evening.
Noche Azul
Join us for Noche Azul! A night of Salsa and Bachata dancing, community, and connection in our vintage-inspired ballroom. 💙✨
Intro to Salsa & Bachata Dancing
Come experience the magic of Noche Azul — a Latin dance night that just might be one of LA’s best-kept secrets!
Hidden away inside the most unassuming space, Noche Azul feels like stepping into a secret speakeasy with welcoming vibes, an amazing dance floor, and complimentary lite bites all night long.
West Coast Swing: Intro Series (part 1)
Beginner Fundamentals & Intro to Six-Count Patterns
✔ No partner required
✔ Complete the Intro series before joining the Whip series
Samba de Gafieira: Intro Series
Each week, we’ll break down new material step by step and review what you’ve learned before - helping you develop a strong, confident foundation by the end of the series.
✔ No partner required
✔ All levels welcome
Creative Music at Motivo: Emma Dayhuff
We’re thrilled to welcome acclaimed bassist and composer Emma Dayhuff to Motivo on Friday, August 14 for a very special concert.
the Ensemble
Emma Dayhuff — Bass
Devin Daniels — Alto Saxophone Andrew Renfroe — Guitar Luca Mendoza — Piano
Tickets:
Doors: 7:45pm
Show: 8:30 - 10:00pm
One set. Open seating.
General admission: $30.00 pre-sale | $35.00 at the door
Student Price: $15.00
Limited parking on site on first come, first serve basis. Additional parking spaces available on Casitas Ave and Minneapolis St. Lots of street parking, safe and walkable neighborhood!
About Emma Dayhuff
Emma Dayhuff is a dynamic bassist and composer renowned for her soulful playing and innovative approach. With a performance career spanning over two decades, she has shared the stage with jazz luminaries such as Herbie Hancock, David Murray, Cecile McLorin Salvant, and Patricia Barber.
Rooted in Chicago’s rich avant-garde tradition, Emma’s musical style is deeply influenced by mentors Vincent Davis, Kahil El’Zabar, and Robert Irving III. Her playing seamlessly blends elements of jazz, experimental improvisation, and contemporary music, creating a unique and captivating sonic experience.
Emma is an educator committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians. Her teaching philosophy, cultivated under the guidance of bass masters Ron Carter, Gerald Cannon, and Peter Dominguez, emphasizes technical proficiency, cultural understanding, musicality, and creativity. A Doctor of Musical Arts, she is an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, and is on faculty at the Milt Hinton Institute for Studio Bass and the Richard Davis Young Bassists Foundation.
Her journey, from the rugged landscapes of Montana to the vibrant heart of the global music scene, is a testament to her unwavering passion and artistic vision.
Elmo Verano: The Music Edition
Join us for more than 24 hours of dancing with an incredible lineup of DJs, along with special live music experiences woven throughout the weekend — featuring both traditional tango music and alternative tango music.
West Coast Swing: Intro Series part 1
In this beginner-friendly intro series, you’ll build comfort with the rhythm, connection, and structure that form the backbone of West Coast Swing!
✔ No partner required
✔ No previous experience
West Coast Swing (part 2): Whip Series
Whip Fundamentals & Intro to Eight-Count Patterns
✔ No partner required
✔ Complete the Intro series before joining the Whip series
West Coast Swing (part 2): Whip Series
Whip Fundamentals & Intro to Eight-Count Patterns
✔ No partner required
✔ Complete the Intro series before joining the Whip series
Pop-up Choir Experience: "Subway" by Chappell Roan
For 3 hours, join fellow singers of all levels and ages, make new friends, and sing — no auditions, no pressure, just the joy of making music together. You’ll receive sheet music and vocal demo tracks ahead of time, so you can familiarize yourself with the music.
Intro to Swing Dancing & Live Band Night
Come experience the magic of Club Velvet — a one-of-a-kind night out in Los Angeles where live music, vintage ambiance, and social dancing come together for an unforgettable evening.
Club Velvet feat. Nat & her Tiki Tigers
Join us for Club Velvet - a night of live music, swing dancing, and community ♥️
Milonga del Sol
Milonga Del Sol at Motivo LA! We're looking forward to sharing a beautiful afternoon with you - filled with lovely tandas, warm hugs, delicious snacks and twilight ambience.
Creative Music at Motivo: Anthony Wilson
Guitarist and composer Anthony Wilson is known for a body of work that moves fluidly across genres. The son of legendary jazz trumpeter and bandleader Gerald Wilson, his musical lineage has deeply influenced his creative trajectory, compositional choices, instrumental groupings, and the wide-ranging discography that blooms out of them.
Intro to Salsa & Bachata Dancing
Come experience the magic of Noche Azul — a Latin dance night that just might be one of LA’s best-kept secrets!
Hidden away inside the most unassuming space, Noche Azul feels like stepping into a secret speakeasy with welcoming vibes, an amazing dance floor, and complimentary lite bites all night long.
Noche Azul
Join us for Noche Azul! A night of Salsa and Bachata dancing, community, and connection in our vintage-inspired ballroom. 💙✨
Solo Jazz: Intro Series
Each week, we’ll break down new material step by step and review what you’ve learned before - helping you develop a strong, confident foundation by the end of the series.
✔ All levels welcome
Tango Bardo - LIVE at Motivo LA
Join us for an unforgettable evening of Argentine tango danced to live music by Tango Bardo, one of the most celebrated tango orchestras performing today — direct from Buenos Aires.
Tango Bardo Workshop
Dive deep into the rich complexity of Argentine tango music with the members of Tango Bardo. This immersive session gives dancers and aficionados a clear framework to understand and interpret the genre.
Samba de Gafieira: Intro Series
Each week, we’ll break down new material step by step and review what you’ve learned before - helping you develop a strong, confident foundation by the end of the series.
✔ No partner required
✔ All levels welcome
Milonga Gavito
Milonga Gavito at Motivo LA 1st Friday of the month! We're looking forward to sharing a beautiful evening with you - filled with lovely tandas, warm hugs, delicious snacks!
Bachata: Intro Series
No partner or experience needed to join the Intro class! In this Bachata dance class, you’ll learn foundational steps, body movement, and partner patterns. This class is perfect for brand-new dancers and those who want to feel more comfortable with their movement and self-expression.
West Coast Swing: Intro Series part 1
In this beginner-friendly intro series, you’ll build comfort with the rhythm, connection, and structure that form the backbone of West Coast Swing!
✔ No partner required
✔ No previous experience
Pop-up Choir Experience: "Golden" by HUNTR/X (KPop Demon Hunters)
For 3 hours, join fellow singers of all levels and ages, make new friends, and sing — no auditions, no pressure, just the joy of making music together. You’ll receive sheet music and vocal demo tracks ahead of time, so you can familiarize yourself with the music.
Club Velvet feat. San Lyon
Join us for Club Velvet - a night of live music, swing dancing, and community ♥️
Milonga del Sol
Milonga Del Sol at Motivo LA! We're looking forward to sharing a beautiful afternoon with you - filled with lovely tandas, warm hugs, delicious snacks and twilight ambience.
Creative Music at Motivo: Sasha Berliner
A visionary vibraphonist, composer, and bandleader, Sasha brings a bold and expansive musical voice that moves fluidly between jazz, electronic textures, and contemporary composition. Her work is at once deeply rooted and forward-looking — playful, exploratory, and emotionally resonant.
West Coast Swing: Intro Series (part 1)
Beginner Fundamentals & Intro to Six-Count Patterns
✔ No partner required
✔ Complete the Intro series before joining the Whip series
Noche Azul
Join us for Noche Azul - a night of Salsa and Bachata dancing, community, and connection in our vintage-inspired ballroom. 💙✨
Salsa On2: Intro Series
Each week, we’ll break down new material step by step and review what you’ve learned before - helping you develop a strong, confident foundation by the end of the series.
✔ No partner required
✔ All levels welcome
Latin Hustle: Intro Series
Each week, we’ll break down new material step by step and review what you’ve learned before - helping you develop a strong, confident foundation by the end of the series.
✔ No partner required
✔ All levels welcome
Lindy Hop: Intro Series
Each week, we’ll break down new material step by step and review what you’ve learned before - helping you develop a strong, confident foundation by the end of the series.
✔ No partner required
✔ All levels welcome
Balboa: Intro Series
Each week, we’ll break down new material step by step and review what you’ve learned before - helping you develop a strong, confident foundation by the end of the series.
✔ No partner required
✔ All levels welcome
FusionVibe: a Fusion & Micro Social Dance
Fusion dance is a world in which everyone is free to express themselves through movement, regardless of their dance background and experience.
Creative Music at Motivo: Daniel Rotem - Yūgen
Featuring new original compositions and arrangements, and with listening at the core of the creative process, Daniel and his group reflect on the many spectrums of existence, playing music in the "now", for the "now", while embracing the intersection of their different perspectives and experiences as human beings as the starting point.
Intro to Swing Dancing & Live Band Night
Come experience the magic of Club Velvet — a one-of-a-kind night out in Los Angeles where live music, vintage ambiance, and social dancing come together for an unforgettable evening.
Club Velvet: Swing Dance feat. The Jonathan Stout Trio
Join us for Club Velvet - a night of live music, swing dancing, and community ♥️
Noche Azul: Salsa & Bachata Social Dancing
Join us for Noche Azul - a night of Salsa and Bachata dancing, community, and connection in our vintage-inspired ballroom. 💙✨
Collegiate Shag: Intro Series
Each week, we’ll break down new material step by step and review what you’ve learned before - helping you develop a strong, confident foundation by the end of the series.
✔ No partner required
✔ All levels welcome