This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

Aládùn Dance Co. (Aládùn Afro-Latin Dance School) is a Kansas City Afro-Latin dance school built around salsa On2, bachata, and Afro-Cuban movement — running weekly leveled classes out of City in Motion in Midtown, monthly socials and pop-ups, and the free Saturday salsa lesson at Johnnie’s Jazz Bar & Grille in Power & Light.

Description

Aládùn Dance Co. — operating publicly as both Aládùn Dance Co. and Aládùn Afro-Latin Dance School — is a Kansas City dance school and community organized around Afro-Latin social dance: salsa danced On2 (“on the two”), bachata, and Afro-Cuban movement.12 The organization describes itself as “passionate about expanding the Afro-Latin dance scene in Kansas City,” offering “weekly Salsa classes, monthly socials, pop-up events, and nightclub lessons” in a “fun, engaging, and low-pressure environment where they can socialize, learn salsa, and connect.”1

Weekly leveled classes run at City in Motion Dance, 3036 Gillham Rd in Midtown KC (the Hyde Park / Gillham corridor) — a host venue Aládùn teaches in rather than owns. The published class grid is Salsa Wednesdays (Level 1 at 6:30pm, Level 2 at 7:30pm) and Bachata Thursdays (Level 1 at 7:30pm, Level 2 at 8:30pm).23 (Schedules drift; confirm before any public display — on the current cadence.)

Beyond the school’s home classes, Aládùn runs the recurring “Salsa Saturday” lesson-and-social at Johnnie’s Jazz Bar & Grille in the Power & Light District, where a free salsa lesson (7:30–8:30pm) precedes open social dancing.45 The group also hosts monthly socials (salsa/bachata/Kizomba) and nightclub pop-up lessons at venues around the metro, including the Kansas City Dance Club in Overland Park.6 An On2-focused class series and performance/practice culture surface consistently across its social channels under lead instructors tagged as @_paigemaeann (Paige Mae Ann) and @julesfrancais (Jules).78

Aládùn slots into the broader KC Afro-Latin landscape alongside Latin-night venues and Latin-focused studios; see social-dancing-in-kansas-city for the scene overview, and johnnies-jazz-bar for the multi-scene venue that hosts its Saturday social.

Ownership and history

The principals most consistently associated with Aládùn’s instruction are Paige (handle @_paigemaeann) and Jules (handle @julesfrancais), who appear as the named leads on the school’s On2 salsa content across Instagram and Facebook.78 No public source located in research explicitly names a single founder/owner of record, the legal entity, or the founding year — these remain the key open gaps.

The “Aládùn” name is West-African-rooted (Yoruba), consistent with the school’s explicit Afro-Latin framing — joining the Afro-Cuban and African-diasporic threads of salsa and bachata to its teaching identity — though the school has not published an origin statement explaining the name.

No KC-native or born-and-raised evidence was located for any principal, which is the tier-load-bearing fact below.

Timeline

YearEvent
Aládùn Dance Co. founded / first classes
2024”Salsa Saturday” at Johnnie’s Jazz Bar documented (Visit KC event listings, mid-2024)
2025–2026Weekly salsa/bachata classes at City in Motion; recurring socials + nightclub pop-ups; active across IG/FB/YouTube/Square

Map note

map-pin — Aládùn has no owned address; its weekly classes are hosted at City in Motion (3036 Gillham Rd) and its Saturday social at Johnnie’s Jazz Bar (1400 Main St). Pin the host venue City in Motion, or list Aládùn as a community/roving entity (as with The Ballroom KC / Steppers of KC) rather than placing a standalone studio pin.

Sources

Disputes

None at this time.

Footnotes

  1. https://aladun.square.site/ — Official Aládùn Dance Co. Square storefront. Asserts: business identity as “Aládùn Dance Co.”; mission to expand the Afro-Latin dance scene in KC; “weekly Salsa classes, monthly socials, pop-up events, and nightclub lessons”; low-pressure community framing; active operating status. ↩ ↩2

  2. https://www.instagram.com/aladundance/ — Official Instagram (@aladundance), “Aládùn Afro-Latin Dance School.” Asserts: dual name (school + dance co.); salsa + bachata + Afro-Latin styles; class location at City in Motion Dance, 3036 Gillham Rd, KC, MO; leveled salsa (Wed) and bachata (Thu) schedule. ↩ ↩2

  3. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNzFxHH0hRp/ — Aládùn IG reel, “Bachata and…” Asserts: bachata class programming; City in Motion location context. ↩

  4. https://www.visitkc.com/events/salsa-night-johnnies-jazz-bar-and-grille/ — Visit KC event listing, “Salsa Night @ Johnnie’s Jazz Bar and Grille.” Asserts: recurring salsa social at Johnnie’s Jazz Bar & Grille; free dance lesson block; Power & Light location. (Aládùn’s Saturday “Salsa Saturday” affiliation per the Dance-Social compilation record.) ↩

  5. social-dancing-in-kansas-city / Dance-Social-Compilation-Strategy — KS.City research record. Asserts: Johnnie’s Saturday “Salsa Saturday” runs with DJ Yohann + Aládùn, free 7:30–8:30pm lesson; Johnnie’s is a multi-scene host venue (salsa + swing). ↩

  6. https://m.facebook.com/aladundance/videos/al%C3%A1d%C3%B9n-salsa-bachata-kizomba-social-tonight-kansascitydanceclublesson-730-800-op/1035617878078302/ — Aládùn Facebook video, “Aládùn Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba social tonight.” Asserts: monthly social with salsa/bachata/Kizomba; Kansas City Dance Club lesson (7:30–8:00) in Overland Park; pop-up/nightclub lesson model. ↩

  7. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC4pJQzSxyt/ — Aládùn IG reel, “On2 classes with Aládùn @_paigemaeann @julesfrancais.” Asserts: On2 salsa instruction; lead instructors tagged as @_paigemaeann (Paige Mae Ann) and @julesfrancais (Jules); current activity. ↩ ↩2

  8. https://www.facebook.com/aladundanceschool/posts/on2-classes-with-al%C3%A1d%C3%B9n_paigemaeann-julesfrancais-kansascity-salsadancing-salsak/1113008857492032/ — Aládùn Afro Latin Dance School Facebook post. Asserts: On2 classes with Aládùn; same lead instructors (@_paigemaeann, @julesfrancais); KC salsa-dancing tags. (Does NOT name a formal founder/owner of record — gap basis for.) ↩ ↩2

See also

On the record — ks.city/registry/aladun-dance-co · record updated 2026-06-23