The Kings of the Salsa Scene, Union Square is the longest-running salsa club in Singapore.

Not so much in the case of Union Square, the Salsa club has established itself as the staple in the Singaporean Dancer's weekly routine, being commercially backed by NTUC but run by Quebec Leisure.

I had the privilege of meeting Club Manager Johnny Phuah, Senior manager Jackie and veteran Marketing guru Rudy who had extensive experience in Europa, Sparks disco, Fire disco and even under Dennis Foo.

Rudy made a funny remark that it was "Unbelievable" that 'NTUC owned the best Salsa club on the island.' When I asked how they were doing I was told that Union Square's current incarnation has taken 2 years of work to build up. Johnny told me: "We are meeting our objectives."

Said Johnny, "We are the only 'full' salsa club in town." True, in both the thematical and physical senses of the word- I had to squeeze my way in through the dance floor between pairs of earnestly swinging couples to get to their office, which was hidden, away in the much quieter Wine bar.

Thematically, other venues such as Zen bar and Fuego have studio classes during the day with Salsa dances at night. Interestingly, newcomer Fuego has aimed its sights on the high-income crowd with substantial increases in their prices.

Hard Rock Cafe only has its Salsa night on Thursdays and Sentosa's Salsa by the beach finishes off at 10.30pm on selected nights. Movida in the upcoming St. James Power Station is also suspected of moving in on the action as well.

Union Square seems to be the only one with a full club license and operating on all days to its maximum capacity. I noted too that drinks were surprisingly inexpensive: $6 for beer and housepour and a shocking $4 during their 11am-9pm happy hours.

Resident DJ Dahna was playing a vibrant mix of not only Salsa, but Merengue and reggaeton as well. I was also informed of a 4-piece Columbian band doing numbers through the week as well as solo singers in the Winebar.

"We are the home of Latin beats, not merely Salsa" Johnny explained, "Salsa was actually an anti-establishment culture borne to counter the American Jive dancing.

So you have to feel the music." Johnny continued to remark that most local Salsa enthusiasts do not understand what they are listening to, being in a foreign language to begin- with some punters reacting strangely to unfamiliar Latin tunes.

As a result, Union Square began a 'maestro tribute' series of nights with a selection of songs being played only from one particular artist each time.

This worked well to educate the public on Latin music as they began to recognise tracks from their studio classes and learnt more about the culture.

"We want them to do more than just listen to their songs" Said Johnny, "We list out all the songs for the night, so dancers can familiarise themselves."

If you like to be part of the action without being elimated, Union Square has their beginner's nights on Tuesday. Whether you are a newcomer or a professional, Tuesday would be a great place to use as a platform to practice.

"The vibe here is very approachable and its easy to break the ice," Johnny reassured me, "Its very comfortable, not poserish at all. Creeps also stay away. They will feel out of place."

To finish off your night, perhaps you might want to be adventurous and try a 'Union Square twin tower' at the bar, made for me by one Joe Tee - he informed me that the second, missing tower would erupt once the first went down. Smartass.

What started as one night of salsa has now grown to six nights! Located in the shopping arcade that's connected to the Amara Hotel on the second floor, it's a nicely sized sized club, with lots of bar stools, a dance area and a pool table. There's an adjoining lounge with some pretty good singers.They have Salsa everyday of the week except Sunday.

The best night to go is for Ladies night on Friday (cover charge for men on Fridays), it seems the free drinks for the ladies gets them in the mood to dance! Union Square features Salsa, Meringue & Bachata, and the interior is swanky but still casual enough to relax and enjoy yourself.

Also, check out their Happy hours until 9 p.m. with great drink promotions.

We know that not everyone's interested in the body jam at parties that mark the holiday season, and with the yuppie crowd that Union Square attracts, hitting this joint may mean more civilized partying - a game of pool here, a casual drink there, and hopefully no head-banging, animalistic dancing in sight.

Like its cool, minimalist decor backed by a sparkling wine bar, the people here understand the meaning of a sophisticated good time. So rest easy on that high bar stool, you'll look good anyhow.