About
Conga Kids offers students a wide range of dance and movement styles, including Merengue, Salsa, Cumbia, Hip-Hop, Charleston, Bollywood, Conga Slide, Hula, Lamban, Son Cubano, Authentic Jazz, Rock’ n’ Roll, and Go-Go. The program also includes combinations of dance and sports such as Salsa & Soccer, Hip-Hop & Basketball, and 70’s Disco & Football. Students learn Social Dances of the African Diaspora while celebrating the cultural and historical context of dance and music, with a curriculum that highlights Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Authentic Jazz (Charleston), Hip-Hop, and Reggaetón.
• Ages: 5–13 years old
• Schedule: In-School Residency of 10–20 lessons with 30–50 minutes per class; Discover the Diaspora Assemblies as 60-minute events; Bridge the Generations as five 2-hour lessons; Expanded Learning Social Dance & Music as 20 lessons offered either once per week for 20 weeks or twice per week for 10 weeks; Conga Beatz in 12- or 20-lesson formats
Conga Kids states that its mission is to promote social and emotional well-being and inclusive practices through dance, music and sports. The program includes an In-School Residency for TK–5th grade, Discover the Diaspora 60-minute interactive music and dance assemblies for the whole school, Bridge the Generations programming for the entire school, families, and community, an Expanded Learning Social Dance & Music program for all grade levels, and Conga Beatz, which integrates music, movement, and social-emotional learning into sports. Conga Kids focuses its curriculum on teaching diversity, equity, inclusivity, and social and emotional learning strategies.
Since 2016, Conga Kids has reached thousands of K–8 students and families throughout Los Angeles and Orange County and is active in 17 school districts and several community organizations, including Boys & Girls Club and YMCA. The program reaches approximately 60,000 children annually in Los Angeles and Orange County and anticipates dancing in person with over 70,000 kids in 2025–2026 with its premier programs. It creates a critical pathway to arts education and emotional well-being for historically underserved communities and offers Bridge the Generations as a programming opportunity for the entire school, families, and community.
The organization’s leadership team includes President and Founder Brad Gluckstein, Chief Operating Officer Gil Solis, Executive Director Barbara Garcia Vera, Human Resources lead Yezmin Cuevas, Programs Manager Teresa Uscanga, Operations Programs Manager Michael McClain, and Programs Coordinators Katisha Adams, Lionell Burgess, Irani Da Silva, Tyler Drewitz, Roxanne Gonzalez-Onofre, Nathalia Guzman, LaTraniece Taylor, and Alma White. The board of directors includes Brad Gluckstein (President), Gil Solis (Treasurer), and Barbara Garcia Vera (Secretary), with board members Greg Bell, Richard Bruno, Jon Dishell, Triston Ezidore, Liliana Perez, Rev. Kelvin Sauls, and Roderick Seamster, MD. The founder holds Advisory Board membership for the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission and the UCLA Luskin School Public Affairs.
One principal describes that, through dance, Conga Kids empowers children by boosting their self-confidence and self-expression, helping them discover their unique talents and abilities and fostering a sense of accomplishment and personal growth, and calls it a wonderful program. A parent shares that their child dedicated months to dancing and that participating in an event at LA Live on May 18, 2023, meant a great deal to their child, stating that the program taught more than dance moves by giving valuable life skills and that their child had a blast.
Last updated April 5, 2026.
• Ages: 5–13 years old
• Schedule: In-School Residency of 10–20 lessons with 30–50 minutes per class; Discover the Diaspora Assemblies as 60-minute events; Bridge the Generations as five 2-hour lessons; Expanded Learning Social Dance & Music as 20 lessons offered either once per week for 20 weeks or twice per week for 10 weeks; Conga Beatz in 12- or 20-lesson formats
Conga Kids states that its mission is to promote social and emotional well-being and inclusive practices through dance, music and sports. The program includes an In-School Residency for TK–5th grade, Discover the Diaspora 60-minute interactive music and dance assemblies for the whole school, Bridge the Generations programming for the entire school, families, and community, an Expanded Learning Social Dance & Music program for all grade levels, and Conga Beatz, which integrates music, movement, and social-emotional learning into sports. Conga Kids focuses its curriculum on teaching diversity, equity, inclusivity, and social and emotional learning strategies.
Since 2016, Conga Kids has reached thousands of K–8 students and families throughout Los Angeles and Orange County and is active in 17 school districts and several community organizations, including Boys & Girls Club and YMCA. The program reaches approximately 60,000 children annually in Los Angeles and Orange County and anticipates dancing in person with over 70,000 kids in 2025–2026 with its premier programs. It creates a critical pathway to arts education and emotional well-being for historically underserved communities and offers Bridge the Generations as a programming opportunity for the entire school, families, and community.
The organization’s leadership team includes President and Founder Brad Gluckstein, Chief Operating Officer Gil Solis, Executive Director Barbara Garcia Vera, Human Resources lead Yezmin Cuevas, Programs Manager Teresa Uscanga, Operations Programs Manager Michael McClain, and Programs Coordinators Katisha Adams, Lionell Burgess, Irani Da Silva, Tyler Drewitz, Roxanne Gonzalez-Onofre, Nathalia Guzman, LaTraniece Taylor, and Alma White. The board of directors includes Brad Gluckstein (President), Gil Solis (Treasurer), and Barbara Garcia Vera (Secretary), with board members Greg Bell, Richard Bruno, Jon Dishell, Triston Ezidore, Liliana Perez, Rev. Kelvin Sauls, and Roderick Seamster, MD. The founder holds Advisory Board membership for the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission and the UCLA Luskin School Public Affairs.
One principal describes that, through dance, Conga Kids empowers children by boosting their self-confidence and self-expression, helping them discover their unique talents and abilities and fostering a sense of accomplishment and personal growth, and calls it a wonderful program. A parent shares that their child dedicated months to dancing and that participating in an event at LA Live on May 18, 2023, meant a great deal to their child, stating that the program taught more than dance moves by giving valuable life skills and that their child had a blast.
Last updated April 5, 2026.
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