If you live in Toronto, there are plenty of fun things to do that do not involve foods (because honestly, sometimes we just don’t want to ask the waiter a million questions before ordering). One of them is going up to the Acrobat Lounge on Friday nights for Salsa night! They play a great selection of salsa music, intertwined with some bachata and merengue.

Here are the details:
Acrobat Lounge Salsa night on Friday
2464 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
(416) 489-1105

Cover: $10 for guys, free for girls before 10pm.
Salsa lesson at 9pm (cost: $10, level: beginner and intermediate)
Coat check: $2 (From what I saw this week, you are not allowed to bring in your coat. Makes sense, but keep it in mind. In the summer it’s a non issue, and in the winter just use the coat check).

Additional bonus: Free tap water with ice! Salsa makes you thirsty, so this is a really good feature. Most other salsa clubs I’ve been to sell water ranging anywhere from $1-$3 per bottle. Acrobat Lounge also sells bottled water, but you can get the stuff from the tap for free. Alcohol is reasonably priced with beers around $5-$7 and a generous glass of red wine costs $7. For Toronto, that’s really quite affordable.

Acrobat lounge often has some performances throughout the evening, which adds a fun flavor to the experience. You will also see a number of really experienced salsa dancers, and perhaps if you can keep up you can learn a few moves from watching them. Acrobat Lounge has a great atmosphere where you can come to dance or just hang out. If you do dance, the dance floor is well polished and smooth (but not too slippery), which was pleasantly surprising. It is by far one of the best floors I’ve danced on in Toronto salsa clubs, and that really reflected in my performance as well.

Are you between the ages of 15 and 29, and are you interested in a more cultural date than your standard “dinner-and-a-movie” package deal? There are some great programs if you live in the Toronto area. Here is a list of three cultural treats that cost $20 or less per ticket!

Dance Break

Dance Break is a membership program that allows you to buy tickets to the National Ballet for $20. It is accessible to 16 to 29 year olds, and completely free to join. As long as you are one of the ticket holders, you can also purchase an additional ticket at the same price for your date, regardless of his or her age.

Extra bonus: you get the best seats in the theatre, excluding the Grand Ring. Regularly, you would have to pay over $100 for some of the seats you can access at only $20.

The catch: you can only purchase tickets on the day of the performance, so they are subject to availability. But really… there’s always some extra room!

For an overview of the 2008-2009 program from the National Ballet, go here.

T-Soundcheck

The Toronto Symphony (TSO) has organized a program called T-Soundcheck. If you’re between 15 and 29 years of age, you can sign up to buy tickets to the TSO for only $12! Sometimes there are even special promotions that are cheaper. Right now, you can buy tickets to Mendelssohn & Haydn at $6 a piece!

In addition, there is also an option called Tsoundcheck plus. These are ticket packages where you get to choose four concerts to go to. These packages are available if you are between 15 and 34 years of age. You get to pick between main floor, mezzanine, or balcony seating for the concerts, and you are automatically assigned the best possible seats.

Dating someone older than 29? Not to worry; as long as you are below the age of 29 you can purchase an extra ticket, at the same low price, for anyone else accompanying you. Regardless of your date’s age! If you can’t find a date, you can even take your mother instead, and just pay $12 for the ticket.

You can find an overview of the 08-09 concert season here.

New Age: Canadian Opera Company

Although at the Canadian Opera Company everyone under the age of 30 can purchase $20 tickets as well, it appears from their website that each ticket holder has to be under the age of 30. This is a considerable difference between the other two programs mentioned before.

Nonetheless, it is still a great deal and if you must take someone who is older, you might be able to get a rush ticket on the day of the performance for the same price.

Benefit: You can buy your ticket a week before opening night. For each performance about 150 seats are reserved for the New Age program. The seats are in sections 3D, 4C, and 5B.
The Catch: If you are on a date, both of you have to be under the age of 30 and bring valid photo ID.
Because the seats available are restricted to certain sections, you have a better chance at getting a great seat with the t-soundcheck, or Dance Break, programs.

Opera for a New Age tickets are available in person at the Four Seasons Centre, 145 Queen St. W., Toronto, or through COC Online using the Promo Code “DEAL.” Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m.

Have You Attended?

Have you gotten cheap tickets through any of these programs? Where you happy with your seats, and which one is your favorite?