In southwest London, an art festival crowd of more than 3,000 watches as salsa dancers in matching uniforms spin, sway and sashay across the stage with professional flair.

These performers are members of SASalsa, an amateur dance group founded in 2022 with council support. The group's mission was simple but ambitious: provide free salsa classes open to people of all ages and body types. But for founders Sandy Boxall and Anh Vo, making this vision sustainable meant carefully managing their limited resources.

“We’re funded modestly. This means we’re not taking too much money away from what it costs to pay for teachers, facilities, or other essentials,” said Sandy. “Buying from Temu meant we could get better costumes within the budget. That’s what we needed.”

The group's welcoming approach where dancers of all skill levels are welcome has helped it grow steadily. From an initial class of 15 people, sessions now regularly attract more than 40 learners. This success led to invitations to perform at local cultural festivals, but it also presented a challenge: how to outfit a diverse group of dancers for the stage while keeping costs manageable.

“When you’re putting together a performance, you need outfits that are consistent,” said Sandy. “When you buy things out of the teaching budget, that doesn’t really leave you very much. So Temu has been really helpful.”

In addition to uniforms, SASalsa members have bought dance shoes, earrings, blister pads, and heel protectors, items that give them a polished look while protecting them from injury.

“I remember the day I brought the skirt to class. We were all so excited! The tassels were so fun to move in that we all ended up taking turns wearing it and doing the routine,” said Anh.

Back at the festival performance, SASalsa's dancers showcase how far they've come. Their unified outfits add elegance and professional polish to their movements, while the crowd cheers along with every beat and step. After the final pose, partners share hugs, handshakes, and high-fives, celebrating not just a successful performance but how far they've come as a community.

Three years in, some learners who joined SASalsa’s first classes are now teaching their own beginner sessions. Seeing that, Sandy says, gives him a wonderful feeling.

“SASalsa has gone from being a thing on a Tuesday to something that’s really an important part of my life,” he said.