A night in Club Roma in Cleveland is definitely not your typical Northeast Ohio Sunday evening.
The international dance parties have been raging weekly Downtown for seven years now. They attract a crowd of stylishly dressed and sophisticated foreigners and locals who flock to the venue to experience international DJ music and dance, including sensual belly dancers and campy burlesque performers.
Franco Bucci, founder of Club Roma, has not missed a single Sunday since he began hosting the lively dance parties in 2004. He explains that the soirees aim to do more than just turn a quick buck on beers.
“People come here to have a cocktail and socialize,” he says. “It’s not about getting intoxicated. It’s not your typical crowd of drunk knuckleheads.”
Roma nights were the first to start a nightlife trend that caters to Cleveland’s ethnic diversity. They are for those who seek something more exotic than the usual techno soundtrack.
The newly remodeled Drop Bar features seven video screens, plush banquettes, a VIP seating area with bottle service and a dance floor. Resident DJ Fabrizio Dongo of Gabon spins a wide variety of music including international, world, Europop, Eurodance, Bollywood, South American and Middle Eastern.
The cover charge for entry varies from free to $20 depending on how hot the scene is any given Sunday, with the party starting at 9pm and running til closing time.
