Suarez' band is the featured act at the second annual Dancefest! that runs Friday-Monday, Aug. 31 to Sept. 3, at Centennial Hall. The event features four days of workshops and dances in a range of styles, from tango to hip-hop to Native American dance.

Dancefest! coordinator Heather Haugland says this year's festival will have more visiting instructors, including two from Portland, Ore., and two from Miami. And there's another difference.

"We have live music all three nights," Haugland said.

Which is where Havana NRG - the NRG stands for New Rhythm Generation - comes in.

"This is going to be a really exciting opportunity for Juneau folks to see a high-powered Latin band that is extremely danceable and has a dynamic onstage presence," Haugland said.

Havana NRG appeared on the Dallas scene in 2002 and has received national attention after performing in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Miami. The band also gained international popularity with the release of its debut compact disc, "Camino al Cielo," in 2004.

"People said, 'You're not going to last more than two or three years,'" she said, noting that the band is still going strong and currently working on a second album.

"We have expectations with this second CD. We'll keep going and show the world how traditional Cuban music is," Suarez said.

The band prides itself on successfully playing many different types of Latin American rhythms, something that sets Havana NRG apart from other Cuban and Latin American bands.

"We don't only play Cuban music," Suarez said. "There are a lot of critics who think you can't play other music. We don't agree, and try do it with quality. People really love it."

But Suarez says she is proud that the band is educating people about Cuban music.

"Most of the world, they don't know the music because it stays on the islands forever," she said. "Now we have Texans dancing timba (Cuban salsa that combines elements of traditional Cuban music, salsa, jazz, rock and hip-hop)."

Although Havana NRG has never performed in Cuba as a group, all of the members minus Jeff Fort, the saxophone player, are originally from Cuba.

"But Jeff is becoming even more Cuban then ourselves," Suarez joked.

One of the band's influences is the Buena Vista Social Club, and Suarez says Havana NRG learned a lot from the band's recordings and videos.

"There's no pop music in Cuba," Suarez said. "We learn this kind of stuff on the streets. We start by imitating musicians."

Havana NRG performs at 9 p.m. Saturday, with doors opening at 8 and a salsa class at 8:30.

There are additional dance workshops throughout the weekend. Haugland says the classes are designed for beginners and that partners and preregistration aren't necessary. People need only to show up five to 10 minutes before the class or dance to check in at the registration table.

Two other live performances take place during the weekend, with the Bobb Family Band performing Friday night and BRAVEmonkey on Sunday.