RIGA — The coldest winter in 15 years combined with the worst economic crisis post-independence doesn’t exactly lift people’s spirits.

Long faces are everywhere in Riga, as people scurry through the day’s routine, shivering and averting eye contact. Lots of expatriates tell me that the mood of the city changes significantly from the cold season to the warm season, and not for the better.

But there’s one place people put their guard down, and without the help of alcohol, either. In fact, if you go, by the end of it you’ll have met all sorts of new people and danced with about 20.

The locals really get into it at Danču Klubs.

Riga’s Danču Klubs holds a dance evening for the general public every two weeks in Old Town. To participate, just bring 3 lats (2 lats for students), shoes that are comfortable to dance in and clothes you don’t mind sweating in. You don’t need to know Latvian, you don’t need to know Latvian folk dances — you’ll pick it up as you go along, as they’re relatively simple.

If you’ve never gone, you’ll be surprised just how into it the locals get. Like in Lithuania and Estonia, folk music and the dances associated with kept Latvian culture alive during centuries of foreign domination and repression, given a sense of identity and tradition.

That’s why in 2010 you’ll see young and old Latvians smiling and dancing to the music of an accordion and violin just like their great-great-great grandparents.

To get an insight into the local culture, meet people and get a workout in the meantime, check out the Danču Klubs’ next dance evening Feb. 2, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the VEF Culture Palace at Ropažu ielā 2. More information is available on the Danču Klubs website.