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What to wear and class requirements

F.A.Q.

Common Questions about

Salsa dance classes, what to wear, etc.

What should I wear to the class?
The best is to wear clean, breathable clothing.

When you are taking part in a physical activity, it may cause you to sweat.

If you tend to sweat a lot, please don't wear your gym clothes from day before

and most importantly don't forget to wear deodorant!  Lol!

 

What kind of shoes should I wear?
You are not required to buy dance shoes at the beginning,

but once you know that you are committed to dancing

then there is simply no other way.

Dance Shoes are the best.

You can buy them online but the best is to try them on.

 

You could wear the following:
Women: Leather sandals strapped to ankle and 2 to 3 inches high heel, leather soles.
Flat shoes with leather soles can also be worn (As long as the shoes don't leave skid marks on the floor).

Not recommended: Runners, clogs, flip flops.

Men: Dress shoes with leather soles.
Not recommended: Runners, rubber soles and beach sandals.

What kind of clothing should I bring to salsa class?
Casual comfortable clothes (Cotton preferable), shoes (answer above),

and something to drink in case you feel dehydrated.

What's the age limit?
All ages are welcome! Dancing is great for everybody.

It's never too early and never too late to start dancing!

We mostly teach adults. Minimum age 14 & up.

 

Do I need any experience?
Not at all. To learn Salsa you don't need to have any experience.

We can teach you to dance even if you have never danced in your life before,

or even if you consider yourself to have two left feet!


Do I need a partner?
No, you don't! Everybody will dance in our classes.

We rotate partners, so you will have opportunity to experience

leading and following with different partners.

If you come with your own partner and you don't want to switch,

we will respect your choice.

 

How long does it take to learn Salsa?
Learning salsa is like learning any other new skill, like learning a new language or driving a car.

How fast you learn depends on your predisposition. At first it may seem very strange and unfamiliar,

but with more and more practice, it will slowly become your second nature.

Some people learn faster than others, but everybody can learn!

It just takes practice, practice, practice... 

Once you master the basic steps, learning new patterns will become easier and easier.

 

NOTE: A single Drop-in class will not give you benefit of the dance, neither will a class in a nightclub.

Drop in class will give you only a taste of the dance, music and introduction to basic steps,

but to learn and execute simple salsa moves requires at least 6 classes.


What am I going to learn in the beginner course (6 classes)?
Beginner course:
In the beginner course you will learn your Basic dance steps, Timing & Counts of music,

Leading & Following, Fundamental footwork, Cross Body Lead,

Fundamental Spins: Spot or right turn, inside turn, traveling turn, back spot turn, and... what these terms mean.

 

We will teach you how to connect all these elements so when you go out dancing, you will be able

to execute a small routine.

 

When I dance, I can not dance on the beat. The music is so fast!
First of all, listening to lots of Salsa music will help you to find, recognize and understand the beat.
Try to find the beat in the song, and keep counting through the whole song.

This will help you to recognize the rhythm, the pace and speed of the song.
If you are having trouble finding the beat, ask us!

 

Besides:
Taking large steps will throw your timing off. Try dancing with shorter steps. You will see the difference.
In salsa you move on counts 123 and 567; on count 4 and 8 you do not move, but just count the beat.

By taking steps on counts 4 and 8 you are falling off the beat.

We will show you the weight transition (known as the Cuban Hip) on the 4 & 8 counts.


People tend to move slower when they first learn. This is caused by tension in their body since

they are so concentrated on making the proper steps.

Just relax, try to “feel the music” and enjoy yourself.


How can I learn salsa faster?
First of all learn your basic steps well. Since this is a new skill it may require lots of repetition.

All the patterns in intermediate and advanced courses are made of basic steps & turns.

To speed up the process you may take two beginner classes a week and practice whenever you can.

 

Do not be shy to repeat the basic course.

Basic steps are foundation of all moves – so if you find yourself thinking about basics it will be hard to

execute intermediate and advance moves. Repeat the course.

We find that when people repeat basic 6 classes course they are more confidante with their movements

and steps and are ready to move on to intermediate level.

 

After 6 classes for beginners you can continue to the intermediate course while repeating beginners course

on some other days of the week. Repeating salsa for beginners will help you to learn things that

you may have missed. For example you were so concentrated on executing basic steps that you completely

blocked out the part about hands movement or body movement. You may also correct something that you may have learned wrong.

 

The basic steps are the foundation of salsa dancing, so we strongly recommend you take

as much time as you can to properly learn your basics. In addition to taking classes go out

whenever you can and practice, practice, practice. Salsa social scene is very friendly.

You will find many places where people dance salsa.

Check out our Events Page.

 

I just want to learn salsa to attend a wedding...

I just want to learn salsa to go to Mexico / Cuba and be ready to dance there...

How many classes do I need to do that?
It all depends what you want to achieve.

If you want to just dance basic steps and patterns it can happen after 6 classes (and some practice)

In 6 classes you will become familiar with the basics, leading & following and you can execute a short pattern.

After 12 classes you will be more confident with the basics and more confident with executing learned patterns.

 

If I am advanced, does the journey end there?
No, the journey never ends...

There are countless new moves and patterns! Of course the more advanced you are, the faster you will learn

and understand complex patterns. Dancing Salsa is an art and in time you will learn how to be creative,

spontaneous and create your own style!

We can show you dance routines, musicality, prepare you for performances!

We also offer specialty workshops!

Opportunities to perform in Festivals, etc.!

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