I have never been to any Salsa lessons before so am a COMPLETE BEGINNER. I have two left feet and NO sense of rhythm!
A. Don't worry! In the Beginners Salsa class we assume students know absolutely nothing about salsa. Feeling that you have two left feet and no sense of rhythm is NOT a problem - in fact it is extremely common. Most people feel this when they first come to a Salsa lesson.
Do I need to book or can I just turn up to a Salsa lesson on the night?
A. We operate two different systems. The first is a block booking system which means you pay for a set number of lessons. This has many benefits. It means that you progress through the block to get to a level where you can move forward, it is also cheaper because you pay less per class, and we usually have a free promotion with it. Or you could pay for a drop in lesson.
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Do I need to bring a partner?
A. No, you don’t need to bring a partner. A lot of people come to our Salsa lessons on their own, so you will not feel out of place. We get people to partner up and change partners regularly throughout the class. Alternatively, if you prefer to dance on your own you could try one of our Salsacise classes.
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I am coming with a partner. Can we dance together during Salsa lessons?
A. Yes. Whether you dance together during the Salsa lesson or swap partners (or a combination of the two) is entirely up to you. Please let your teacher know you wish to stay together. If you feel more comfortable dancing together during salsa lessons, that’s fine. (You may wish to bear in mind, however, that couples often progress faster when they dance with other people as well.)
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What clothes should I wear to Salsa lessons?
A. Most people wear loose, comfortable, casual clothes (eg jeans or casual trousers). Layers are good, because as you get warm, you can take clothes off. Salsa dancing is very good exercise - you will be surprised how warm you get. People who are more experienced at Salsa dancing may dress up a bit more - although trousers are still the norm at Salsa lessons for both sexes.
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What shoes should I wear to the Salsa classes?
Avoid trainers or shoes which grip the ground too much - they make it hard for you to move
Avoid backless sandals as they tend to fall off as you dance Salsa.
Shoes with too high or too narrow a heel may make your feet ache, prevent you moving easily and make it harder to dance.
(a one and a half inch heel is ideal)
As you progress, if you find you are dancing regularly, buying a pair of shoes for dancing is well worth it. You can buy shoes quite cheaply and they will look after your feet and make it much easier to dance.
Contact us for the information on suppliers of dance shoes.
DO NOT WEAR STILETTO OR KITTEN HEELS - as these concentrate all your weight into a very small area, so if you tread on someone, you could really hurt them. They are also very hard to dance in and can damage dance floors, especialy if they are metal-tipped.
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How often will I need to take lessons?
It depends on your confidence and your personal ability. If you can, it’s worthwhile taking lessons a couple of times a week when starting so that you can get a firm grounding in Salsa timing, basic steps and leading/following techniques
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How long will it take to learn?
There is no set time. You decide your own pace with no pressure from us. It's a good idea to spend time understanding the timing, basics and feeling really comfortable with a level, especially beginners where you will learn all the foundations for future salsa dancing. Beginner's classes are deliberately kept at an easily managed level and although some basics will be included each week in every class new moves are incorporated too.
More advanced dancers always benefit from going over the simple basics regularly too. The best dancers are those who do simple things incredibly well. Not those who fling their partners round the dance floor at 100 miles an hour doing lots of complicated turn patterns badly!!!
