Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs) - please feel free to email
us your questions
What
is Salsa? How do I get started?
Salsa
refers to is one of most popular partner dances in the UK at the
moment
Salsa
is music and dance, deeply rooted in the Latin culture. The Latin
music we hear today has its origins in Cuba where the blending of
African drum rhythms and Spanish guitar evolved into a variety of
Latin American music: Son, Danzón, the rhythms of Carnival,
Cha cha cha, Mambo, Salsa.....
You
can enjoy with your friends almost any night of the week in Liverpool
and in any major city in the UK. Visit Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia,
New York, Amsterdam, Dublin... and you'll find Salsa music, dancing
and enjoyment!
Where
can I find a class?
We run several Salsa classes each week in Liverpool, Southport &
the Wirral. We also now have classes in Warrington & Manchester.
Further information can be found by following our classes
link, classes timetable
or see our newsletter.
Try different teachers and find out who you feel most comfortable
learning from
When
are your classes?
We currently provide classes
I’m
thinking of holding an event with a Latin flavour to it. Can you
help?
Yes. We can provide dance instructors, Latin DJs and can also provide
demonstrations, shows, bands, and so on. See Our About
Us link for more info
Do you
do demonstrations?
Yes, we have a team of dancers/dance teachers with different levels
of experience in demonstration & performance work. Moreover
we do it all with big smiles!
Who attends Salsa Lessons?
People who enjoy Salsa come from all backgrounds, ages, races, sizes
etc. We all have one thing in common, a great love of Latin music,
joy of dancing, open mind and the ability to have fun/laugh
heartily is a major bonus!
Do I
need any previous experience?
Nope! Some classes are a little gentler than others i.e. our Monday
night class is specifically for beginners/Intermediate dancers
For beginners, concentration is on the basic salsa steps, the timing,
how to move in time with the beat and then moving on to partner
work... leading and following technique & confidence building.
Everything is explained with patience and we work at your pace.
Confidence
building and laughter provided free of charge!
See our
Getting
started section on a breakdown of the basic steps & Beginners
Tips section for some hints on how to hold, lead, dance floor
etiquette and so on
For more beginners tips see Edie The Salsa freak's beginners
guide How
often will I need to take lessons?
It depends on your confidence and your personal ability. You should
probably take 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
When
can I start?
Anytime! Our classes run all year with all 'Club Nights' having
beginner's classes, and what's more many beginners lessons are FREE!!!
Check out our Classes
section for more info
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
Do I
have to bring a (dancing) partner with me?
You don't have to. Some people do but the majority don't. Lots of
people attend without a partner and finding a partner in the class
is very easy. I first attended lessons on my own over 6 years ago
and very quickly made lots of friends...
In classes we usually get couples to swap partners during the lessons
anyway to encourage you all to be more social and increase leading/following
skills with new dance partners
What
type of music do you play?
We play mainly Salsa with some Merengue, Cha Cha, Bachata and Latin
Pop/RnB. We are happy to take requests and if we have it, we will
play it for you! DJ Mike is the King of Salsa and DJ Flag and I
tend to be a bit more eclectic :-)
What
style do you teach?
Paris & I teach both Cuban & LA (Cross Body Lead)
style Salsa On 1, to create a blend of Salsa styles which allows
salsa dancers of all backgrounds to move easily from one style to
the other & dance with partners of all Salsa backgrounds. Banderas
teaches pure authentic Cuban moves & styling (being Cuban &
all that)
I’ve
heard of the style called Rueda de Casino. What is it?
La Rueda (The Wheel) is a salsa group dance originated in the streets
of Cuba. “Rueda” means wheel or circle. A group of two
or more couples form a circle. Everyone still dances in couples,
but to the calls of one leader, each couple dance moves or sequence
of moves simultaneously, changing partners along the way. Its a
great social dance, can greatly improve your dance skills and its
lotsa fun
Do you
teach lots of fancy moves then?
We do teach complex combinations at the more advanced level. However,
we don’t just teach the moves for the sake of it, we normally
use them to show a particular dance principle. That way, once you
understand the principles, you can make up moves on your own &
develop your own style
Can
I learn to dance from videos?
They can be good to practice to when you cannot get to lessons,
I think video is one of the best ways in which I learn moves &
remember sequences. There are many good videos available
Or you could save your hard earned cash and take a look at How2Salsa.com
- this is a free, cyber-resource open twenty-four hours a day, packed
with shines, turn patterns & clever combo's, all created and
filmed by the amazing Paul 'Gallito' Baarn
I’ve
got two left feet - Is there any hope?
Quite easy really, if you can walk, you can dance (another solution
is to match you up with a double right-footed partner!!????) AND
99% of people can and will 'get' Salsa with time, patience &
good teaching. The thing to remember is not to stress about it...
after all, its only a dance!!!
What
clothes or footwear should I wear?
Any clothes you want HOWEVER the rule is that only Paris turns up
wearing Lurex shirts!!!
However, you may find that shoes with rubber soles/trainers may
hinder you when you are trying to do turns - you can cheat and put
a bit of talc on the floor but just as easy to wear shoes with decent
soles in the first place I guess! See Salsa
Freak's helpful & extremely funny tips for more info on
this and more
Personal
Hygiene
Please try to remember that you dance with lots of partners,
up close and personal. Also you are going to perspire more than
usual so having a shower, wearing a stronger deodorant than usual
& keeping good dental hygiene isn't a bad thing if you want
to dance with lots of people. I know this sounds like an obvious
one but you would be amazed... See Salsa
Mafia for more on this!
Where
can I get further information on other Latin events?
Have a look at our FREE
monthly email Newsletter... if you wish to subscribe simply send
an email to me, Karen (AKA
Salsaroja). There are also some other great Salsa sites on our
links page where you can get more
information. |
