Please select a question from the following list to jump straight to the answer, or you can scroll down and read all the FAQs at your leisure.
The last two sections contain a lot of useful hints and tips on how to get the most out of your salsa experience!
If you do have any further questions that aren't asked and answered here then please do get in touch and let us know, so that we may update this page to be more relevant to more people.
How much does it cost? 
The Absolute Beginners course is an 8 week progressive course, which costs £40.00 per person. You can come along on the first or second week, of a new course date, and pay £5.00 for the evening as a taster. If you enjoy yourself and would like to join the course, we will just ask for the remaining balance of the course fee on your return visit to us.
For improvers and above the cost is £5.50 per evening.
Do I need to book?
There is no need to book for your taster session, just come along on the first week of a new course date, at your chosen venue and enjoy!!
If you happen to miss the first week of a new course, don't worry, we still welcome beginners on the second week.
Unfortunately we will not take anymore beginners onto the courses after the second week, and would recommend that you wait until the next course starts.
Absolute Beginner course dates can be found on our Events page or the individual Classes pages.
There may be some instances where we might have to limit the number of people we allow onto the courses, this very much depends on the number of people wanting to enrol and which venue that particular course is held at. Generally most of our venues are big enough to take fairly large groups.
I’ve never danced before, can
I still learn to Salsa?
YES, this is the main reason we run Absolute Beginner courses. These courses are designed to cater for those people with no dance experience whatsoever and also those with the proverbial two left feet!!
So there is no excuse not to give it a go ... many people actually surprise themselves!!
We welcome individuals, couples and groups of friends .. basically everyone is welcome.
Why do you run an Absolute Beginners course?
We believe strongly in structure and consistency.
We teach our Absolute Beginners in a progressive 8 week course, because we feel that teaching the basics in this format helps create a solid foundation for pupils, preparing them for future levels. We have taught our beginners this way from the start and you will find that most reputable teachers are also going over to this format. Plus a lot of beginners feel more comfortable starting together, as a group, instead of joining a drop in class where they don't necessarily know how long existing pupils have already been there. It takes away any pressure that may be felt, as we appreciate that to start and learn to dance can be a nerve wrecking experience at the best of times!! Try it ..... you'll have great fun!!
Why is it longer than an hour?
This is not just a dance class. We try to make our evenings fun and sociable
for everyone, so stay after the class and practice your dancing … you
will progress quicker if you do this. All classes finish at 9.30pm with
social dancing afterwards for the remainder of the evening.
What do I wear?
Casual clothing is fine, anything that makes you feel comfortable.
Not track suits .... it's not that sort of class!!
During the winter months, we recommend wearing layers, that way if you start off cold and then get warm during the class, at least you can remove a layer to prevent getting too hot.
Please respect others by wearing clean clothes, it is not very pleasant having to dance with someone who's clothes smell.
We advise wearing a shoe with a smooth/leather sole, wearing shoes with rubber soles can be damaging, hence training shoes are not a good idea.
Ladies wear a shoe with support, a shoe with a slight heel will also help with your posture and body movement.
Do I need to bring a partner?
No but if you are a lady that has a man, drag him along as well!!
Salsa is a partner dance but you do not have to bring your own partner, we
rotate people in the class regardless. As in any partner dance scene there
is usually a shortage of men, so the more men we can encourage the better!!
Do I have to change partners in the class?
We do rotate pupils in our classes, as do most Salsa teachers, but we don't force couples to change if they really feel uncomfortable to do so.
We do on the other hand recommend changing partners for the following reasons:
1) The social aspect ~ it gets you meeting & talking to other members of the class, creating a comfortable & social atmosphere.
2) Progression ~ it is very easy to get lazy when dancing with the same partner all the time & you'll also find yourselves potentially getting into bad habits!!
3) Social events ~ you will be approached by other people & asked to dance. If you already do this, it will not be an issue for you & won't put you in the embarrassing position where you feel you have to decline!!
If you do still feel uncomfortable about changing partners, please inform the teacher taking the class beforehand, so they are aware that you want to stand out as the rest of the group rotate & can organise it accordingly.
What age do I have to be?
As long as you are breathing and can walk you should be ok!!
We teach adult classes and our main age range is between 20-50 years of age,
but we have pupils younger and older than this. As long as you’re young
at heart!!
As UKA qualified teachers we have the responsibility to follow the UKA Code Of Practice, which includes the Childrens Act (1991) and it's implications. Due to the nature of the dance it is impossible for us to run mixed classes of adults and children, as any inappropriate physical or verbal behaviour must be avoided. We also need to observe this code of practise to avoid the situation of false allegations, hence why we only teach people over 18 years of age in our evening classes. We can on the other hand hold classes for children only, with the correct adult supervision in place.
How long will it take me to learn?
How long is a piece of string?
Each individual has a different learning rate, some people pick things up
quickly others take a bit longer. Learning to dance is not a race, we move
people up a level when they feel confident and comfortable enough to do so.
What we will say is practice makes perfect, you will only get something out
of it if you put the effort in.
As a beginner, can I attend more than one class a week?
The answer is yes!! If you have the time and the money we will always recommend attending more than one class a week, purely for progression. If you attend extra beginner classes, other than the class you have registered at, we will charge you £5.00 for every additional class attended.
What happens after the Absolute Beginners course?
If after the course you feel confident enough to take your Salsa dancing to the next level, you can move up to the Improver class, most people can successfully do this at the end of their beginner course, but we would like to make the following recommendation. We would encourage you to arrive at 7.30pm in time for the next beginners course & take part ...... this is for a few reasons:
1) Going through the course again will help some individuals who may not have picked up on some of the information given the first time round!! When you are learning for the first time your brain can only take in a certain amount of information, so now you should be more confident in some areas and can concentrate on the others!! The feet are doing what I want them to do and on the right count, now lets get the leading sorted out!!
2) Having you take part in the new beginner class will also help us to teach, remember your course ..... probably not enough men!!
3) Your help will also encourage the new Beginners when learning.
4) It's always good to integrate the pupils at all levels maintaining a friendly & helpful atmosphere.
The improver class is non-progressive, we will teach a different routine each week. Each routine will contain individual moves so that you can then select the moves that work for you as individuals. Moves will be repeated as the week’s progress, but within different routines. Don’t worry you will recognise most of your foundation footwork but with variations on the leads. The idea here is to learn moves and try not to worry too much about memorising the routines!!!
You may initially feel it's a bit of a jump, but no more than when you started at the beginning of your course for the very first time ... and look how well you are doing now!! Learning to dance is not a race, the fun is all in the journey taken to get to your destination and remember you never stop learning ..... practise and persistence go a long way!!
If after the Beginners course you feel unsure as to whether you should move up to the Improvers class or not, please ask an instructor for advice. We only move people up when we feel that they are ready and comfortable to do so, if you just want to do the Beginners course & coaching again that is not a problem!!
Whatever your decision, you will not be charged the course fee again, the price will be £5.50 per person each time you attend regardless, whether you arrive at 7.30pm or 8.30pm!!
Which level class should I attend?
We have included this guide, to help you find the right level class with us, but please note that this is very dependent on each individuals personal ability!!
If you are unsure as to which level you are, please ask an instructor for advice.
Absolute Beginner ~ 0 - 8 weeks.
Improver ~ 8 weeks - 1 year.
Intermediate ~ 1 - 3 years.
Advance ~ 3 years plus.
This is only a guide and obviously the more you practise, the quicker your progression will be!!
Should I attend other Salsa classes?
We encourage our pupils to take classes from other teachers, to progress in their dancing, but feel they may want to take the following information into consideration:
There are many salsa teachers now operating all over the country. You should be aware that salsa is not a 'regulated' profession. Anyone can set themselves up as a salsa teacher, so we recommend that when you attend any salsa class you ask yourself the following questions:
Is the teacher qualified by a professional body? i.e U.K.A
What teaching experience does the teacher have?
What dancing experience does the teacher have?
Who did the teacher learn from / influences?
What continuing professional development is the teacher undertaking?
Is what is being taught being well explained and broken down?
Can the teacher answer any questions you may have?
Is there any structure to what you are being taught?
How much music do they have and what can they tell you about it?
Are they insured?
Do you only run weekly classes?
No, we also hold regular Salsa events, please see our 'Events' page for further details.
At our Saturday Freestyle events we invite guest instructors to hold classes, instructors such as Rohan Brown, Dean Maynard, Nigel Maye, Angus Peters, Brigette & Franklyn. We also invite Salsa bands for more special events (Christmas Party), such as Coco Xpress, Duende & Palenke.
We also encourage pupils to join us at other Salsa events i.e Salsa UK International Congress, MamboCity 5 Star Congress, Pontins weekenders .. to name a few!!
Do you hold classes on Bank Holidays?
Yes, unless otherwise stated or announced we still hold our classes as normal on Bank Holidays ... no peace for the wicked!!
What style of Salsa do you teach?
We primarily teach Cross Body 'On 1', but we do introduce Cuban style at an Improver level. We also teach Rueda and other styles i.e. Bachata, Cha Cha Cha & Merengue.
If I can't attend my regular venue can I go to another?
Yes, all our classes are at the same stage each week, so if you cannot attend your normal venue please visit one of our others during the week, that way you will not miss out on that weeks moves!!
Where can I buy Salsa music?
Good Salsa CD's are quite difficult to buy from the high street stores, saying that they are becoming more accessible as Salsa is getting more popular.
Your best bet is to source music from the internet, www.amazon.co.uk stock the majority of commercial Salsa/Latin compilation CD's.
If you want more specialised Salsa music visit the following sites: www.mrbongosalsa.com or www.salsafever.co.uk the benefit of these sites are that they also have audio samples!! Other than this you will need to take your search further afield to internet stores abroad & import your music ... this is for the serious fans!!
Music is very personal, one person's taste may differ from another's ... so where possible try and listen to a CD before buying!!
If you like a particular track played at our classes or events, please don't hesitate to come and ask about it, we will be more than happy to give you the information you will need.
By its nature, Salsa involves a high degree of interpersonal communication with other people.
Please note the following to make sure dancing is a pleasure for all concerned.
