What You'll Learn

Basics: You will learn the very basic footwork, proper frame and connection. Also you will be introduced to salsa music and timing so that you can understand and connect yourself with the music.

Moves: Short choreography in which the leader and the follower perform an action other than the basics. The moves could be a simple right or left turn, a cross body lead, or a more complex figure.

Leading and Following: For the leader, it is the art of guiding your partner, clearly letting her know what actions she should take next. For the follower, it is the art of making your body responds instantaneously to your partner's lead. Leading and following are a very important aspect of dancing. Good partnering skills will make you a more enjoyable dancer to dance with, and will make the dance seem smooth and effortless.

Shines: Usually taught at the more advanced levels, shines are a sequence of footwork performed individually to the rhythm and accents in the music. When performing open shines, you have the freedom to move and interpret the music as you please, while dancing in front of or alongside your partner who is also doing open shines. You are therefore performing by yourself, allowing you to "shine". This usually involves more complex footwork patterns than the usual salsa basics. Styling is very often taught along with shines. Shines are a great way to increase your repertoire and with practice you will learn to "play" with the music.

Spins: A critical skill for followers and more advanced leaders. It is introduced in the first level, but is a skill that will continuously improve throughout your dance life. At first, you will learn how to perform one individual spin, when ready; you’ll move on to two spins and so on. Maintain proper balance while turning is extremely important for correct spinning techniques. Spotting technique will also be introduced in the beginning levels.

Styling: The addition of flare to your dancing by adding a variety of different body movements. Whether you add extra movement to your arms, shoulders, hips, or footwork, it’s a great way to enhance your dancing. Adding styling to your dancing is similar to adding spices to your food. Woman’s styling classes are more common but classes are available to both sexes. You can make the same move look sexy, macho, elegant, or comical based on the styling you add. Styling is usually learned only at the more advanced levels. It allows dancers to create something unique that will reflect their personality. It may feel awkward at first, but with practice it becomes second nature and beautiful to watch.

Timing and Musicality: Introduced when you first hear salsa. This is the most basic and possibly the most important aspect of dancing salsa. Timing will allow you and your partner to be "synchronized" to the music, which means you should learn to be able to find the beat within any song. The correct timing when leading and following is critical to staying on beat for an entire song. Musicality is your understanding of the music and where to find the accents. At the more advanced levels, a combination of good musicality and repertoire (moves and shines) will allow the dancer to interpret and “play” with the music.