At the core of our salsa program is the curriculum. It is designed to take the person who is a absolute beginner to a proficient dancer. The goal is help students develop a mastery of the art. While many dance schools focus on teaching a specific style, we want each individual to find their own style. We are constantly tweaking our program in order to improve our teaching methods and equip out students with the tools they need to express themselves on the dance floor.
LEVEL 1 - BASICS
Gentleman will learn the basics of leading such as maintaining a good frame and how to properly signal your lead to your partner. Ladies will learn the basics of following such as maintaining the slot, how to execute their turns properly and some basic styling. Below are the moves/steps taught in Level 1 beginner.
1. The Basic Step
2. Cross Body Lead
3. Bump
4. Inside Turn
5. Outside Turn
6. Basic Left and Right Turns
7. Open Breaks
LEVEL 2 - ADVANCE BEGINNER
Students must show a proficient understanding of the basics before moving on to level 2. Now that you've learned the basics, we will build upon that knowledge with 7 new concepts/steps that will be combined with the 7 basics. These 14 moves form the building blocks of all patterns found in partnerwork. Leading is primarily a mentally intensive activity so at this level, Gentlemen are going to be learning longer patterns to develop their ability to think a step ahead. Ladies will be increasing their library of moves so that can follow in as many situations as possible.
1. Copa
2. Basket
3. Prepping & Double Spins
4. Loop Overs
5. Around the World
6. Frisbee Turn
7. Walkaround
LEVEL 3 - INTERMEDIATE
CLASS STRUCTURE
Our classes are taught in a flexible format where students can drop in and out of classes as they please. We will always use moves from the seven basics listed in beginner to form the level 1 routine. These routines are combinations of the moves put together into what is referred to as a "turn patterns. Every class will teach from the same set of seven moves but the turn pattern will always be different. Even from just a small set of basic moves, a limitless number of turn patterns can be created. Memorizing these turn patterns is not the goal. Learning to understand that each move is like building block, think of them as legos. Understanding how the pieces fit together is the goal.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
It is important to continue to practice the steps outside of classes. The best way to internalize the steps through practice. There are thousands of free video tutorials online that one can use as a guide when practicing at home. There are two types of learning. One kind of learning is knowledge based learning. For example learning biology or history. This kind of learning is about accumulating new information. The other kind of learning is physical learning. This is the kind of learning that you can do through doing like learning to perfect a golf swing. It requires you repeat it over and over again and gradually refine your technique. This kind if learning is filled with a lot of trial and error. Students can easily get discouraged because it is outside their comfort zone. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts for practice and repetition. The more you do something the better you get at it. This is why we strongly encourage students who are serious about learning to dance to come to class as often as possible and to practice regularly at home.
