Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to have a partner to take lessons?

No!  Just come out and learn!

Q: What should I wear to class?

Whatever you feel comfortable dancing in.

Q: Do I need special shoes?

No, it is not necessary to wear special shoes.  However, rubber soled shoes are not recommended because you will stick to the floor.  For ladies, high-heels are a personal choice, but discouraged for beginners. Wear what you will be comfortable moving around in.

Q: How fast will I learn?

That all depends on the person. Some will learn quicker than others. The most important thing to remember is that learning salsa is a JOURNEY, not a destination. Even a "salsa expert" is still growing and learning new things.

Q: When will I be good enough to go out dancing?

As soon as you learn your first step! Don't be intimidated by people who APPEAR to be great dancers. Some of the best looking dancers really only know a few moves. They just do them well and have fun with it! The sooner you take what you've learned in class to the DANCE FLOOR, the quicker things will begin to make sense for you. That's when you'll start to figure out your own strengths and begin to create your own style! So, get out there, already!

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The 6 Main Steps to Becoming a Great Salsa Dancer:

Group Classes
Regularly attend classes that teach solid technique
(P.S. Get to class ON TIME! J )

Instructional Videotapes
They range from baby beginner to super advanced
(Search online: www.salsaville.com, www.salsafreak.com, others)

Private Lessons
Shop around, you can find some affordable ones
(Check SalsaHuntsville's lesson page for instructors)

Listen to the Music
Get your body & mind familiar to the beat
(Bring a blank CD if you want the music used in class, go to the media page to hear streaming)

Go out Dancing on a regular basis
How else can you practice what you’ve learned?
(Check the events calendar)

Attend special events
Camps, Conventions, Bootcamps, etc
(Yes, they do happen here.  Check the events calendar.)

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Q: What will I experience as I learn?

Unconscious Incompetence (Zone 1)
This zone is not so bad, as you are usually completely unaware that you may be doing it wrong anyways. This zone represents the very beginning of learning something new.  If you discover that you really like to dance, the next zone will confirm just how great your desire is.

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Conscious Incompetence (Zone 2)
Perhaps the absolute worst zone to be in. By this point you've seen enough capable dancers and may be wondering if you will ever be able to dance like the rest of them.  This is when you know what you're doing wrong, but just can't do anything about it---YET!    Your mind understands the desired result but your body may often refuse to cooperate causing a not so desirable outcome.  This is the stage we all pass through before we can begin to master something.  Dancers who are at this stage are about to embark on a lesson in perseverance.  Hang in there!  Your confidence will be restored in zone 3.

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Conscious Competence (Zone 3)
This is where it finally starts to come together.  You're doing it right and you know it!  Still a little shaken from the previous zone, but nothing a little practicing can't fix. This is the intermediate phase of development and perhaps the longest. This is when a new dancer begins to discover that their feet have a mind of their own and that follow/lead is not the name of the team you're on.  Your physical response time is quicker and your mind often feels left behind.  This is called "muscle memory".  This is the time to liberate your body & feet with a less conscious approach.  Trust them, they just might surprise you.

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Unconscious Competence (Zone 4)
Your efforts and commitment are well worth the results you are realizing about now!  You are confident in your ability to learn anything new that comes your way.  This is the point that your dancing begins to soar.  You have a source to tap into for movement to rhythm. It feels almost unconscious and effortless.  By now you know that the entire body dances.  The music has become the basis for your choreography.  You've developed a stronger repertoire and you hear music differently.  You're testing all the rules to see which ones you can break.  The advanced dancer can look forward to feeling good, looking good and getting only better!  You will find different areas of development that will take you back to zone 1 but this time you're ready and willing to experience the wonderful frustrations that can be a part of learning. From here on the only thing to stop you is your desire.

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Don't forget zone 2:

Share your experience and ability with others.  Remember what it was like when you were just starting?  As an experienced dancer you can have a tremendously positive influence over someone who is at the beginning.  Be kind, as you can also have a very negative effect.  Don't offer your advice or correct your partner on the dance floor unless they ask you.  This, as I hear it, really bothers most dancers.  Besides, you never know who you are offering (what may be) the wrong advice to.   Leave the teaching for teachers and do your best to make your partner feel good and enjoy dancing with you.

http://www.tosalsa.com/guide/guide0105.html#1.5.3

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Learning Curve | Speed of Improvement | Men vs Women |
Lead & Follow Checklist

Learning Curve

Click picture to enlarge

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Speed of Improvement

Do you know other dances?
Knowing how to hip hop, tap, ballet, jazz, flamenco, or any other type of solo dance will obviously help you in understanding rhythm.   However in the beginning it will actually hurt you while learning partner dancing, because you’ll want to fall into old habits of doing everything on your own without having to worry about anyone else’s balance or control.  Females will have a problem with trying to submit to their partner’s lead, and leaders will feel constrained and frustrated while mastering the basics.  Most of them “cheat” thru the basics because of impatience.   

Have you ever partner-danced before?
Knowing another partner dance will speed up the learning process of anything else you learn on the dance floor.  I suggest you learn and master one dance at a time.  Learning too many all at once is both mentally, and financially draining.  It will take you longer to “get good”, than focusing your attention on one dance at a time.  If you know your patience wears thin, learn one at a time.  If you have lots of patience, and lots of money, go ahead and learn every type of partner dance, all at once.   

Are you, or were you athletic as a child?
Students with prior athletic abilities learn much faster than those who don’t.  I’ve found that the fastest learners are those who have taken Martial Arts Training.  In Martial Arts, they are trained on body momentum, control, and how to physically handle their opponent.   

How often do you attend partner-dancing nightclubs and/or events?
If you don’t go out to dance clubs and lean by watching other dancers, you won’t learn very fast.  Dancing won’t come to you; you have to go to it.   

How much time and money are you willing to invest in classes, private lessons, dance camps and/or dance Bootcamps?
Like anything in life, you get better over time.  Like anything in life, money talks.   If you went on a vacation, and spent the same money as you would on dance lessons, you’d come back with just a bunch of pretty pictures and memories.  Investing in learning how to dance is a skill you can never forget – like riding a bike.  It is something no one can take away from you – like earning a college degree.  It’s so worth it!   

How big is your instructional dance videotape collection?
The best dancers in the world have the most dance videotapes. I have collected hundreds of videotapes over the years, and my collection keeps growing!  Learning visually is the next best thing to a real instructor or coach! 

Just how badly do you want to master the dance?
The more you want it, the faster and better you’ll get.  Just where is dance on your priority list?  Do you think about dancing day and night, or just on weekends?  Do you dream of dancing at night?  During the day, do you daydream of being the best, most confident dancer on the dance floor?  Do you practice your steps in the shower?

Who or what is motivating you, and why?
That is a personal question that can vary from as far as the East is from the West.  I’ve heard everything from exercise and weight loss, to family events, to peer pressure, to boredom, to surprising a significant other, to enraged revenge.  The reasons are endless.   

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Men vs Women

Men

Men have a bigger responsibility, and a lot more to learn in the beginning.  We call this “Beginner’s Hell” for the guys.  Most males will quit at this point.  They give up just days before the whole thing “clicks”.  If they had stuck it out just a few more days, they would have started “getting good” very quickly.

For the guy who persists, and keeps on keeping on, suddenly his level will get better at an exponential rate – without his realizing it.  This is a phenomenon that I cannot explain, but I’ve seen it happen time and time again.  That’s why I carefully watch the beginner dancers whenever I go out to clubs or teach in my classes.  I can immediately recognize the guys that will be awesome in a few months.  They exude a certain attitude; a look – that special sparkle in their eye that catches my attention right away.  I just know in my heart they will be fierce in a few months.

Many men quit during Beginner’s Hell because they get frustrated that the women they started classes with no longer want to dance with them, or feel as though they are now getting “mercy dances” with them.  This is not a good feeling. If the man can get through “Beginner’s Hell”, he can conquer just about anything he sets his mind to – for the rest of his life.

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Women

Over time, the female students will eventually start to level off at a certain point.  They don’t feel like they are progressing or getting any better.  To get over this plateau, they need to light a fire under themselves and start doing some radical changes.  Most start taking Ladies Styling classes, investing in instructional styling videos, join a dance team, or even start competing.  Some take up other forms of dance, to get ideas and build their creativity.   

If the ladies don’t do something to get out of their little “rut” of no improvement, they will find themselves sitting on the sidelines watching their male counterparts look fabulous with the better, more stylish female dancers.   Their male counterparts are now blowing her away.  They will eventually leave her in the dust if she doesn’t continue to learn and grow.    

Listen up ladies.  The guys have an enormous responsibility.  Leaders have to learn how to hold you, take care of you, turn you, make you feel comfortable, and protect you.  Give beginners respect, honor, and most importantly, your patience and understanding during their learning process.  They will remember how you treated them.

EVERYONE pays the price in the beginning.  There are no shortcuts.  Once you “get good” you’ll feel you have the world at your fingertips.

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Leads vs Followers

Leaders, at a minimum, have to…

• Learn enough moves to keep her interested.

• Make sure she is comfortable, and well taken care of.

• Maintain self balance and control.

• Not be too light, nor too heavy.

• Understand frame and body momentum

• Keep his arms and feet out of her way.

• Smile, and tell her how beautiful she looks tonight.

• Stay on beat.

• Make sure his lead is not too light, nor too rough.

• Ask her to dance, and risk the humiliation of a “No”, or lame excuse.  

• Make sure he doesn't touch her in the wrong place.

• Allow her the time and space to turn and execute her moves.

• Make sure just the right amount of hand-pressure is applied on her body. 

• Make sure he doesn't poke her with his fingers.

• Protect her from bumping into other dancers.

• Remember turn patterns and figures

• Adjust to timing changes in the music

• Keep her from falling if she is off-balance

• Make sure there is just the right amount of body-momentum between both of them.

• Keep the moves fluid, and working together. 

• Display her talents.

• Display his talents.

• Play traffic cop on the dance floor

• Make sure she doesn’t run into anyone, nor let anyone run into her.

• Dance to the peaks, valleys, and hits of the music.

Followers have to, at a minimum…

• Know the basic steps.

• Stay balanced.

• Not be too light, nor too heavy.

• Smile, and look pretty.

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8 Simple Rules for Men | 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
8 Simple Rules for Women | 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

8 Simple Rules On the Dance Floor - Men

0. Hygiene: WASH YOURSELF & BRUSH YOUR TEETH before you go out dancing!  Carry gum or mints for your breath.  Consider a small towel if you sweat a lot.  (The more dancing you do, the more you will sweat!)

1. Find a candidate, smile, tell her she’s beautiful and ask her to dance.  Walk her regally to the dance floor.
1a. IF REJECTED NICELY: Kindly move on.  She may dance with you later and there are other women waiting to dance.
1b. IF REJECTED RUDELY, WITH ATTITUDE or WITH LIES (See Women’s 5): Get over it.  Find someone else to dance with.  You never know, she may ask YOU to dance one day.
1c. AFTER REJECTION: Do not pester the woman. If she said “maybe later,” actually WAIT a while before asking again.  If she just said “no,” ask again (later) and see what happens.  Remember that not everyone has good manners.  All you can control are yours.

2. DO NOT THROW WOMEN AROUND THE DANCE FLOOR (See Women’s 8).  If you can’t do the move properly, don’t do it at all!

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3. Dance with all sorts of partners, it'll make you a better dancer, not to mention, it'll make you seem like a nice guy.

4. DO NOT THROW WOMEN AROUND THE DANCE FLOOR.  Have a firm but gentle lead.  Treat her as a strong but delicate flower.

5. If you or your partner mess up a step, get past the urge to argue about who's fault it is. Remember - there are no mistakes! It's ONLY dancing, and everyone's there to have fun.

6. Beginners: Remember that everyone out there has probably experienced that same sweaty palm, stiff-as-a-board, jittery feeling. It will pass. While dancing, it is better to dance a few simple moves well than to attempt huge combos and execute sloppily and poorly.  Perfect your base moves before trying to add too much.  However, don’t be afraid to try some of the more advanced moves you know. Most importantly: DO NOT THROW WOMEN AROUND THE DANCE FLOOR. 

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7.  Try and match your dancing to the available space around you, especially on a crowded floor. Watch the dancers already on the floor as you walk on to the floor to dance: remember, they are concentrating on other dancers on the floor, and may not have seen you approaching. And make sure there is space around you before leading your partner into some big move! Remember guys, you're the ones doing the steering!  SHARE the dance floor!

8. Advanced dancers: Do not try to make a woman dance to your level!  There are too many factors to consider before jumping into your best combo:  What is her dance level?  Does she follow your lead in the way you expect?  When dancing with a woman DON’T ASSUME!  She may have looked great with that other guy because they are dating and know each other’s moves very well.  She might not follow you as smoothly.  Dance “from the bottom”: start with basics and work your way to the more complicated.  Most importantly: DO NOT THROW WOMEN AROUND THE DANCE FLOOR
8a. With a beginner, use that time to work on your basics.  Give her the cleanest, most crisp leads that she’s ever had and work on showing her off using only HER arsenal of moves.  However, don’t be afraid to take her through a COUPLE of SLIGHTLY more advanced moves IF you can lead her perfectly through them.  Every dance is a chance to help someone grow OR to kill their spirit.

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8 Simple Rules on the Dance Floor - Ladies

0. Hygiene: WASH YOURSELF & BRUSH YOUR TEETH before you go out dancing!  Carry gum or mints for your breath.  Consider a small towel if you sweat a lot.  (The more dancing you do, the more you will sweat!)
0a. Social salsa dancing is a workout! You’re GOING to sweat!  You’re GOING to pound your feet!  Certain portions of your body are GOING to move around. Be aware of this before you pick out your outfit for the evening!

1. Look like you want to dance! Smile! Make eye contact.

2. Say yes to anyone* who asks you to dance.
* - There are times to say “no,” but these should be few (See 8). Being picky is counter-productive. The point of saying yes every time is to increase your chances of meeting talented, interesting dance partners.

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3a. Be polite and respectful to beginners who want to dance with you.  YOU were once a beginner too! (See 6)
3b. Do not be afraid to ask a more advanced salsero for a dance or to accept a dance from them.  This is one of the best ways to learn!  Additionally, do not be intimidated when dancing with them.  Focus on following and having a good time!  Don’t be afraid of moves that you are unfamiliar with as long as the lead is solid and safe.  If you feel that they are beginning to dance too far outside of your ability, let them know before they go too far. (See 8)

4. If you need a breather, tell him instead of just saying “no.”

5. Don’t turn down one dancer and then in the same song say “yes” to another.
5a. Don’t turn down one dancer and then in the same song say “yes” to another even if you have a good reason. Why?  Because you NEVER have a good reason to tell one person “no” and another person “yes” in the same song.  In place of “no,” give the reason. (i.e. “last time we danced you pulled my arm out of socket.”)  And yes, it should be that dramatic of a reason! Not just “you don’t dance good enough for me.” (See 6)
5b. Don’t turn down one dancer and then in the same song say “yes” to another even if you are with your man / boyfriend / fiancée / date / husband.  TELL him that you are with your man.  If you so choose, offer him a dance later.

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6. DON'T only dance with salseros whom you consider to be "as good as you". This will turn you into a very narrowly focused dancer, and ultimately dilute your capabilities.

7. Look good on the dance floor!  Style!  Smile!  Be happy that you’re out there!  No man wants to dance with a woman who appears bored. (See 7a) Salseros are VERY self-conscious!
7a. If you are an advanced dancer dancing with a beginner who only knows 5 moves, this is your time to style every one of those basic moves.  Focus on following, accenting and making him believe that he’s doing a great job.  Every dance is a chance to help someone grow OR to kill their spirit. (See 6)

8. Don’t allow anyone to put you into dangerous situation on the dance floor! If a leader is dangerous and out-of-control, insists on putting you through moves that you are uncomfortable with, treats your body with disrespect or does ANYTHING that make you uncomfortable, politely break-off the dance, explain the problem and leave the floor.  It’s OK not to dance with this person again (see 2), BUT remember: they might have just been having a bad day.  Keep an eye on them and determine if one day you will give them another shot.

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