Never Danced Before... How Do I Start?

How do I Start?

Well, you've gotten this far! You are actually at a salsa website.  Congratulations!  If you are just starting out, welcome to a wild ride.  Salsa Dancing will prove rewarding to you in ways you can barely imagine right now!  It's the most fun you can have standing up. However, starting out isn't easy! You'll miss the beat, lack coordination, fear the unknown, and of course be scared of making a total ass out of yourself.  These ALL play into the equation. It takes time, lessons (yes, it does), practice, and a little addiction, to get the most out of it.

The first thing you have to do is take lessons, and I recommend at least 2 times a week (and three is better). Why so much? Well, it takes a little time to get the beat that you hear in your ears, and feel in your heart, into your feet. Repetition helps!  If you take lessons in the beginning, many times a week, it reinforces things you learn.  In addition, after two to three weeks of group classes, take a private lesson! Private lessons really help you pick up the style, and leading/following technique, that aren't necessarily abundantly clear (or even forthcoming) in group classes.  You want an example?  Well, a perfect example, for the ladies, is "arm tension" (i.e. how to feel a man's lead without locking up your arms in front of you).  Private lessons can REALLY help!

Next up, dance!  Dance with everybody, everywhere, anytime.  You're just starting out, you're not expected to be Fred Astaire!  Dance with as many people as you possibly can, and don't be afraid to ask that great dancer that you see in the club for a dance, or some help (or some pointers). When asking people more advanced than yourself, be mindful of Salsa Etiquette for Beginners, but generally, you're ok asking just about everyone you see to dance.  Even if you have a partner (which we discuss under Dance Partners), don't only dance with them!  It pays to learn to lead and follow from a variety of people, spread yourself around.  You will learn FASTER!

Finally, get out of the classes into the clubs! That's where a lot of the fun is anyway, and why hold it off.  A lot of the classes are in the clubs anyway, but if you're taking classes at a ballroom or a private studio, make sure to make it out to the clubs at least once a week (preferably more).  Not only is it a blast to go out dancing, but in the beginning it can help reinforce those things you learn in class.  Nothing like some real world practice.  It also help you get used to the music which is played in the clubs, which by and large, is faster than what you find in your typical salsa class!  Check out places to go out to dance are better bets for beginner dancers!

Most importantly, have fun (you'll find it hard not to)! We begin with this, and we end with this.  That's what dancing is all about. Relax, take a deep breath, and get ready for the ride of your life . . .