About Salsa...
What is salsa?
No jokes about a spicy dipping sauce… Salsa is a form of partner dance (yes, you have to dance with someone else!) that has spread widely in popularity in the UK over the years and to quote Wikipedia…
“Salsa refers to a fusion of informal dance styles having roots in the Caribbean (especially in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the United States), Latin and North America. The dance originated through the mixture of Mambo, Danzón, Guaguancó, Cuban Son, and other typical Cuban dance forms. Salsa is danced to Salsa music. There is a strong African influence in the music as well as the dance.
Salsa is usually a partner dance, although there are recognized solo steps and some forms are danced in groups of couples, with frequent exchanges of partner (Rueda de Casino). Improvisation and social dancing are important elements of Salsa but it appears as a performance dance too.
The name "Salsa" is the Spanish word for sauce, connoting (in American Spanish) a spicy flavor[1]. The Salsa aesthetic is more flirtatious and sensuous than its ancestor, Cuban Son. Salsa also suggests a "mixture" of ingredients, though this meaning is not found in most stories of the term's origin.”
There are various styles of Salsa dancing and as suggested by the description above there are not one exact set of moves or steps that is the definitive ‘Salsa’… hence dancing Salsa) is always a continuous learning process. The various types of salsa all have different origins and every dancer adds his or her own style to the dance according to their personality, interpretation of the music and range of body movements. The types of salsa taught in the UK include LA style, New York style either On1 or On2 as well as Cuban.
At salsatomic we mainly teach cross body salsa, but we will often have guest teachers teaching different styles and other forms of dance to give you a taster of something different - look out for these special lessons on our events page.
No jokes about a spicy dipping sauce… Salsa is a form of partner dance (yes, you have to dance with someone else!) that has spread widely in popularity in the UK over the years and to quote Wikipedia…
“Salsa refers to a fusion of informal dance styles having roots in the Caribbean (especially in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the United States), Latin and North America. The dance originated through the mixture of Mambo, Danzón, Guaguancó, Cuban Son, and other typical Cuban dance forms. Salsa is danced to Salsa music. There is a strong African influence in the music as well as the dance.
Salsa is usually a partner dance, although there are recognized solo steps and some forms are danced in groups of couples, with frequent exchanges of partner (Rueda de Casino). Improvisation and social dancing are important elements of Salsa but it appears as a performance dance too.
The name "Salsa" is the Spanish word for sauce, connoting (in American Spanish) a spicy flavor[1]. The Salsa aesthetic is more flirtatious and sensuous than its ancestor, Cuban Son. Salsa also suggests a "mixture" of ingredients, though this meaning is not found in most stories of the term's origin.”
There are various styles of Salsa dancing and as suggested by the description above there are not one exact set of moves or steps that is the definitive ‘Salsa’… hence dancing Salsa) is always a continuous learning process. The various types of salsa all have different origins and every dancer adds his or her own style to the dance according to their personality, interpretation of the music and range of body movements. The types of salsa taught in the UK include LA style, New York style either On1 or On2 as well as Cuban.
At salsatomic we mainly teach cross body salsa, but we will often have guest teachers teaching different styles and other forms of dance to give you a taster of something different - look out for these special lessons on our events page.
FAQ's
What clothes and shoes should I wear to a salsa class?
Whatever you feel most comfortable in. Most salsa classes are taught in an informal club/bar setting. I would say most guys wear Jeans, T-shirt and trainers, ladies tend to wear Jeans, blouse and small heeled shoes. As your salsa progresses most people will invest in a pair of dance or jazz shoes, as these can really help your dancing improve.
Do I need a partner to attend the classes?
You don't need a partner in order to attend any of our classes or courses. Partners are rotated every few minutes during the class. This means everyone in the class will practise salsa with each other several times during the class. We find this is the best way to learn as all guys will lead salsa moves slightly differently, and ladies will leran to interpret the different leads only by practising.
I'm thinking of starting salsa classes. How does a salsa evening work?
Salsa evenings are quite unique in that they combine teaching and socialising. The venue has a bar, the salsa class part of the evening is informal and relaxed. We want to help people learn how to dance salsa, but we dont want people getting stressed or fustrated. Your salsa teacher will show you how to dance salsa by teaching you salsa moves. The steps will be broken down to ensure you learn the timing, footwork, correct partner tension, how to lead or follow the move etc. You will then practise this to slow salsa music, rotate partners then continue practising. After the song has finished your teacher will give feedback to help improve how the move is danced. After the classes are finished salsa music will be played by the DJ and class participents are free to practise salsa moves they've learn't with whoever wants to practise. Or you can head to the bar for a well earned rest...
Do I need any previous dance experience?
You don't need any previous dance experience to start coming along to our salsa classes. Our beginners course will take you through the absolute basics of salsa from your very first steps to dancing with a partner.
What style of salsa do you teach?
At salsatomic on a Monday night we teach mainly crossbody style salsa On1. We also have special classes with guest teachers on a regular basis that will teach various other styles of salsa or other dances, Please see our events page for more information.
Do I have to attend a class or can I just come along and dance?
At salsatomic our classes finish by 10pm meaning that we have plenty of time for freestyle (practice) dancing for the rest of the evening - so YES - we welcome dancers to come along later in the evening to join us for a dance. It is just £3 to come along and attend our freestyle part of the evening.
Why do you rotate dance partners during class?
Salsa is a social dance and we imagine you'd like to meet people and get to know other people in your class. It also helps develop the ability to lead or follow better as everyone is an individual and leads or follows in slightly different ways. It gives everyone the opportunity to come to class even if numbers are not exactly matched along a leader/follower split. Finally, doing the occasional round without a partner gives you a chance to observe the teachers/others more closely and check your own progress.
If you have any further questions about our classes or salsa in general please call Susan on 07930 856581.
Thank you and we will see you on a Tuesday very soon!
Whatever you feel most comfortable in. Most salsa classes are taught in an informal club/bar setting. I would say most guys wear Jeans, T-shirt and trainers, ladies tend to wear Jeans, blouse and small heeled shoes. As your salsa progresses most people will invest in a pair of dance or jazz shoes, as these can really help your dancing improve.
Do I need a partner to attend the classes?
You don't need a partner in order to attend any of our classes or courses. Partners are rotated every few minutes during the class. This means everyone in the class will practise salsa with each other several times during the class. We find this is the best way to learn as all guys will lead salsa moves slightly differently, and ladies will leran to interpret the different leads only by practising.
I'm thinking of starting salsa classes. How does a salsa evening work?
Salsa evenings are quite unique in that they combine teaching and socialising. The venue has a bar, the salsa class part of the evening is informal and relaxed. We want to help people learn how to dance salsa, but we dont want people getting stressed or fustrated. Your salsa teacher will show you how to dance salsa by teaching you salsa moves. The steps will be broken down to ensure you learn the timing, footwork, correct partner tension, how to lead or follow the move etc. You will then practise this to slow salsa music, rotate partners then continue practising. After the song has finished your teacher will give feedback to help improve how the move is danced. After the classes are finished salsa music will be played by the DJ and class participents are free to practise salsa moves they've learn't with whoever wants to practise. Or you can head to the bar for a well earned rest...
Do I need any previous dance experience?
You don't need any previous dance experience to start coming along to our salsa classes. Our beginners course will take you through the absolute basics of salsa from your very first steps to dancing with a partner.
What style of salsa do you teach?
At salsatomic on a Monday night we teach mainly crossbody style salsa On1. We also have special classes with guest teachers on a regular basis that will teach various other styles of salsa or other dances, Please see our events page for more information.
Do I have to attend a class or can I just come along and dance?
At salsatomic our classes finish by 10pm meaning that we have plenty of time for freestyle (practice) dancing for the rest of the evening - so YES - we welcome dancers to come along later in the evening to join us for a dance. It is just £3 to come along and attend our freestyle part of the evening.
Why do you rotate dance partners during class?
Salsa is a social dance and we imagine you'd like to meet people and get to know other people in your class. It also helps develop the ability to lead or follow better as everyone is an individual and leads or follows in slightly different ways. It gives everyone the opportunity to come to class even if numbers are not exactly matched along a leader/follower split. Finally, doing the occasional round without a partner gives you a chance to observe the teachers/others more closely and check your own progress.
If you have any further questions about our classes or salsa in general please call Susan on 07930 856581.
Thank you and we will see you on a Tuesday very soon!
