Salsa Bachata – Where do I start?
You are brand new to the world of dance and maybe you’re not sure where you should start. Don’t worry, we are here to help you have a great start with Salsa and Bachata.
From figuring out which style to start with, to how to pick the right school.
As someone who runs a dance school myself, I started from humble beginnings as a beginner Salsa student in 2009, two left and all. You’re in great hands, let’s plan together.
BACHATA – Where do you start?
It’s so easy to get lost in all the varieties and variations of this beautiful dance. From Dominican Bachata (where it all started) to Sensual Bachata (also known as Touch Bachata, one of the styles that has evolved from it), let’s simplify it. Start with Modern/Moderna style Bachata, the most popular version. It’s the middle ground and sweet spot for any new dancer (all the way to the professional level). It’s fun, easy to pick up, the beats are even and not too fast as well. Also at higher levels, there is much more focus on body movements, isolations, and arm styling for ladies, which is not common in the Dominican or Western Traditional styles of Bachata. Once you get your feet wet, you get to feel confident and comfortable enough to explore more, including traditional style, sensual and everything in between.
Salsa – Where do you start?Â
From Cuban Style, to New York Style (also known as On2) to L.A Style (also known as On1, the one that we teach) to sub-variants. If you overthink or over-plan, you can get paralyzed by choices. Salsa particularly is extremely varied and can get overwhelming for beginners. Start simple with Modern Salsa (we call Nightclub Salsa) as it’s the one you will run into most in every club. It’s known for being a slotted dance, where you do quick spins (both Leaders and Followers), known for tricks, styling and more. That’s what I personally started with and have not looked back since 2009 (when I joined the school that I now run).
Picking the right school
Besides doing the obvious work of reading a business’s google reviews, looking at their website, and seeing what works in your schedule…make sure to pick a school that has a curriculum. I always struggled in math class in high school but it would have been more painful if my lessons for math were drop-ins. I come in at random times, with no consistency, no foundation built. At our school, we run our classes from Salsa Level 1 to Level 6 and Bachata Level 1 -4 like a course. This helps students in several ways including; building meaningful connections with classmates, you don’t get overwhelmed since every class we build on the previous class, you have something to look forward to every week, and more!
Final Tip – Just Start!
Yes, it’s that simple, just sign up and start. 🙂
I can’t wait to welcome you to our big family, have you coming in week to week, having fun, connecting with new friends and letting lose to amazing Latin songs. Click here to check our current schedule.
If you have any questions you would like me to answer here are some ways you can contact me: message me on Instagram (torontodanceSalsa), on Twitter (#torontodanceSalsa), on Facebook (Toronto Dance Salsa) or email me at [email protected].
