We started the evening with a beginner and intermediate workshop. Kimberly and Nina taught the beginner class and along with the salsa basics covered Cuban inside turns and sexy styling. Evan and I did the intermediate class and really challenged the group. Just remember when you are doing a club class that the quality of the class will not be at the level of a group class. It is harder to hear, there are more students of all types of skill levels and the combination is longer. So just keep in mind that it is not necessary to get the whole combination. Whatever you can remember and feel comfortable executing is fine. And don’t leave the club without reviewing the combo at least ten if not twenty times so you commit it to memory.

After the lesson the lights went down and the social dancing began. The DJ played non stop salsa for 1.5hrs which was a great opportunity to really practice and get into the swing of things. I loved seeing beginners dancing with intermediate students and vice versa. It was also great seeing old students I haven’t seen in a while and I encourage everyone to get back into the salsa groove even if you have taken the summer off as this fall and winter will have plenty of dancing opportunities and a chance to meet great new friends.

Our next outing is this Saturday Sept 27th at 9pm at Peridot…see you all there!

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I am always very clear to say if you haven’t completed level 1 then it isn’t really fair for you, for the students and for the instructors if you go to the higher class. This is because you may think the combination isn’t too difficult because that is what good salsa is supposed to do: make you think it is easy! However, the truth is there is a lot of technique, repetition, muscle memory and skill involved in doing intermediate level turn patterns and if you haven’t learned it in a classroom you will not get the breakdown you need in a club class to successfully lead/follow the turn pattern. This can end up with you hurting your partner, yourself or someone on the dance floor.

I really enjoy teaching club classes but the quality of the class is obviously not comparable to that of a classroom. In the classroom, there are fewer people, more lighting, quieter and you have a chance to really breakdown the lead, the follow, the timing, the movement, the footwork and much more. There is time to slowly gain muscle memory and speed up the execution. Those who attend group classes have a much easier time and have a better quality final product when they attend a club class.

So you would be doing yourself a disservice in attending a class that is above your current skill level. It is also not fair to the group because we have to slow down the class to accommodate those that can’t keep up, your partner will not be able to learn well because they will have to spend time teaching you the basic moves, and the instructors will have to spend time teaching moves that are not necessary for us to teach in that level.

In our group classes, we insist that everyone who hasn’t taken level 1 with us and wants to go to a higher level pass an assessment to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to keep up to that particular class. But obviously, this can’t happen in a club. So hopefully everyone can attend the class we have set up for them and very soon you will be graduating to the higher levels!

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Private Lessons – Part 3: Bring a Camera

Guest writer: Evan Carmichael

When you are doing a private lesson I have said that you typically learn three times as quickly as in a regular class. In other words, in one hour of a private lesson you will know how to do what ordinarily takes you three hours to learn in group classes.

It can be hard to remember all the moves that you go over in a private lesson and if you don’t practice you will forget it. It’s also easy to forget the exact way a move is done. Because you are expected to practice at home, you don’t get as much time with the instructor to practice during the private. Chances are you are going to forget some of the exact footwork and body work and end up practicing the moves incorrectly.

A great way to prevent this is to bring a camera to your private lesson. Ask your instructor if, at the end of the private lesson, you can record the moves that you learned over the hour long session. The best way to do it is to have the instructor call out the move and then proceed to demonstrate it in slow motion as well as in real time. This will give you a good understanding of exactly how the moves should look.

Most instructors will not have a problem if you record the summary session. It will help you absorb the information better and will make you a better dancer. They might ask you to keep it to yourself and not post it on YouTube and other video-sharing websites, which is a reasonable request.

By bringing a camera and recording the moves you have a way to practice the exact motions so you do not make a mistake and you can etch it into your muscle memory. Remember that practice makes perfect but you need to practice the correct way of doing the moves so remember to bring a camera to the next private you go to!

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Private Lessons – Part 1: Getting Ready

Guest writer: Evan Carmichael

Yesterday evening I helped one of our new Toronto Dance Salsa students prepare for the new semester by doing a private lesson with her. We went over the salsa basics and part of Level 1 and I thought it would be a useful exercise to write about a great idea she had.

The first thing she did when she came in was pull out a pad of paper and a pen so she could take notes at the end of the private. Once our lesson was complete she took notes on what we had learned. She wrote down the names of the moves and the important things to remember for each one. I was impressed!

Learning salsa involves a lot of practice until you can get it into muscle memory. When you take a private lesson it’s easy to learn a lot very quickly and then forget it the next day. If you don’t practice you won’t remember. By writing down what you learned you are more likely to remember when you are practicing at home so you are better prepared for the next time you go out.

A good rule of thumb is to practice what you learned in a private lesson immediately again when you get home to cement the muscle memory. Practice again the next day and as much as you can throughout the week. Even if it’s only for a few minutes or while washing the dishes, practice makes perfect!

So the next time you take a private lesson or even a group class, bring a pad of paper and a pen to write down what you learned and what the most important things to remember are. You’ll remember the right way to do the move a lot more clearly and become a much better dancer as a result!

Good luck!

Evan Carmichael

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This is how I feel about drop ins. When you have different people coming in every week with different skills and knowledge it is very hard to keep everyone happy and keep the class progressive. With a group class everyone has the same syllabus to learn. You review last week’s work, you learn new material that complements your prior learning and then you put it together with everything else you have learned. This is truly the best way to learn. It is progressive and you will notice your development. There is a pattern to the learning that is optimal and you will see a difference quickly.

Drop ins definitely have their place but are really move geared towards those who already know what they are doing and are looking to learn a new turn pattern or move. That is why we have club classes available at our bi-weekly outing – to get that fix. Please don’t attempt drop in classes as a beginner. Commit to learning properly and you will see how quickly you progress!

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There is a great article about this topic…click here to read it. Essentially, the article talks about the great lengths that couples are going to make their wedding unforgettable. One couple spent $2500 on 30hrs of private dance lessons to be able to really feel comfortable, knowledgeable and confident in their choreographed routine.

If you are thinking of a spicier dance for your wedding there are some things you should keep in mind. I get phone calls all the time requesting private wedding lessons and I mostly just refer them to a ballroom instructor after asking them if they want something more traditional and if they have time to commit. I would only take a couple on if a) they understand what salsa looks like, it is high paced, fun, difficult to dance in a long dress and definitely not traditional b) have they taken lessons before? Starting from scratch is really difficult. If all you want is to do the basic steps and turns, then a couple of lessons may do the trick. But if you want to competent and really make an impact, this takes time and practice. For every 1 hour of private lesson, I recommend 4 hours of practice.

If you aren’t prepared to make a commitment to practice, this may not be the dance for you. My suggestion is to decide whether you want to learn to dance for the long term benefits so that it is not just about the one night. Then take the time to take some group classes and once you are prepared take some privates to hone your skills and choreograph the routine.

Happy dancing and congrats to all the engaged couples!

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So yesterday I discussed the pros and cons of private lessons. Here is the same for group salsa classes:

Group classes – The main benefits to group classes is that they are a more realistic environment. You are dancing with those at approximately the same skill level so that there are no surprises when you get to the clubs. Also the pace is usually slow enough that there is a lot of time for practice and muscle memory. Repeating each new move or exercise throughly really is the key to progression. The class environment allows you to meet other students which is especially useful if you don’t have a dance partner. You can meet a potential future dance partners or even new friends to go salsa dancing with together. Group classes are also really fun. The energy of the group can really inspire you to improve and continue and it is really a fun, relaxing environment.

Now there are cons to group classes when compared to privates. You can develop bad habits with regards to leading/following. The pace is not catered to you personally so you have to go to the group pace. Lastly the schedule is not flexible as private lessons – you will usually have to attend classes at the same time weekly.

So which is better? Well it depends on your budget, schedule and personality. My best suggestion in general is to do the group classes and after every semester take a private lesson to clean up your bad habits, firm up your skills and be prepared fully for the next semester. It is a great strategy that several of my students use and it really assists them in their progression.

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To complement yesterdays blog entry on group salsa classes vs. club classes, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss private lessons vs group lessons. I receive many questions regarding this topic – which is better?

I believe both have an importance on a student’s development. It doesn’t actually have to be a choice of one or the other unless there are budget constraints. Here are the pros and cons:

Private Lessons – Obviously privates are a lot more expensive than group classes. Group classes range from $12-$16 an hour in most studios in Toronto. Private lessons range from $50-$100 an hour. Quite a leap. The benefit is the one on one attention you receive. When you dance with the instructor they can give you tips, advice and exercises that you would not get in class that are suited to your strengths and areas of improvement. It is a great environment for those who are hesitant about learning with or in front of others. The learning pace is also much faster. I estimate you will learn 3 times as much as in a group class. Also you don’t develop those terrible bad habits that you can in a group class that are so difficult to get rid of – privates tend to nip bad habits before they become a set part of your dancing.

However, it is an unrealistic environment. You are dancing with a professional who will lead/follow properly and you will have difficulty once you dance with someone of your own level, especially if you are a beginner. The space is also unrealistic. You get a studio all to yourself – it is spacious and quite and you will have no problems bumping into someone or listening. That is not the case once you get to a salsa club.

Tomorrow I will discuss the pros and cons of group classes and give you my opinion on how to work both into your learning schedule!

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Every time I teach a club class I worry about the quality of the lesson. It is hard for the students to hear and see, there are sometimes up to 80 people in the class and there is little in the way of assistance. In addition, everyone is at a different level. While we ask that only a certain level attend the class, we find that absolute beginners will take the class side by side to an advanced dancer. This makes it very difficult to teach properly. Because of this wide variance in skill level and the time constraints of trying to teach an interesting turn pattern in a short time, the quality suffers.

A group class allows for a weekly progression and there is time to focus on important exercises such as leading and following, musicality and timing, body movement and more. There is time for repeat practice and the very important aspect of creating muscle memory. While the focus is less on a “cool turnpattern” and more of how to dance, it is more beneficial for a serious student.

This doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in club classes. I think they are an excellent way to come out a practice, meet new dance partners, experience different instructors and learn new moves. As long as you pair this up with the group classes or private lessons so that when you are quickly taught a turnpattern you already know how to lead it properly and musically.

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