Me, Sally, a white woman wearing a blue dress in a salsa dancing pose in a living room. Grey walls and wooden floor. T

Salsa Dancing.

20th February 2022 - New Experience Number 5.

I’d had Salsa dancing on my list of new things to try for a while, and after spotting a flyer on a noticeboard I got myself booked in! There was no need for a partner, this was an individual class with the focus on the footwork.

On a wet, windy and wintry Sunday afternoon after Storm Eunice had given the UK a bit of a bashing, I found an hour of sunshine vibes and warmth in the centre of York.

I’d booked onto a Salsa Calena class. This is a unique style of salsa that originated in the Columbian city of Cali. Tutor Sita lived there for eight years and actually taught Salsa classes for five of the years she called the city her home.

Warming Up At Salsa Dancing

The warm up began with some gentle stretches, and quickly progressed into fast frenzied kicks taps and steps which did make me wonder how much faster it would get when we started the actual class!

Suitably hot and steaming up the windows, the warm up had been a great introduction to the class. Following along and repeating the steps several times was a helpful way to start to pick up the rhythm and moves.

The main part of the session saw Sita introduce us to some steps which we would repeat at a slow pace several times to get the hang of it, and then we’d up the tempo and put it to music. To start with it was all about the steps but as we became more confident in the moves we could add in some arm flourishes too.

Sita made it look like an effortless full coordinated body flow and whilst she gave us some brilliant tips of when and how to add a bit of a sashay, I struggled to get the feet and the arms to do the right thing at the right time never mind adding in an additional embellished move, not in my first attempt anyway!

Steps (Not Always) In The Right Direction

It was fairly easy to follow the moves, with steps helpfully referred to in terms I could understand such as tap, point, and kick (although Sita did tell us the official names too). However, trying to remember it all and coordinate in time to the rhythm was a challenge!

I seemed to travel a fair bit as I moved. Other dancers seemed to have a better handle on the space they were in. Thankfully though, despite a few occasions of going the wrong way, I managed not to bump into anyone or step on any toes. Had this been a partnered class I could imagine my partner having very sore feet by the end of it!

Two white women, one in comfy exercise clothes, one in a dress, striking a pose at a Salsa dancing class.
Striking a Salsa pose

Salsa Dancing Is Hot Stuff

I thoroughly enjoyed the class and had a smile on my face from start to end. From the wonderful warm welcome, the brilliant feeling of eventually getting the steps right, even just once, and the amusement of getting it wrong was a part of the fun and the learning process.

I felt pretty shattered after that. It was definitely a good workout for the body and mind. The vibrant music, wonderful moves and very welcoming people all at different stages in their salsa journey made it a brilliant class to try.

Want To Try It Yourself?

  • There are lots of salsa classes up and down the country and there’s bound to be one not too far from you.
  • Check your local noticeboards and have a look on line. 
  • If you’re looking for something similar, why not see how I got on with a virtual K-Pop dance class?!

Cost Of Experience

  • The particular class I joined was held at Spark in York. You an find upcoming events on their website.
  • Run by the expert Sita, you can book through her website Mamas Got Moves 
  • You can sign up for either blocks of classes or pay as you go. I paid £7.50 for the one session. 

Recommendations

  • This is a full intensity work out so wear something you are comfortable in and can easily move about in. 
  • Layers are a good shout! It got very hot in our class!
  • Whilst many professional dancers wear heels, it’s a good idea to wear trainers when you first start out. 
  • Don’t worry if you think you’ve got two left feet – everyone is learning, and everyone was a beginner at some point. 
  • Just go with the flow and have fun!
  • Don’t forget to get pictures of your sweet moves!

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