Class Descriptions

Absolute Beginner Salsa

This is the introduction to salsa dancing. Salsa has been a popular social dance since the mid-1970s. The use of the term for the dance started in New York. It evolved from earlier Cuban dance forms such as Son, Son Montuno, Cha Cha Cha and Mambo which were popular in the Caribbean, Latin America and the Latino communities in New York since the 1940s. Salsa, like most music genres has gone through a lot of variation through the years and incorporated elements of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean dances such as Guaguanco and Pachanga. This is one of the most important classes for your study. We will learn a specific vocabulary of dance communication between partners and the basic individual footwork required to move forward with salsa dancing. It’s recommended to every salsa dancer without an exception.
Partnering: basic step, right turn, hesitation left, open connection, cross body lead, inside turn, outside turn
Footwork: basic, side step, crossed side step, right turn, hesitation left, double cross, quarter beat steps, triplets

Please Note: Absolute Beginner Classes are always available free of charge to any student currentlysigned up for higher level salsa classes in both Portsmouth and Newburyport.

Advanced Beginner Salsa

Advanced Beginner represents a continuation of your study with salsa dancing. We will continue develop all the fundamentals and expand our dance vocabulary by adding additional pieces into the existing movements. Refreshing the Level 2 class will help you to improve challenges that you are facing with more complex patterns and refine your timing and basic techniques.
Partnering: closed connection for cross body lead, right turn and inside turn, creating resistance, around the world, transitions from open to closed connection.
Footwork: flare, reversed flare, suzi q, grape vine

Intermediate Salsa

Classes will focus on the details of symmetry, spotting, spatial awareness, creating healthy resistance and developing your frame. Level 3 represents working on more challenging and technical aspects of the resistance moves in Salsa. We will learn many variations of Copas and Snap Backs as well as expanding moves from Level 2. 
Partnering: seamless transition of closed and open connection, copa, snap back introduction, exploration of level 2 skills with varying connections and hand holds
Footwork: suzi q continuous, half of the grape vine, slide up, slide up with toe

Advanced Salsa

Classes will give you more awareness of your body and the dance. We will explore variations of movements you are already familiar with and build upon them. We will help you to develop timing, fluidity and connection with your partner. We will address symmetry and integration of your steps into a beautiful dance. You will be express your creativity through the movements of the dance. Our focus will be on touch, precision, location, symmetry, spotting with whisper and deeply connecting to the dance, your heart and your partner.
Partnering: copa, snap back, back to back, body isolation, opening for solo dance, copa and snap back variations, tosa, flicks, waist wraps, rumba body isolation, windmills
Footwork: suzi q plus, box step, round step, snap back, copa, spiral suzi q, reversed grape vine, mambo step

Social Dances

Social dances are held the at our Portsmouth studio, with an intermediate dance class beginning at 7:30pm and social dancing until 10:30pm. Water, light snacks & hand sanitizer provided.

Our social dance will give you a chance to practice and express your dance moves. This is the perfect venue for those who want to build strength toward fundamental footwork, flow, connection and body isolation.

Salsa Intro Workshop

Our Salsa Intro Workshop is designed for the absolute beginner who just wants to give salsa a try. It is designed as a workshop, so we’ll give you some fundamentals without getting too serious since we just have 90 minutes. We’ll have fun learning some of the basics and you’ll get a taste of how we teach and what’s possible if you want to learn salsa! 

Underground Salsa

We created Underground Salsa as a summer salsa series for our intermediate and advanced students, focusing on the combos with multiple intro or resolution options: door numbers 1, 2, 3, for example. This class is meant to challenge your mind, creativity and technique! It is a workout for both mind and body! AND IT’S A GREAT TIME! 2 years formal salsa training minimum.

Salsa Styling Choreography

This class is designed to help followers learn body isolation and arm styling. The first part of class is focused on isolation and styling forms and the second part of class is dedicated to solo styling choreography encompassing musicality and movement. The mission of this class is to empower followers to be confident with their bodies and to feel safe sharing who they are through styling on the dance floor. Salsa footwork experience or permission from instructor is required for attendance.

CHA CHA

Our Cha Cha class is available to Intermediate and Advanced Salsa Dancers. This is a great class to learn the fundamentals in expanding your Salsa repertoire from On 1 to On 2. The Cha Cha Cha is a dance of Cuban origin. It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrin in the early 1950s. This rhythm was developed from the danzón-mambo. The name of the dance is an onomatopoeia derived from the shuffling sound of the dancers' feet.

BACHATA

Bachata is a romantic latin dance with origins from the Dominican Republic. In this Bachata series we will cover the fundamentals and responsibilities of the dance that you can apply in social settings. You will gain a clear understanding and become inspired by this intimate dance.

RUEDA DE CASINO

Rueda De Casino is a dance of Cuban origin from the 1950's. Pairs of dancers form a circle, with dance moves called out by one person. Most moves involve the swapping of partners, where the partners move around the circle to the next partner. The combination of elaborate dance combinations and constant movement of partners create a visually spectacular effect.

SON

Most music historians agree that the Cuba Son is the backbone for modern salsa and was probably the most popular dance music genre to emerge from Cuba during the early 20th century. Son embraces the close connection of the man and woman. The couple maintains a very upright frame, with quick flirtatious  side to side movements of the shoulders, torso and hips accenting the underlying six count rhythm of the feet - 2, 3, 4 and 6, 7, 8. Son is a beautiful and unique dance.

STYLING

Our Styling class is geared toward our Intermediate and Advanced Salsa and Bachata Dancers who desire to express their femininity and creativity with styling movements using their upper body, lower body and body isolations. A strong foundation is absolutely necessary for this class. 

BODY ISOLATION & SPINNING CLASS

This class is designed to emphasize the connection with your core and your posture. Our attention will be on warming the core with body isolation drills and exercises, performing spinning drills, building of the foundation, control of each rotation, neck isolation, and balance. Spending time with these routine drills will lead to tremendous improvement in your awareness and control of each spin. This class is recommended to anyone who wants to improve their spinning technique and comfort with spinning solo and in partnering situations