the Price of Salsa Lessons

The service provided was an introductory Salsa class taught by a professional dancer, classes were held once a week at a local community center. Anyone and everyone was able to participate as long as they paid a $6.00 entrance fee. The six dollar fee included not only dance lessons but beverages and snacks like vegetable and fruit trays, homemade desserts, and potato chips were also offered as well. Also included in the fee was the price of renting the community center. The lesson was rather long( the lessons were generally from seven to nine in the evening, occasionally they ended early) The teacher began the class through teaching basic instructions of proper movement and tried to critique students' form if they were not properly positioned. While teaching the instructor spoke about salsa dancing from a historical perspective and how it has evolved into mainstream society. The first hour and a half consisted of teaching movements and explaining the basic concepts in salsa dancing, during this time intermittent breaks were taken and sometimes lasted fifteen minutes. After basic movement was taught students were able to dance with other students for the remaining time left in the class. The instructor also danced with the students and encouraged us to dance with multiple partners.

The service was truly great on behalf of the teacher; it was obvious that she had a real passion for dancing and she wanted to share her passion with everyone. Because the lessons were so inexpensive and introductory many people were not able to progress with their dancing. Everyone seemed to be having fun but it sometimes seemed as if it people were attending merely for social reasons as opposed to wanting to learn to dance. Generally at least five people could be found at all times sitting down, eating and watching others learn to dance which at first was a bit uncomfortable especially if you have never taken any form of dancing classes before. Also, there was a myriad of different age groups which could be positive for some but I found it difficult for me. Some parents danced while their children ran rampant making it hard to concentrate while others were adults in their latter years. I felt like the classroom was very segmented and didn't have much structure because of the disparities in age and physical abilities. However, when the formal instruction was over and students were allowed to dance on their own and with partners it was a lot of fun. For the price, you really can't complain.

When it comes to dancing I think you really have to figure out how much you plan on pursuing lessons, if you intend on learning to dance for a special occasion or want to get more in depth than basic skills you should defiantly seek out dance lessons at a dance studio-although it is a lot more expensive than six dollars it will probably prove to be the most rewarding. The cliche term, "you get what you pay for" certainly applies to dance lessons. However if you are just looking for a basic idea of salsa dancing or you are curious about it, I would certainly recommend going to classes similar to the ones I attended. I wish prior to attending the salsa classes that I had not relied so much on what I thought it was going to be like because initially I was disappointed. Also, if dance lessons are available and being offered to anyone without registration, there is no need to dress up. My best friend and I after seeing the ad in the newspaper for the salsa classes assumed that everyone would be relatively dressed up...needless to say we were the only ones wearing dresses and heels. So if you do plan on attending dance lessons do yourself a favor and just call ahead and ask what attire is appropriate for the class and what people generally wear to the classes. But all in all if you have the opportunity to go to publicly offered classes that charge a minimal fee or are free don't have too high of expectations and who knows you may be pleasantly surprised.