5 Salsa Dance Tips For New Dancers

Every time we are new to something, we are at our highest level of anxiety because we are at our lowest level of knowledge. Just like in anything in life to get better, one must practice a mixture of learn knowledge and activity knowledge. The two work together, not separate.

Tip #1: Find a dance studio that teaches the type and style of Salsa you are interested in learning. As you attend your dance classes, remember that the only way to get better is by being persistent and consistent in our actions. Meaning if you learn something during week one, but don’t show up for week two or three, then come back in week four trying to catch up with everybody else is not going to help your learning. Most dancers get frustrated and start blaming the teacher for not spending time with them, not teaching properly etc… or blame other students for being snobby, rude, with an attitude or whatever else…. This is like going to school but only show up whenever we feel like it.

Tip #2: This is what I call the modeling phase. Find a dancer who you believe has the type and style of dance you wish to have and emulate him/her. Today with the existence of video sites such as www.youtube.com or www.vimeo.com we can find libraries of instructional videos along with performances and Social Dance videos. Use these videos as a learning tool and don’t be shy to ghost dance alone, maybe in front of a mirror or at a Social dance to practice the style you are interested in. It is okay to be a copycat as long as you copy the right cat LOL.

Tip #3: Practice anywhere, anytime, all the time. Let’s be realistic, if the only time you dance is during class or at a Social Dance, it will take us longer to become like those people we see showing off on the dance floor. If we make practicing a single move a part of our daily routine, for example a double or triple spin, body roll or maybe a shine move, and we execute this multiple times throughout the day, we would have increased our amount of practice, experience in that move, which will result in mastering that move faster. The important thing is to focus only on one aspect of the dance and do it over and over at any available opportunity.

Tip #4: Videotape yourself dancing. Usually the camera doesn’t lie to us. It lets us know exactly what we are doing wrong or right. Self-criticism is sometimes the worst type of criticism because it slaps us harder on the face. Don’t worry too much about what you see but rather spend that time figuring out how to fix your posture, style, timing, footwork etc. There are few ways to do so; schedule a private dance with an instructor; practice the right way of what you lack of over and over; watch videos posted by other people in the area you need help with or simply ask question to other dancers or instructors.

Tip #5: Don’t be in a rush to jump class. Here is a big issue in our learning. Many time dancers like to rush from beginner to intermediate and from intermediate to advanced without really mastering the skills within that level. Everyone needs to get back into the basics in order to better perform in our own dance category. The danger behind rushing through dance levels is that not only we have not mastered all skills necessary, but by jumping to the next level we interfere with their progression because we are still fumbling with the lower range level. This makes students at higher levels angry and may lead to some form of alienation. Let’s stay within our dance level and only move to the next higher level once we are fully knowledgeable and confident.

If all we do is go to dance classes but never attend a Social dance to put what we have learned into action, then it will take us longer to master certain skills; at the same time if all we do is go the Social dances without any formal learning from a teacher or a class environment, it will take us longer to master certain skills. These are some tips that are guaranteed to take your dance skills from where it is today to the next level, depending on your learning abilities and commitment.