Wednesday nights. Leeds City Centre
Frequently Asked
We’re asked various questions each week at Salsa Leeds so we feature the most common ones here to help you more easily find the answers you need.
What should I wear?
(Believe it or not our most commonly asked question).
Salsa may conjour up images of sequins, big collars and plunging necklines for you, but (sadly perhaps) in reality, people dress quite normally.
Classes are held at a city centre bar so people generally wear the kind of clothes they’d normally wear out in town.
Shoes however, can be important. You should avoid:
- High-heels (can make you less steady while turning if you’re a novice dancer).
- Trainers (these tend to have sticky soles which can strain on your knees when you turn).
- Flip-Flops (can fall off as you dance. obvious perhaps but we see a lot this in summer).
Some comfortable shoes you can move/spin easily in (with less than 2 inch heels) will give you the best chance starting out.
Do I need a partner or can I come on my own?
No you don’t need a partner and it’s just fine to come on your own (in fact most people do). There’s always plenty of other folks to dance with and everyone swaps round so you get to meet and dance with many different people during the class.
When is the next session I can join in with?
We run only standalone “drop-in” style classes every Wednesday, so it makes no difference which week you choose to join.
Improvers class at 6.30pm.
Beginners class 7.30pm
Where are the classes held?
Bar Room Bar (upstairs club)
37 Call Lane
LS1 7BT
You can find a map to the venue at this link
Is there free parking close to the venue?
Yes there is. There’s some on-street parking bays and single yellows right across from the venue which are both free to park on after 6pm. If you can’t get lucky there then we’ve a map to other free parking on streets close-by.
I have 2 left feet / no rhythm / have never danced before. Will I be able to do it (or feel out of place)?
Our classes are very accessible and every week are pitched specifically for beginner dancers who have never danced before, so you should be able to get through the class without feeling too challenged regardless of any innate ability.
There are a few people who expect a great deal of themselves on their first lesson, and they can become frustrated if they don’t get the hang of it immediately. If that sounds like you, then it can be useful to think of it like you would learning a foreign language. Initially you may not be able to say much (or pronounce things very well) but with regular practice over the weeks and months your ability will steadily grow.
How many people are there in a class?
Numbers vary week-to-week so there’s no hard and fast figures although you can expect between 30-40 folks per class on any given week. We’re somewhat busier in the run-up to Christmas & just after New Year.
What sort of age range come to your classes?
This can vary week-to-week and there’s quite a wide range of ages attend (from students 18+ up to retirees in their 60′s and older). However the majority of folks at class on any given week are likely to be in their 20′s & 30′s.
Do I need to book or pay anything in advance?
No need to book. Just show up in time for the class and pay on the night.
Can I join anytime or do I need to wait for start of next course?
We run only standalone “drop-in” style classes every week, so it makes no difference which week you choose to join.
I don’t know anyone there. Won’t I feel weird just joining along with all these people who already know each other?
We get brand-new beginners every single week, most (if not all of whom) know no-one there. So you won’t be the only new-comer. You get partnered with people to practice dancing with during the class so even if you don’t feel wonderfully social in new settings you’ll get to meet plenty folks since everyone changes partners during the class so you get to meet and dance with a variety of folk. There’s also a high turn-over of beginner dancers from week-to-week so usually there’s no serious “established crowd” that you’re intruding upon as a new-comer.
Can I bring a large group of friends / colleagues on the same night?
Yes that’s fine. We have a good sized room in our venue so we can cope even if you are bringing a large group.
How many classes will I need to be any good?
There’s no simple answer to this but:
- The short version is; You can’t know in advance (we all learn new skills at different speeds). However, after a couple of months of classes you should start to get a feel for how quickly you’re picking it up and how fast you might improve.
- The long version is over here.
I’ve taken classes for months but never seem to improve.
At beginner level it’s most productive to attend classes every week until you’re confident enough to be dancing Salsa socially. If you attend classes only occasionally and don’t yet dance socially there won’t be the same consolidation of skills you’ve learned and you may find progress frustratingly slow. For how to improve more quickly see below.
How can I improve more quickly?
Practice (and plenty of it).
Attend every Salsa class you can find and start social dancing as quickly as you can (with as many different people as you can). If you’re taking classes AND social dancing EVERY week with a wide range of partners, you’ll soon start to see your dancing improve very quickly indeed.
Where else can I dance Salsa in Leeds?
We maintain a calendar of Salsa events in Leeds on our Events Page to make it easier for you to find out what’s on (also appears as a feed on bottom right of our homepage). If you know of an event that doesn’t appear here just let us know and we’ll add it. You might also want to check out our Facebook group where our dancers post info on other Salsa events around Leeds.
