Tips for beginners/new students

Tip#1 from Tony

What to wear to your dance classes

Wear something that you feel comfortable in. i.e. yoga pants/jeans, tank tops, t-shirts.

If you are coming right from work and can't bring your comfy cloths its ok too; just make sure you are dressed in light clothing; otherwise you are going to feel hot. Salsa is quite a workout! Some girls like to wear a skirt/dress for the class; it is especially common in our summer sessions.

When choosing your dress, keep in mind that you are going to turn and bend over, so choose something that you feel comfortable doing your moves in. Don't wear something that will prevent you from doing your move correctly and completely.

As for shoes, you do not necessarily need to invest on a dancing pair of shoes in your beginner levels. Basically any kind of shoe that has a slippery sole is acceptable. Do not wear rubber sole shoes because you'll not be able to move freely. Suede, plastic and leather soles will give you the freedom you need to lead and follow.

Ladies; stay away from certain types of shoes: Strapless Sandals/Slippers: Do not wear shoes that will not stay connected to your feet when you stand on your toes.

High heel strapless dress shoes: you can wear heels but I don't recommend shoes with heels higher than 2 inches for beginners, and again they should be strapped to keep your feet connected to your shoes at all times. You will dance on heels when you get into intermediate levels, but for a beginner class, its better to wear flats if you are not used to heels in your day to day activities.

And last but not least, be presentable and perfumed! Remember that you will continue dancing salsa like forever and your classmates will turn into your close friends. So come to your class as you would go to visit your friends!

I'll talk about different types of dance shoes and the places you can get them in my next posting. "