We offer beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons in Cuban Salsa, Bachata, and Kizomba to get you moving on the dance floor. All lessons are syllabus based and will focus on your footwork, musicality and timing, as well as your leading, following and connection.
Your teachers Paul and Alexandra have a wealth of knowledge and skill in all of the dances we offer. They are practising dance partners, with many years of experience between them in both professional dancing and teaching. They have a fun and friendly approach to learning, and are highly focus on their quality of delivery to ensure you learn the correct techniques for each dance. They look forward to sharing their love and passion for dance with you.
Salsa
Salsa is probably the most widely known of all the Latin dances. Originating in Cuba it is formed of a variety of different styles including the French Danzón, African Rumba, Cuban Són and the troubadour music of the Spanish.
As Salsa spread throughout the Americas a number of different styles were formed, including Colombian, LA and New York Salsa. Cuban style salsa differs from the north american salsa styles in that it is ‘circular’ rather than linear. The man constantly moves around the woman, showing her off.
Salsa is danced with a partner either in or out of hold, using three steps to a four step beat. The fourth beat which is not stepped is often marked by a tap, flick, weight transfer or pause. A full step sequence will comprise of eight beats. The Salsa rhythm includes a break step and is danced with a quick, quick, slow tempo.
Bachata
This is a beautiful dance originating from the Dominican Republic. Early bachata was a mix of bolero music with traditional African elements. Bachata shares a common ancestry with Merengue. Whilst originally Bachata was a dance for the lower classes of the Dominican, it has grown in popularity over the years. Today Bachata is danced world wide and there are a number of different styles including: Dominincan, Moderna, Bachata Senual and Bachata Tango.
The basics to the dance are three-step with a Cuban hip motion, followed by a tap including a hip movement on the 4th beat. The movement of the hips is very important because it’s a part of the soul of the dance. Generally, most of the dancer’s movement is in the lower body up to the hips, and the upper body moves much less.
Bachata Tango
Often classed as a form of sensual Bachata, Bachata Tango was developed relatively recently and is a fusion of Bachata and Argentine Tango. It incorporates the flicks, ganchos, dips, leg wraps and musical pauses of the tango.
Kizomba
Kizomba is an Angolan dance that has been developed from semba, with a mix of Kilapanda and Angolan Merengue. Kizomba is the Kimbundu name for a party and is popular in most Portuguese-speaking African countries, and also Portugal. The Kizomba dancing style is known to be very sensual, and has a slower, romantic, more sensuous rhythm than the traditional Angolan Semba dance.
Typically it has a close partner connection with a grounded movement and there are frequent simultaneous hip rotations coordinated between each of the dance partners. There are no set steps like other dances instead emphasis is on interpretation of the music. Similar to other African dances however Kizomba does utalise the 3-step basic and shuffle. There are several styles to Kizomba including: Passada (classic style), Tarraxinha, Quadradrinha and Ventoinha.
Kizomba is a close dance but is only as romantic or sensual as you and your partner choose to make it. As with any social dance, courtesy and respect are basic expectations, so there’s no need to feel intimidated on the dance floor!