Is there a dancer in you?
Is there a part of you on the inside that really wants to dance?
- Can you see yourself dancing...having a great time, in your own head?
- Are you wondering how to start the process of becoming a dancer?
- Have you seen others do it well, but wonder if you could ever do it yourself?
- You've started but you're frustrated by the lack of progress!
Your dance goals and dreams are achievable!
Just like any other endeavor, learning to dance must be broken down into practical steps. Like anything worth achieving...it takes joy, work and you have to stick to the plan.
Importance of a instructor.
The bad news first: Is it is very hard to know where to start without the guidance of a professional experienced instructor.
Now the good news: There are more great instructional methods than ever before. A good instructor will introduce the student to goals which are worth pursuing and then engage them in a course of action to attain these goals. This type of plan and instruction will dramatically reduce the time it takes to make a good dancer.
Working harder and practicing longer will not help unless there is a program of steps in place. Beginning students rarely know how to practice in ways that consistently produce progress. It's not something that comes naturally without guidance.
Advice form a seasoned salsa dancer.
Rocco Michael, the owner of the The Salsa Dance Floor and dance instructor at TSDF has a few things to say about learning to dance salsa, club style.
"You can't minimize the importance of good classes. I have to credit my first teachers in latin ballroom. I used to drive to Montreal form Toronto twice a month to learn from the best Canada had to offer. The higher the caliber of the instructor, the more emphasis was placed on developing movements from simple ideas. My latin motion was started from a walk. That idea is still with me today."
"And to be honest, I'm also lucky in that when I re-entered the salsa community years ago, I met up with some really great people who also loved to go out dancing often. And so we did. Remember...club salsa dancing is all about playing and having fun and learning"
Practical approach to becoming a good salsa dancer.
Find a school who has created a plan or instructional method for your success.
Show a bit of dedication, especially up front when you first start learning. Any new thing involves a bit of a learning curve.
Get out dancing as soon as you feel comfortable enough. The sooner the better. If you're with classmates, you can go as soon as you know one pattern. If you're at a club with people you don't know, you might want to wait until you have about 10 to 15 patterns under your belt.
And always approach this with the idea that when it's done, it should have a calming effect on you, even when it's fun, fast and exciting. Your hobbies should always bring you peace.
From TSDF - Dancing is about comfort. That's it! Our main goal is to make it easy and comfortable for you. So getting through the salsa dance patterns you learn is easy and enjoyable. It's all about having fun!
Rocco,
We would like to thank you for the fun experience we have in your dance class. Not only are the classes fun, but great exercise that you don't even realize you are getting.
You project a very relaxed, no pressure and easy atmosphere. The salsa steps are broken down into very basic and easy moves that anyone can learn.
We would definitely recommend your classes and especially you as the instructor.
Many Thanks
Lee and Kellee
What do the students have to say?
We took Rocco's salsa classes and i was amazed at how simple he made it seem. We had such a fun time, we can't wait to see what's in-store for the the next series. We recommend this to anyone who wants to learn dancing.
Paul and Phyllis
If you can walk and count to eight you can dance salsa!
El Sistema method of dance instruction
Anybody can be a great salsa dancer.
It has nothing to do with ability or talent or rhythm.
It's all about great instruction.
Register now online or call 905-815-3530 in Toronto and Mississauga/Oakville Milton
El Sistema
Salsa is danced as a series of patterns all strung together.
All else being equal(the music, the location, the partners, the patterns), it is your dance lessons that will determine your ability to dance confidently and enjoyably.
We use El Sistema method of dance instruction. It is the easiest and fastest way to learn how to salsa dance because it was developed to look after the underlying fundamentals found within all partner dancing. With El Sistema method, your present level of ability has nothing to do with your potential. Anyone can be a great salsa dancer!
Join us in this contagious, energetic and truly great pass time, salsa dancing!
btw - It's a great way to exercise...but don't let that spoil all the fun.
Payment
We accept cash and cheques.
Just come 15 minutes early before
the first class to make your payment.
*Gender
Choose a level
Can Dance Academy
All classes are on Sundays at this location
If you are registering for more than one person please register separately for each one.
If there is no space, would you like to be put on a waiting list?
Online registration is optional
You can do it in person.
Just show up for the class.
Or fill out the form and submit it.
Or call and do it over the phone.
* Required field
Partners
not
required
Do you have a group
interested in salsa classes?
Call us. We can arrange
private group classes.
Rocco translates comples movements to simple steps,easy as 1,2,3, pause.
Winifred
Rocco makes learnking salsa easy and enjoyable. Thanks to his emphasis on simple basics and building on what you already know. I find it very easy to learn this way.
Sabu
Rocco's teaching with El Systema method really works. The repetitions of the steps and the review from the previous class really sinks in. I have learned so much in a short time that would otherwise have taken a much longer time. Thanks Rocco and keep up the good work.
Ole, Hemanti.
To be honest, I didn't think I would be able to catch on...salsa looks complcated. I was reasured and was told that we would be starting from the very beginning, from a walk. Well Rocco wasn't kidding. At the begginning of the first class, he started us out by walking. He kept making small changes in the way we walked and before we knew it we were all doing the basic salsa pattern. I've been learning since. Yes, salsa is addictive.
Phil
Rocco runs a very easy to learn, salsa dance class. His method is to get the beat into the body without having to think about it. I found it very easy to learn and really enjoyed the activity. He is very patient with difficult steps and uses repetition to reinforce the learning. I had a wonderful series of 9 classes and would highly recommend them to anyone interested in learning to salsa dance.
Cynthia
I had the distinct pleasure of having Rocco Michael as my salsa teacher for two classes per week from mid-November until early December. I had been taking salsa lessons and going to practices and clubs for more than half a year, and was at that stage where I had patterns in my head but often was stuck on the dance floor, not knowing what to do next, not able to be spontaneous.
Rocco enticed me with talk of private lessons on leading and dancing on beat. His premise was simple, build a solid foundation, get your body used to the basic movements and the rhythm, get it right before you move on else those mistakes are carried over. He told me it would be repetitive and boring at first: walking back and forth on beat felt like a regression for me. But everything unfolded as planned.
By our last class, I was able to pull moves spontaneously, and better yet to stay on beat, that’s when I knew I had made a breakthrough.
Rocco understands what plagues most men learning salsa. I practiced patterns with the belief that more originality meant more fun for the woman. But Rocco keyed me in on the merits of a strong lead. And he showed me how.
Clearly, there is a lot of thought behind this refreshing teaching of dancing. Having achieved great results in such short time, I hold Rocco’s abilities with the highest regards and strongly recommend him as a salsa instructor.
Sincerely, Christopher
To request information fill in the
boxes and we will contact you shortly
Or call us at 905-815-3530
From TSDF - We start everyone out at the very beginning. That's why it doesn't matter if you have any natural ability, talent or rhythm. You just need to know how to walk and you're good to go.
From TSDF - Salsa is not just lots of fun...it's also a great way to exercise. Except you're not watching the clock all the time. You're not in a hurry...you want to keep dancing!
Oakville/Mississauga On-going classes
Fall classes start September 13th 2009
Sundays at Can Dance Academy
1575 Clarkson Road N. At the corner of Wedmore Way. Two blocks south of S. Sheridan Way
5:00 pm
to
6:00 pm
Level 3 Salsa
Complex turn patterns.
Time
2:00 pm
to
3:00 pm
Dates
Course Description
4:00 pm
to
5:00 pm
Level 2 Salsa
A continuation of salsa turn patterns.
3:00 pm
to
4:00 pm
Level 1 Salsa
More foot paterns and your
first sets of turn patterns.
Intrduction to salsa foot patterns
Every
Sunday
for
all
classes
The Salsa Dance Floor Fees at this location
School monthly memberships are $56.19/month plus gst = $59.
That's for up to 2 classes per week. It's approx $7.49/class plus gst.
First and last monthly fee required. (non contract agreement)
By the block of 10 classes it's $15 per class plus gst = $157.50
Drop ins are 19.05 plus gst = $20 per class.
Which goes towards either a block of classes or your monthly membership after you join if it's your first class.
FAQ
Q. What kind of shoes do I need?
A. For the first class, anything comfortable will do. Running shoes work well. After that you'll need a pair of leather soled shoes. Dance shoes work best, but any kind of shoe that is flexable and plyable with a leather sole works well.
Q. What can I expect, I've never done dance classes before?
A. Come without any expectations. Having said that, I start my classes out by getting your feet comfortable with the basic salsa foot patterns first. Once you are comfortable, then learning the turn patterns are much easier. This is especially true for the men who have much more to learn than the ladies.
Q. This may sound strange, but even though I'm signing up, i don't really know what salsa dancing is.
What can you tell me about it.
A. I actually get that question quite a bit. Salsa is very popular now. But there are still lots of people who haven't seen it or don't recogniize it when they do see it. It's basically a form of partner dancing done to latin music...specifically salsa music. And as in all partner dancing, it's based in patterns. The more patterns you know and can execute comfortably, the more variety and interest there is in your dancing.
Q. I'm looking for a way to exercise at the same time as learn something I love. Is sals dancing a good way to burn calories and/or exercise?
A. You bet it is! Except it doesn't feel that way. You're just there learning and having fun. It doesn't feel like exercise at all. You don't need a personal trainer to keep you motivated. Remember...you're dancing!
The myth about rhythm
I hear this all the time...that some people have more or better rhythm than others. It's not true. There are no degrees of rhythm. It's either there or it's not.
If you're watching two people dance and one clearly looks like the better dancer and they're both on beat, then the better dancer doesn't have more rhythm. They have more style and they can do more with their body between the beats. That's not a matter of better rhythm. It's a physical reflection of your state of mind when you are dancing. A calmer state of mind always buys you more time between the beats, allowing you to do and feel more.
Makes you look and feel like a better dancer.
And dancing with a state of internal and external calm is our first principle in our El Sistema method of teaching. Fortunately, acquiring calm is not a mystery and can be taught.
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Why choose us as your salsa dance studio?
We have a method of instruction designed to make the lessons easy. We teach club style dancing...or social dancing. Not competitive latin ballroom. The lessons start with the simplist of natural movements and builds from there. Our fundamentals are based on comfort and not perfection. That's why anyone can learn with our method. Our method is called El Systema. Five simple principles in place to maximize your dancing fun.
