Below is some information about the different classes we run, and what you can expect us to cover over the weeks. Hopefully this will give you some guidance about when you might want to think about moving up a class. There are no hard and fast rules about moving - do come and talk to us if you’re thinking about it and we can help you to decide if you’re ready. We don’t want you to get bored in the classes - on the other hand, we don’t want you to move up too early and get demoralised. It’s far better to stay too long and feel really confident with the steps in one class, than to move up to the next class too early and get disheartened when it’s too difficult. And definitely don’t feel pressured to move up just because your friend/husband/girlfriend wants to - go when you’re ready!

As a general rule of thumb, you should be finding that you don't have to pay too much attention in a class (to the rhythm/timing, leading/following, or the moves themselves!) before you move up - if you are still having to concentrate, and aren't yet able to freestyle the moves with a range of partners in the general dancing, you're probably not yet ready, so give it a bit longer...

The Absolute Beginners class is for people who’ve never done any salsa before, or who want to recap the basics. You’ll be introduced to the salsa rhythm and, dancing individually and then with a partner, we’ll cover these steps:

• basic step (forward and back)
• side step
• back step
• open out
• lady's right turn

We also start working on leading & following, through working in both open & partner holds. You may want to stay 2 or 3 weeks in the Absolute Beginners class, or you may feel you need longer to feel confident about moving up to the Beginners class. There’s no rush!

Once you’ve mastered the basic steps (see above), and are starting to get a feel for the rhythm (including transferring your weight when you step), think about moving up to the Beginners class. In this class we will:

• recap lady's right turn
• emphasise the rhythm and weight transfer
• develop leading and following
• introduce: cross body lead (CBL), guy's right & left turns, CBL with lady's left & right turns
• introduce a variety of handholds for your growing repetoire of moves 

You’ll need to feel comfortable with the basic steps, the CBL/CBL with lady's left and right turns, and the basic turns (guy's right & left, lady's right) before moving up to Improvers - take your time.

Now we crank it up a notch - hopefully if you’ve got your head around all the steps in the Beginners, the Improvers won’t be too much of a shock! But it usually takes a couple of weeks to settle in - don’t be surprised or worried! We’ll increasingly focus on leading and following, and will cover the following steps, amongst others, over the weeks:

• exchange
• octopus (the I-turn-you-turn move)
• sombrero
• drop catch
• side wrap
• shoulder check
• titanic
• copa
• reverse CBL
• CBL with forward stop
• drop catch with forward stop
• lady's right turn into hammer lock

We will give you lots of support in this class to smooth out your moves - including further developing your leading or following technique, and focusing more closely on positioning and timing.

We expect people to stay in this class for a few months - once you feel confident with these moves, come and talk to us about trying the Intermediate class...

This class is for people who’ve cracked all of the Improvers level moves, and who would like more ideas on developing their skills further. It’ll be a faster-paced class, working on:

• developing leading/following - to smooth out existing moves
• developing timing
• introducing some basic styling ideas (e.g. arm movements, body waves, footwork for basic moves, flicks)
  
• longer routines (with fewer basic steps!) - to work on the transitions between moves
• adding new moves to your repertoire, such as CBL with guy's left turn, CBL from wrong side, shoulder check to bring lady back, wrap in to bring lady back (with different hand holds), copa variations, lady's free spins, double turns (for ladies and guys!)

The aim of this class is for you to increase the quality and variety of moves that you’re confident to freestyle with different partners. Please come and see us if you’re thinking about doing this class - we will be merciless and don’t want to put anybody off, so you will need to be ready!!

The general dancing time is the best opportunity to put into practice what you’ve learnt, dance with a range of partners, discuss (and laugh about!) why that didn’t work, and generally enjoy yourself and remember why you came dancing in the first place - FOR FUN!! And whatever happens, don’t forget to keep smiling! :-)