Class Descriptions

“A BIG Experience in a Small Town!”

BEGINNER I SALSA

Pre-requisite: None

Duration: 8 classes

Instructor(s): Julie Berger or Jasmine Thomas

For students brand new to the world of Salsa, this course starts with the basics! Students learn the basic steps and techniques for Salsa, as well as “shine” moves and styling. This course is designed to give students a strong foundation, including the fundamentals of leading and following, and a simple pattern, including a Cross Body Lead, Make Her Walk, Enchuffla, and an Inside Turn! Classes start with a warm-up, reviewing moves from the previous week as well as adding new steps to your repetoire, followed by partner work and review. Students will rotate and experience dancing with everyone. During week 8, students will review dance etiquette and apply in during a nightclub simulation, applying their new moves and knowledge in a club ambiance! Fun and fitness friendly- come fall in love with Salsa!

BEGINNER II SALSA

Pre-requisite: Beginner I Salsa

Duration: 8 classes

Instructor(s): Linda Pang or Jasmine Thomas

For students eager to keep building the skills they developed in Beginner I Salsa, this is the class for you! This class moves at the same steady, and thorough pace of Beginner I, allowing you plenty of time to keep mastering, and building upon those basics. You will learn more fancy footwork for your shines, and explore several different right hands turns, enchufflas, as well as “Seisentas”, “Sweethearts,” and what it means to “pick up the girl” and take her “around the world.” This course is designed for students who want to gain confidence for those Salsa clubs and bridge the gap between Beginner I Salsa and Intermediate A Salsa.

INTERMEDIATE A SALSA

Pre-requisite: Beginner I/II Salsa (can be taken simultaneously with Beginner II)

Duration: Ongoing

Instructor: Julie Berger

For students who studied Salsa at least 4 months, add more moves to your arsenal! Focus on more intricate foot-work and styling, outside turns, and pattern combinations. Learn the “doorknob” and “Philly Favorite”, plus moves like a “Fishtail” and “Apache Whip!” Take your Salsa education to the next level!

INTERMEDIATE B SALSA

Pre-requisite: Intermediate A Salsa

Duration: Ongoing

Instructor: Julie Berger

For students who studied Salsa at least eight months, add more polish to your technique and patterns! Focus on more intricate foot-work and styling, 360‘s, multiple spins, and pattern combinations.

ALL LEVELS MERENGUE AND BACHATA

Pre-requisite: None

Duration: 8 classes

Instructor: Julie Berger

Come learn how to shake and move those hips in our all-levels Merengue and Bachata class! The Merengue is danced in 4/4 time, where your feet will move to every beat, similar to marching. If you’re also learning to Salsa, you will be surprised what moves can also be used to dance Merengue! Fast, easy, and fun to learn, it is a great dance to get your feet “wet” in the exciting world of Latin dancing! In this course, you will also learn the basics of another Latin dance, the Bachata, the most romantic of the four Latin nightclub dances. Learn to get close with your dance partner in this dance style that originated in the Dominican Republic. While learning the basic step for this dance is easy, this dance is definitely all about hips and attitude! Get comfortable with the basics, and then join us on Sundays for our hour-long Bachata class to learn more turns and patterns!

BACHATA BASICS

Pre-requisite: None

Duration: Ongoing

Instructor: Julie Berger

This ongoing course leads students into the world of the sexiest Latin dance. Students start with a warm-up that teaches the basic steps and simple turns. More intricate steps, different hand positions, and specific turn patterns are the focus in partner-work, where students rotate to dance with each other. Emphasis is placed on hip-movement and smooth body movements and transitions, which characterize this dance as the most romantic of the various Latin styles. Classes are ongoing and enrollment can occur at any time!

SALSA PERFORMANCE

Pre-requisite: Beginner I Salsa / NO WALK-INS

Duration: 12 classes, 120 minutes each

Instructor: Julie Berger

Now is your time to shine! Come take center stage in this 2-hour partnered performance class! Students in this course learn specific choreography with their partners and as a class, matched to a specific song chosen by the instructor. Each week builds on the previous week, resulting in a choreographed dance routine that is performed at one of the Salsa dance parties! Steps, patterns, and techniques range from Beginner to Advanced. Costume and shoe requirements are given on the first day of class. Come experience the thrill and excitement of performing in-front of your fellow friends, family, and salseros!

LADIES’ SALSA STYLING

Pre-requisite: None

Duration: 8 classes

Instructor: Julie Berger

Ladies’ Styling is essential to the world of Latin dance and incorporates graceful body movements to capture the beauty and elegance of a dancer and throw in that extra “sexy” on the dance floor! It will help you answer that constant question: “What do I do with my hands?” as well as help you incorporate better technique for turns, cross body lead variations, and basic step variations into any Salsa pattern. Ladies’ Styling will also help develop more elegant arm motion, hip shakes, hip rolls and sensual body movement. Styling moves will be taught in conjunction with a choreographed routine.

ZUMBA®

Pre-requisite: None

Duration: Ongoing (4x a week!)

Instructor: Nicole Lanciano or Jennifer Farber

“Ditch the Workout, Join the Party!”

New to the exciting world of Latin dance? Look no farther than Zumba® to give you a great introduction to moving and shaking that body! Come experience the latest international fitness craze! Zumba® incorporates a variety of basic Latin dance steps and patterns (Salsa, Merengue, Samba, and more!) with high-energy music for a fast-paced cardio dance routine! It is not a partnered class, so come by yourself OR bring your best friends and get ready to sweat! This is the best and easiest way to learn how to dance and you will leave feeling energized and ready to kick-off your weekend! Forget the monotony of the gym, ditch the WORKOUT and join the PARTY! (All Zumba classes are ongoing and enrollment can begin at any time.)

BELLYDANCE BASICS

Pre-requisite: None

Duration: 8 classes

Instructor: Amar

All levels of belly dance students -- new and not-so-new -- are welcome to join this great class! It will be a great work-out, utilizing all of your muscle areas while being easy on the joints and aerobic. it is lyrical, dynamic, and highly rhythmic!

This class is based both on the art of Egyptian-style Oriental dance as well as the great exercise it provides, embracing traditional and contemporary renditions of the dance. Belly dancing is uniquely designed for the female body and involves isolated body movements. The class will begin with basic moves and isolations, focusing on the hip, arm, belly and chest movements that will build into combinations and choreography. This exotic class will move slowly enough for students new to these styles of dance, while remaining challenging enough for the more experienced dancers. Please wear stretch or yoga pants and a form fitting top, and bring a coin belt if you already own one. You can either dance in bare feet or you may wear suede-bottom dance shoes or dancer's paws. Please come prepared to shimmy, shake, and have a wonderful time! Feel more confident in your own skin, stay in shape, AND embrace your personal, sensual, and artistic expressions!

BALLROOM BY REQUEST

Pre-requisite: None

Duration: Ends 12/27/11 (New Ballroom Program launching in 2012!)

Instructor: Joe Donato

For those of you that enjoy Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Rumba, all types of Hustle and Swing, and anything else that you've seen on the hit TV show "Dancing with the Stars", we've got "Ballroom By Request" every Tuesday night from 7:30p.m. - 10:00p.m!

The first hour will be a Rhythm dance, followed by a Smooth dance. It's just $10 per hour-long session, or $15 if you want to stay for both! (That price includes a 30 minute mini-dance social from 9:30 - 10:00p.m)

INTRO TO HUSTLE

Pre-requisite: None

Duration: 8 classes

Instructor: Joe Donato (“Ballroom Joe”)

Our Intro. to Hustle class is the perfect cure for your “Saturday night Fever,” and a great way to keep you “Stayin’ Alive!” Originally a “slot dance” found in “California Mix” dances (along with Cha Cha and West Coast Swing), the Hustle is the partnered version of disco dancing. It is a fast moving, energetic dance characterized by its many turns. This course will cover the basic four-count, three-count, and three-count-syncopated rhthyms. The lady spins almost constantly while her partner draws her close and sends her away. Hustle is still very popular at West Coast Swing dances and in some Latin clubs. It is a fusion of swing and disco, a return to partner dancing, a modified lindyhop and jitterbug, still very popular in crowded dance floors in New York. Music played for the Hustle is modern and intoxicating, based upon rhythm and blues. Hustle is danced to the contemporary pop dance music of the last 20 years and is a great dance to know for weddings and other social events. This course is also a great way to women to work on their multiple spins, which they will also use in other styles of dance, including Swing and Latin.

Click HERE to find out more about the classes in our Tuesday Ballroom Program, starting February 2012!

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Class Descriptions

Note: Class availability, duration, and instructors subject to change. Please check the class schedule for the current listings!

Salsa Program Overview: The Salsa Program at Salsa in the Suburbs includes classes in Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and Cha Cha. The Salsa classes are taught in LA Style, which breaks forward on the 1st beat in the music.

Click HERE to find out more about the classes in our Tuesday Ballroom Program, starting February 2012!

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