Going to your first Salsa social/party event can be daunting and even a little overwhelming for the uninitiated.

So, here are a few tips on how to survive and get the most out of your first social, along with a few Dos and Don’ts.

Check with your dance school.

Most dance schools will run their own social events, so check with the dance school or club you attend for your classes/lessons. Many of the people you already know from these classes will be attending (or will also want to), so you will see familiar faces and have already danced with them.

You can also ask the teachers or other students for other recommendations, and even arrange to attend an event with others in a similar situation. Often, there are more experienced students who are willing to take newbies along to an event, and they, in turn, will introduce you to

Our students often ask us what dance shoes to get and where to get them. So, here are a few tips:

1) The best advice we can give you when starting out is, don’t go for ridiculously high-priced shoes, especially if you’re not attending socials and are only attending classes. Prices vary massively.

2) Ladies, if you’re looking for a heel, you will find many dance shoes come with a choice in heel height, and we always recommend going no higher than a 2.5-inch heel when you first start out. The heels will come in varying shapes depending on their height.

Also, ladies’ buckle shoes don’t buckle up like everyday shoes! They slot into a hook on the strap. Make sure they have a comfy sole and suede or leather bottom.

3) Gentlemen, you have a choice of jazz shoes, brogue style and Cuban heel shoes. Go with what is

Theodore Roosevelt once said that “Nothing worth having comes easy” – I’ll expand on that slightly by saying “nothing worthwhile comes easy”.

This is true of learning how to dance.

There are a few, lucky, people out there who pick up the art of dance naturally and breeze through to greatness without blinking an eye (or so it seems). However, for the rest of us mere mortals, we have to work at it.

For me, learning to dance (starting with salsa) has potentially been the best decision I made – I have made many good friends and have a decent social life, I even have my current job through the connections I have made from learning to dance.

The people you meet are wide-ranging, are friendly, open and welcoming.

But to get to the point where you can start getting the most out of dancing through

Dancing appropriately for the crowd

Why -Who – Where – When -Cost – contact – any genre

Nothing will advance your dancing quicker than taking private lessons with a qualified teacher. There are many reasons for taking such lessons, and these can include preparation for a competition; advancing your social dance skills, focusing on a specific technique such as turns & spins, maybe you want to learn the first dance for your wedding, or maybe you want a corporate day.

One of the best things about private lessons is you can often dictate where and when you want them. If the first teacher you contact isn’t available as and when you want them, simply find another that can. Like most things in life, teachers are different. You might remember your school days when you had a preference of teachers, weren’t those classes more fun and didn’t you learn more. Well, it’s the same with dancing,

One thing that separates a good dancer from a great dancer is confidence.

You may feel confident in some areas of your life, but less so in others. So, you might be a confident runner or a confident cook, yet you lack confidence when talking to strangers on the phone. A lack of confidence can lead to a fear of failing, or you might doubt yourself. When this happens, negative thoughts might pop into your mind, and you might worry that you’re not good enough - or that people will think badly of you.

Regarding dancing, do you ever worry you aren’t good enough, or people are watching you? Do you hold back for fear of looking foolish? If so, these are signs you could be lacking in confidence.

It’s important to note: Everybody has their ups-and-downs, days when we feel more confident than others, even when dealing with similar

With Christmas fast approaching I thought I’d try and give you some inspiration for those who are special in your life.

1. You could do worse than buy a music CD of their favourite genre. If you aren’t sure what to buy try and get some tips, ask questions in conversation such as, “what do you think of…” If all else fails, you could always buy an iTunes gift voucher.
2. There are many great teaching DVD’s out there for whatever genre you like. However, try and do a little research before purchasing any, talk to friends and look at reviews. When I started learning to dance I bought many DVD’s, but few were inspirational. Lee Hunter’s series of salsa DVD’s and Tony Lara’s series of Bachata DVD’s were amongst my favourites. Perhaps you’d prefer to buy a film such as Cuban Fury, or the great Dirty Dancing.
3. How about a book