I can remember the days when I was just starting out. I don’t think I ever thought learning Salsa was going to be easy, but I had been teaching fitness and aerobics classes for some years, and considered myself more coordinated than the average person.
So on one level, I did think how hard can it be? Surely it’s just a case of learning a few steps and then there’ll be no stopping me.
I was never more wrong in my life. And here’s why:
MISTAKE 1 – I UNDERESTIMATED HOW MUCH THERE IS TO LEARN
Almost everyone does this. They go into their first class thinking they’ll have the basics down in a few weeks and that will give them all the tools they need to survive their early encounters with the social dance floor.
A few weeks in, and they are still working on the mechanics of the cross body and a few simple turns. I started three times over, and it took the right teacher to break things down in a way I could understand, and a couple of years of private lessons to become fully fluent.
MISTAKE 2 – I THOUGHT MY PREVIOUS PHYSICAL TRAINING WOULD MAKE IT EASIER
If you have played sport, learned another dance style, or engaged in any structured physical activity you could be forgiven for thinking that you will have a head start when it comes to learning Salsa.
Whilst there’s no doubt that a disciplined approach, a strong, stable core, and a nervous system which has already gained some degree of coordination are very useful attributes for Salsa, there are still some parts of the equation which will be lacking.
One thing you do learn as a fitness instructor is that your body only develops in a way that’s specific to the training you do. And whilst there are definitely qualities that can carry over from other disciplines into dance, it’s not usually enough to accelerate progress to any great degree.
Techniques for more formal dance styles such as ballet and ballroom are very different and in some respects almost the complete opposite to what is required for Salsa so those trained in these dances may struggle to adapt, even though their coordination, placement and precision will be second to none.
MISTAKE 3 – THEY WRITE THEMSELVES OFF BEFORE THEY START
Many beginners buy into the idea that good dancers somehow are born with talent, or that dance ability is purely a genetic thing.
I wasn’t actually guilty of this one – I totally believed in my potential to be as good as I wanted to be, but in the early days I struggled to see much connection between what was taught in classes and what happened in dance floor reality.
And I struggled to get enough social dances to make any improvements.
The truth is that consistent effort, practice and patience are the biggest requirements for success, and that the commitment you give to your dancing is a far bigger predictor of success than your genes or country of birth.
MISTAKE 4 – I DIDN’T MANAGE MY EXPECTATIONS
I’m incredibly determined, and extremely stubborn, so giving up was never an option for me, and at times my goals and expectations have been high. Often the goal isn’t impossible, but the desired timeframe and commitment necessary to get there is.
Salsa is not easy for a number of different reasons. When reality hits and a few weeks in they feel like they’ve not progressed, they are struggling to get dances at socials, and melting down in class if they try to go up a level, people do quit.
This happens more often than many teachers would like to admit.
So managing the expectations of beginners and preparing them for the bumps in the road is an important part of a responsible Salsa teacher’s job in my opinion.
Progress is rarely linear in this dance and just as you feel you’ve mastered one thing, you’ll become aware of something else you need to work on. Don’t decrease the size of your goals, but do try to understand the reality of what it will take to get there.
MISTAKE 5: I OVERESTIMATED THE ABILITY OF EVERYONE ELSE
It’s easy to forget that those people we admire are just normal people who worked at something and got good at it.
I’ve put people on pedestals in the past. I’ve taken everything they said as gospel (good and bad) and then realised later that it simply wasn’t true…or only partially true. Often it was something that was spoken through the filters of their own insecurities and limitations. I didn’t realise back then how much my beliefs shaped my reality.
Many teachers – including myself – don’t claim to be the greatest dancers but we do have a flair for imparting information in a way that’s accessible to others. We all have our superpowers and have put in the work.
So try not to be a disciple of just one person. Broaden your horizons, experience a range of styles, and appreciate your local heroes as well as the global superstars.
BONUS MISTAKE 6: I THOUGHT SPARKLY SHOES WOULD FIX EVERYTHING
They don’t!