One of the most common questions I get from people thinking about starting Salsa is “Should I go to a group class or find a private teacher?”.
There is no single answer to this – it all depends on the type of person you are and the type of experience you’re looking for.
Both have pros and cons – but what you perceive as advantage or disadvantage really depends on your perspective.
If you want to learn primarily for the purpose of making friends, then you would probably enjoy yourself more in a Salsa club where the classes are big and partners are rotated. This way you get to meet a lot of people fast.
If you’re more introverted and prefer to build confidence behind closed doors before showing off your skills in public, then private lessons may well suit you better.
If you are a couple wanting to dance only with each other, this may work better in a private studio setting where you can focus on your connection and not feel pressured into dancing with strangers.
But this isn’t the only thing to consider.
Confidence
The vast majority of people who walk into my studio for the first time tell me they have two left feet and no rhythm.
Ten minutes later, they are keeping a rhythm without really thinking about it, and enjoying themselves.
Because the truth is that rhythm was never the problem – the problem was panicking about being a beginner again and all the uncertainty and pressure this can cause.
Many men find private lessons particularly helpful as there are so many skills they are expected to master all at once. This can be especially difficult in a group setting where repertoire is often prioritised over timing and technique.
Learning Progression
Most Salsa classes are run on a drop-in basis which means you can turn up when you feel like it, pay on the door and you learn a new routine every week. Whilst this is great for casual learners, the lack of consistency and continuity can be frustrating for people who are highly motivated or used to professional structured coaching scenarios – through work or sport for example.
Private lessons on the other hand can be truly progressive, meaning that each lesson builds on what was covered in the previous one. This creates a logical, smooth, linear learning experience, and a much more efficient process.
Learning Speed
Private lessons also allow the teacher to exactly match your natural learning pace and style, so if you need to spend longer to really get something, this is only possible in a private one-to-one setting.
Within any group class there are always some people who are ahead of the curve and master things quite quickly and there are always others who struggle and need more practice and repetition.
For this reason teachers will always try and aim somewhere in the middle but inevitably this means that the outliers can suffer.
The faster learners may get bored because the class is moving too slowly and others will be floundering because it’s moving too fast. It’s not a sign of bad teaching. It’s just one of the compromises when learning anything in a group.
Environment
Many group Salsa classes are held in venues like village halls, community centres or even pubs and clubs. This means that the floor can sometimes be slow and sticky which can affect the ability to turn smoothly as they are not purpose-built for dancing. They rarely have mirrors which isn’t a problem if you’re only bothered about learning a few moves to have fun with.
The minute you start getting serious about improving, a mirror becomes an essential part of the feedback loop. Many people feel self-conscious in front of the mirror in the early stages and I’m always aware of this so there is the option to move to one side until you feel more comfortable.
As well as mirrors, dance studios will usually will have a sprung wooden floor which gives more cushioning. They are also highly polished so you can turn freely without putting torque through the knee joints and potentially increasing injury risk.
Feedback
Most corrections given in group classes are very general – aimed at the entire group rather than individuals. For the most accurate feedback to be given, the teacher needs to feel what’s happening in your dancing as well as watch it, so precise adjustments can be made. Not all teachers rotate into the group to dance with students.
It’s also important to realise that feedback and corrections are not criticism.
One of the things I take extra care with is letting students know what’s working well before addressing the things which need a little more refinement.
There’s no better feeling for me – or them – when I see it all coming together and they can know for sure that tangible progress has been made.
So Which Should You Choose?
I’m not here to try and sell you on either.
You already know what kind of experience you’re looking for. You need to choose the closest match for that.
And if you do decide to go down the route of private lessons, my Salsa Discovery Session is a great place to start.
I currently have a small number of available spots for the summer/autumn season and you can find out more using the button below.