Introduction

Hola. If you’re visiting this page, you probably live in Seattle and fell in love with Latin music and dance, as I did a few years ago.

You may have even discovered the difference between music and dance: Downloading Latin music from the Internet and listening to it is amazingly easy, while breaking into the dance scene can be a nightmare.

Learning how to dance can actually be fun if you aren’t afraid of a little hard work and you can find a good instructor, someone to dance with, a nice club, etc. But if any of these ingredients are missing, forget it.

While deleting various Facebook groups associated with this website, I discovered that membership in the Bachata group is actually increasing. In fact, traffic on www.sealatin.com is increasing, with the great majority of it going to articles about Bachata. So I decided to keep the Bachata Facebook group. However, Facebook says the group is scheduled to be archived, whatever that means. So, if you’re interested, please join the new group, Seattle Bachata 2.0. I’m going to delete the old Facebook group and start fresh. :)

What blew me away is the lack of guidance for beginners. I started out taking classes from the worst instructor in Seattle - a regular nut case. When I began asking other people about him, I learned that everyone knows about him - many local salseras won’t even dance with him - but no one wants to talk about him in public. And so unsuspecting beginners continue to be lured into his dance mill...and some of them have begun writing some pretty nasty reviews online.

I had a few other experiences that led me to agree with the salsa instructor who told me Seattle’s salsa scene is one big soap opera. The Seattle salsa scene is not beginner friendly, and it can be surprisingly unfriendly, period. Salsa in general is sometimes described as shallow, artificial and phony, and I’ve heard even hard core local addicts say the same thing about the Seattle salsa scene. That’s probably one of the reasons only a relative handful of beginning students stick with it.

There’s also a lot of talk about salsa becoming too commercialized, and it can’t get much worse than in corporate Seattle. Then again, most people really don’t care about such things; all they want to do is dance. So if you can find a good instructor and, just as important, a clique you fit in with, you may have a fun ride.

I created this website partly as a guide for beginners and partly as a personal research project. After all, Latin music and dance is as intriguing as it is overwhelming.

The music is complex, the dance is complex, and there’s also an entire culture waiting to be explored. Latin music and my interest in Latin America’s political scene inspired me to start studying Spanish again.

Anyway, I learned a lot by simply researching and writing about it. Which isn’t to say I’m an expert, but I think I can offer a few useful tips.

Where to Start?

Music

The foundation of Latin dance is la musica. If you enjoy listening to salsa music, you might enjoy dancing to it. If you don’t like salsa music, forget about dance classes. It’s that simple.

That doesn’t mean you have to like every salsa song you hear. In fact, the music I listen to is way different than the music they play in local salsa clubs. Everyone has their favorites, and you’ll learn about different genres or styles of salsa music, your tastes evolving along the way.

Of course, it isn’t just about salsa. Many Latin dance fans enjoy cha-cha-cha, merengue or bachata. You can also explore samba, tango and other Latin dances - but check out the music first. Local clubs typically play a mixture of salsa, cha-cha-cha, merengue and bachata.

Money

If you enjoy the music and think you’d like to learn how to dance, the next thing to consider is money. Some people can take an introductory dance class, learn how to do "the basic" and a simple turn, and jump out on the dance floor and enjoy themselves.

But most people who stick with it want to really learn how to dance, and, for most people, that requires endless classes. Plan on taking a beginning salsa class, then an intermediate class, then taking both a second and perhaps third and fourth time before you tackle an advanced class.

You’re also probably going to want to take some private lessons (usually somewhere between $50 and $100 an hour). Do you know the difference between On1 and On2 salsa? If you get really serious about salsa, you’ll probably want to learn both.

On top of private lessons, On1 and On2 lessons and special workshops, you’re going to want to take classes from different instructors (thought not necessarily at the same time). I took classes from half a dozen different instructors, and each one had something unique to offer.

If you can become a competent dancer in six months, you’re doing good; many people take one or two years.

Of course, you’ll need still more time and money if you want to learn cha-cha-cha, merengue, bachata, etc. And you don’t just take classes for a year; even professionals take ongoing classes, even going back to square one and polishing their basic.

And if you want a social life beyond the dance floor...well, if you’re an economic casualty, forget about Latin dance, especially in Seattle, which is very much a yuppie scene.

Century Ballroom

If you’re ready to go for it, a logical first step is to visit Century Ballroom on a salsa night. Take their drop-in class and learn the basics. After class, stick around and try a few dances with your fellow students. How does it feel?

Classes

If it was a good experience, sign up for a class series. On the right is a list of some of the better local instructors, followed by a few notes.

Century Ballroom is Seattle’s #1 salsa mecca. Whether you take classes there or not, you’ll almost certainly wind up dancing there. In fact, some people say there’s no other salsa club worth visiting. Century’s instructors teach salsa, bachata and tango. I also took a really cool cha-cha-cha class there. (Note: Century’s classes can be pretty big, which has its pros and cons.)

Salsa Con Todo offers pretty intense salsa and bachata classes and workshops. Vassili is also a singer and musician, adding another dimension to the class. The classes might be a little fast-paced for some, but you’ll definitely get your money’s worth, if you can absorb it all. There were quite a few students in the classes I took there.

Salsa N Seattle recently moved into a new studio and upgraded their website. They offer salsa and bachata classes. I think their classes tend to be a little smaller, which means a better teacher to student ratio.

Rico Bravo is probably the area’s best known choreographer. He’s also the driving force behind the annual Seattle Salsa Congress.

Salsaymotion’s instructors probably offer a more impressive collection of talent than any other local school - Samantha Brava, Johnny Bravo, Rico Bravo, Jr. and Tatiana. I believe their main studio is on the Eastside (Bellevue), though they may teach in Seattle, also.

Maiensy Sanchez is a very talented individual - dancer, musician, etc. - from Cuba.

If you’re looking for an all around Latin dance teacher, check out Michelle Badion. She teaches everything from salsa to tango to blues dancing - a pretty impressive résumé. You definitely want to subscribe to her e-mail ("Michelle Badion Dance Events"); it’s very informative.

DanceWorks Studio is on the Eastside (Redmond), but it appears to be pretty popular with some Seattle dancers. They offer dance classes and have a fair-sized dance floor.

On2 Salsa

If you’re ready to advance to On2 salsa, check out Mambo U, which has quickly emerged as one of Seattle’s most popular salsa schools. One of Seattle’s top salsa competitors, Eduardo Aguirre (E. Mayimbe) also teaches On2 salsa. He used to offer free beginner classes at the Seattle Center. (I have a hard time keeping up with all the latest changes, which is one reason I decided to scrap this website, which seemed perpetually outdated.)

Note: Most Seattle salsa instructors can dance and teach On2, though their group lessons are typically On1.

Ballroom Instructors

There are a number of differences between ballrooms and the club scene...and I still don’t know enough about it to understand all those differences.

However, it’s worth noting that salsa isn’t an official ballroom dance, though mambo is - and mambo is essentially a nickname for On2 salsa. Make of it what you will, but one good thing about ballroom instructors is that they generally have their acts together; there are lots of flaky salsa instructors out there, but you won’t find many of them teaching in ballrooms.

On the negative side, ballroom classes can be really expensive. Nevertheless, if regular Latin dance classes don’t work for you, but you still want to learn how to dance, you might try the ballroom scene.

Below are some local ballrooms (or similar schools) that teach various Latin dances. Some even offer salsa classes.

Abaya’s Ballroom
American Dance Institute
Arthur Murray
DanceSport International
Washington Dance Club

More Tips

Many beginners appear to be intimidated by the club scene. They may want to learn how to dance before they rub elbows with the hot shots and the sharks. But there’s a catch...

Suppose you spend a year investing time and money in classes, only to discover that you can’t stand your local salsa scene?

I strongly suggest you check out some clubs early in your salsa career. You don’t even have to dance; you can just grab a beer and observe.

There are some huge differences between Century Ballroom, China Harbor and Babalu. I’m not saying one is better than the other; they’re just different. However, Century Ballroom is generally recognized as the best dance club for beginners, so you may want to check it out first.

If you’re a guy, and you check out a club that has just seven visitors - four guys and three women (two of them with their boyfriends) - or if all the guests appear to be part of the Greater Seattle Salsa Clique, you may as well go home. Or maybe you ask someone to dance, only to discover that they don’t know how to dance your style, or they’re not on your level.

After a while, you’ll understand the importance of socials - informal dances, often held at dance studios. Socials give you a chance to learn how to dance before you venture out to the clubs - and some dancers who find the club scene a little bleak never seem to get away from the social scene.

Beyond Salsa

Unfortunately, I never got far beyond salsa, so I can only offer a few brief comments.

Bachata is very popular in Seattle; I’d venture to guess it’s the second most popular Latin dance after salsa. I spent some time researching Bachata, which has an intriguing history. I think people dance reggaeton at a few local clubs.

Seattle has a samba scene, but it’s much smaller than the salsa community, which sometimes seems incestuously small itself.

Tango is reportedly even harder to learn than salsa, and the social scene is said to be a lot tougher, too. But it must be popular, as there are lots of tango instructors out there.

There’s also a small flamenco scene, though flamenco isn’t generally regarded as a social dance.

For a number of reasons, I’ve decided to scrap the Seattle Salsa website, except for the home page and this page - which is sort of a condensed version of the original site, which I never had time to really finish.

I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to pull the plug on the Seattle Salsa Calendar. I may launch a new, improved version, if I can find the time.

It would be nice to hear comments from others who have explored Seattle’s Latin dance scene. It would be especially helpful to hear from people who bailed out. What drove you away? What suggestions do you have for beginners?

You can post comments here.

Oh, yes - I’m going to continue developing the main SeaLatin site, including a series of salsa articles that are still half finished. Viva la musica!