Salsa is more than just a dance; it’s a global language of rhythm and joy! From its roots in New York and the Caribbean to its status as a social dance phenomenon, Salsa is the ultimate way to stay active while making new friends. At Motion Arts Center, we specialize in L.A. Style (Salsa On1), focusing on the timing, elegance, and dynamic energy that makes this style so popular.
Expert Instruction for All Levels: Whether you are taking your very first step or are an experienced dancer looking to master intricate patterns, our instructors guide you through every lead, follow, and turn.
A Vibrant Downtown Atmosphere: Located in the heart of San Mateo, we offer a friendly and supportive environment where you can learn a new skill and truly let the music move you.
To help you gain the confidence to shine on your own, we highly recommend our Salsa/Bachata Solo Basics class. This “solo” session focuses on the essential footwork, body mechanics, and isolations that make Salsa so captivating—no partner required. Are you an absolute beginner? If you are new to Salsa, we highly recommend you start with this class!
Salsa/Bachata Solo Basics: New to Salsa? Start Here! This is a fun, beginner-friendly class focused on dancing without a partner. You’ll learn essential Salsa footwork, timing, and rhythm, plus clean body mechanics and coordination. We’ll break everything down step-by-step, so you build confidence fast and actually feel the music. Expect drills, easy combinations, and styling tips you can use right away on the social dance floor.
Beginner Level Class: In this class you will learn the fundamentals of Salsa. The basic footwork, turns, body movements and how to lead/follow to feel comfortable dancing with a partner, be able to improvise and get you ready for the social dance floor!
Pre-Intermediate Level Class: You’ve learned the fundamentals, you can lead or follow the basic turns, and you’ve had a taste of the social dance floor. What’s next? If you’re not quite ready for the speed and complexity of our Intermediate class, our Pre-Intermediate level is your perfect next step! This class is dedicated to helping you transition smoothly from a beginner to an intermediate dancer. We will review and polish the essential techniques while introducing new concepts that will build your vocabulary and confidence. The focus here is on connection, combinations, and control.
*Pre-requisite: Completion of our Salsa Beginner Level class consistently for a period of 6 months or a solid understanding of the basic step, right and left turns, cross body leads, basic partner connection, open to close position and right to right, left to left hand position. This is the perfect class to build confidence and flow.
Intermediate Level Class: This is the right class if you have been taking consistently our Pre-Intermediate Level Class for a period of at least 1 year (this will depend on your pace of learning) or by the teachers recommendation. In this class you will learn more intricate patterns, turns, arm styling, body isolations and musicality, all while building the confidence and vocabulary you need to feel even better dancing on the social floor!
To learn about what we teach in each class please visit our Class Descriptions page.
For the most common questions about our classes please see our FAQ’s page.
We look forward to see you in class soon! If you have any questions please Contact Us.
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