Salsa is the best hobby I've ever had - how do I recommend salsa/partner dancing?

[n00bdancer]

I started salsa about 3 months ago as a 22-year-old guy in NYC, and it has honestly become the best thing I’ve discovered since moving here about 10 months ago.

A lot of people my age spend weekends going to bars and partying. I've only been to one bar party during my time in NYC, and that experience made me never go back to a bar party ever again. What really made me surprised is that people will just go to bars, drink alcohol, stand around and do nothing, and not even talk with each other. While I respect other's enjoyment of that, I saw it as pretty superficial and it just wasn't for me.

What hooked me is that salsa is both technical and social. You take classes, practice, improve, and then apply what you learned at socials with real people. Compared to bars or parties, where people often just stand around drinking, salsa feels much more meaningful and deep to me. There's music, skill, connection, and a real learning curve.

I stumbled across salsa in a somewhat sporadic way. My new year's resolution was to find more hobbies. Before salsa, I went to language exchanges to practice Spanish. I also played rec sports but did it more consistently during the new year.

I discovered salsa first by going to some casual free dance classes for a few weeks, where they did a different type of dance each week (disco, hip-hop, etc). They did one salsa class, but to be honest, it wasn't thought that well (guy wasn't a certified instructor or anything - it was more casual event), and I don't think that made me interested in salsa specifically yet.

The next day, I think I just saw two free intro salsa classes at a dance studio and decided to go. The same day, I saw another event for a free salsa party, and just decided to go out of boredom. As I have mentioned before, looking back, I was definitely a complete noob and did some "cringe" things, but I probably wouldn't have become as committed to salsa had I not gone. After that social, I signed up for a membership at a studio and started taking classes.

I could never have imagined how salsa has changed my life. I'm always eager to go to socials and further practice and refine my dancing skills. Learning or practicing new skills in classes is something I look forward to every day.

Salsa is so great, that I think: "How come I didn't discover this earlier?"

I would honestly recommend that anyone learns salsa or some type of partner dance, assuming you are fortunate enough to afford it and dedicate time to it.

Because of that, I kind of want to recommend salsa or partner dancing to family and friends. But I also don’t want to sound overbearing or like I’m trying to “convert” people. It can also be expensive, so I understand why someone might question whether it’s worth the money. One of my siblings (when I first told him I was learning salsa) even questioned why I would spend X dollars a month on salsa if I had not a workplace reimbursement benefit; though I understand his point about money, since understandably he just doesn't perceive the value of salsa (yet). Though relatively, salsa isn't too expensive given what else one would spend their money on and it generally doesn't necessarily break savings; especially in my case, since salsa is the only hobby I really spend money on.

Honestly, I think salsa or partner dancing could help a lot of people. How would you best recommend salsa or partner dancing to people in a clear, non-pushy way? Especially to people who don’t yet understand the appeal?

 

[TokyoDancerDoll]

Welcome to the wonderful addiction that is salsa! Haha, you sound like me when I first started Well, actually, I’m pretty much still the same amount of obsessed almost 4 years later…I’m constantly inviting all my friends, family, and coworkers to try salsa, I already gave up on being subtle and not trying to sound like an obsessed crazy person. But I think with my already loud, bubbly personality people aren’t so surprised if I’m trying to drag them to come dance salsa with me

I’ve unfortunately discovered though, that for some people, dance, especially pair dance just isn’t their cup of tea. I can’t understand how anyone couldn’t love salsa, but also I don’t understand how people can eat mushrooms without gagging so to each their own I guess. I have been able to convert a lot of people to the wonderful world of salsa though, and have met some of the best people I’ve ever known

 

[Offbeat]

Salsa isn't that expensive. Most people take once or twice a week group classes. If they get hooked, they will continue that. And go regularly to socials. Smaller places have less number of socials. In big scenes you can go more than once a week.

People go far often to the bar and spend on alcohol than Salsa. Shoes are initially single biggest expense. Later you might spend on privates or travelling to festivals. That is when it starts getting expensive. In scene like mine I know number of people who never took privates and only been to a festival once or twice in ten years or more..

So far I haven't seen anyone suffee negative consequences due to their Salsa addiction.

 

[1derpalm]

I had suffered. I took classes in the closest city. It was 50$ extra or more per week in gas. Plus the cost of the classed (about 30 per week for 2 hours idf i signed up for 6 months)). Plus hotel if I went to congress. Squeezing 4 people into a 2 bedroom was 100 per night. Plus at lest 200 for a full pass, 300 if you bought late. Twice per year. Driving 5 hour round trip to Toronto once or twice per week to better my was 60$ per trip. Proper dance shoes: Peter pan looking practice flats were 60$ Blocque dance shoes that are ugly were 100$ fuegos which I didn't buy are 150 jow I belive (cad).
The next best thing for shoes that were nice were about 160$ so over the course of 6 months that is about 2640$ in gas (the 60 to Toronto can be sometimes carpooled if you can get people), but lessons were solo. 369$ for entrance to socials. And about 400 for lessons (at the time). So $3400(cad) in 6 months, excluding dance shoes (about $120) and congress.

 

[n00bdancer]

Salsa isn't that expensive. Most people take once or twice a week group classes. If they get hooked, they will continue that. And go regularly to socials. Smaller places have less number of socials. In big scenes you can go more than once a week.

People go far often to the bar and spend on alcohol than Salsa. Shoes are initially single biggest expense. Later you might spend on privates or travelling to festivals. That is when it starts getting expensive. In scene like mine I know number of people who never took privates and only been to a festival once or twice in ten years or more..

So far I haven't seen anyone suffee negative consequences due to their Salsa addiction.

Yes I agree that it’s not that expensive and that the money is worth it. I pay a couple hundred dollars for my membership which is on the pricy side but I also take like 15-20 classes a week. There are memberships / salsa class packages that are much cheaper that that though it’s usually for 1-2 classes. Main benefit for me is that I got better a bit faster than usual.

But so far I’ve only spent like 15 dollars out of pocket on classes using wellness benefit. It’s really the only thing right now outside of living expenses that I spend money on and the benefit is obviously worth it and improves my health and wellness.

Shoes are actually not that expensive. For a beginner, a 30 dollar shoe of Amazon is more than good enough lol. Though yes higher quality shoes are relatively pricy.

But as I said to someone who doesn’t understand the appeal, they would ask me why I would spend 200 a month on salsa classes rather than saving the money. My sibling literally asked me “you wouldn’t pay 200 dollars for salsa if you didn’t have the benefit right”. While likely I would have just gone with a cheaper studio, his tone made him seem he doubts the benefits of salsa and thinks it’s worth saving that money instead.

 

[noobster]

Honestly, I think salsa or partner dancing could help a lot of people. How would you best recommend salsa or partner dancing to people in a clear, non-pushy way? Especially to people who don’t yet understand the appeal?

Unlikely that you will be able convince your non-dancing friends to become salsa addicts. Some people get their high from dancing; others get it from mountain biking, hang gliding, chess, pottery, or whatever. If salsa isn't their thing, they are just going to find it annoying for you to go prattling on about your personal hobby to people who aren't interested.

Better to keep your non-salsa friendships the way they were and make some new salsa addict friends to go out dancing with.