n00bdancer
Changui
I've been dancing salsa for 5 months and have probably done around 400-500 hours of salsa at this point. Though, looking back, I feel that I was pretty stupid and ignorant when I just started.
After only two classes, I went to a salsa party because I saw that it was free on Eventbrite and I was bored during a long weekend. Most people were surprisingly nice about it, but one woman understandably told me that I needed to take more classes and that people can get frustrated when someone does not know what they are doing.
During my first week, after taking only three classes, I also walked into an “advanced beginner” partnerwork class labeled Levels 1 and 2. I was completely lost. Somehow, I assumed that “Levels 1 and 2” meant it was broadly beginner-friendly, rather than understanding that many people in that class might already have years of experience. After that, I avoided the class for about two months until I felt confident that I was ready. I realized that showing up without the necessary fundamentals was not only unfair to followers, but could also create safety issues.
What confuses me is how unaware I was of the depth of skill involved in salsa. Before making those decisions, I could have done a quick Google search and gained at least a basic understanding of how salsa classes and social dancing work.
Since then, I have developed a strong grasp of the fundamentals and feel pretty comfortable social dancing. I have objectively put in the work, taking classes for 10–20 hours each week and practicing regularly at socials. Still, I sometimes feel embarrassed that my salsa journey began from such complete ignorance.
I also do not feel like most newcomers are generally as unaware as I was. It now just seems like common sense to me that salsa is highly structured and requires a lot of training.
Was I unusually ignorant when I started, or is this kind of misunderstanding more common than I realize?
After only two classes, I went to a salsa party because I saw that it was free on Eventbrite and I was bored during a long weekend. Most people were surprisingly nice about it, but one woman understandably told me that I needed to take more classes and that people can get frustrated when someone does not know what they are doing.
During my first week, after taking only three classes, I also walked into an “advanced beginner” partnerwork class labeled Levels 1 and 2. I was completely lost. Somehow, I assumed that “Levels 1 and 2” meant it was broadly beginner-friendly, rather than understanding that many people in that class might already have years of experience. After that, I avoided the class for about two months until I felt confident that I was ready. I realized that showing up without the necessary fundamentals was not only unfair to followers, but could also create safety issues.
What confuses me is how unaware I was of the depth of skill involved in salsa. Before making those decisions, I could have done a quick Google search and gained at least a basic understanding of how salsa classes and social dancing work.
Since then, I have developed a strong grasp of the fundamentals and feel pretty comfortable social dancing. I have objectively put in the work, taking classes for 10–20 hours each week and practicing regularly at socials. Still, I sometimes feel embarrassed that my salsa journey began from such complete ignorance.
I also do not feel like most newcomers are generally as unaware as I was. It now just seems like common sense to me that salsa is highly structured and requires a lot of training.
Was I unusually ignorant when I started, or is this kind of misunderstanding more common than I realize?
