Where can I find you?
All salsa sessions are held in the Foundry and/or the Park; two adjoining rooms in the University of Sheffield Union of Students Building, on Glossop Road, Sheffield. The Street Jive lessons are conducted in the Raynor Lounge, also in the same building.

When are your classes?
The Street Jive lessons run every Sunday evening, from 7:00pm through to 9:00pm. The Salsa lessons run every Saturday afternoon, from 3:10pm through to 5:10pm and often include a half-hour Merengue lesson as well.

Where’s the society notice board?
It’s on the pillar opposite Copyshop, in the Student Union Building.

Do the lessons run throughout the year?
At present no, but we're working on it. All of the venues are part of the Students’ Union, and are only available to us during the academic year. This normally means from the end of September through to the middle of June, with breaks for Christmas and Easter. If you’re in doubt contact us or the Students’ Union, and we’ll be happy to help.

Must I be a student to come to the lessons?
Definitely not! We have a healthy proportion of non-students and positively encourage more to join in. All of our members enjoy and value the society’s great diversity.

Do I need any previous experience?
Again, definitely not. Let us worry about that. You just worry about how to get here.

I’ve got two left feet (and have the bruises to prove it)! Is there any hope?
Bisinistrapedisitis can be cured. It is a two-step process (ha-ha) involving the transformation of one left foot into a right foot, followed by the infusion of dance skill. Quite easy really, if you can walk, you can dance. Another solution is to match you up with a two right-footed partner.

What clothes or footwear should I wear?
Anything you want. However, you may be required to execute turns, so you may find that shoes with rubber soles are not so suitable. We’re still waiting for someone to turn up with big frilly sleeves.

Do I have to bring a (dancing) partner with me?
That’s not necessary at all. Many of us show up to the lesson on our own or with friends of the same gender. You’ll get your partners when you get here.

What kind of music do you play?
We play contemporary Latin American music, mainly Salsa, Merengue and Latin Pop. The sound varies a lot, from big and bold, to smooth and with a groove. We do try to keep the music accessible.

Can you recommend any music to me?
Yes we can, and we do. There’s a list of recommended tracks to learn to, and another list of albums that we think are worth investigating in this web site. So go and look for them, and you might well find something interesting along the way.

Where can I get more information about Latin music and dances?
Check our resource lists on books and videos. Dredge the web by looking at our links, as well as using the search engines. Another useful source of information is the liner notes of music CDs; those can be particularly enlightening.

I’ve heard of the style called Rueda de Casino. What is it?
That’s an essay in itself. “Rueda” means wheel or circle. Rueda de Casino is a style of dancing salsa in co-ordinated groups that supposedly originated in the Casino ballroom in Cuba. A “caller” shouts out a move or sequence of moves which dancers, arranged in a circle, execute. Occasionally dancers change their partners all at the same time. It’s a bit like a cross between salsa and ceilidh. The style is loosely called “Rueda”, “Casino-style salsa” or “Rueda de Casino”. This is potentially a source of confusion for those new to our level two, since we have a rueda style of our own (based on the Cuban phrase “hacer una rueda con el/ella”). So, we distinguish the both by calling OUR level two style the “Rueda”, and the other one “Casino”.

I’m thinking of holding an event with a Latin flavour to it. Can you help?
Yes. We can provide Latin music DJs and dance instructors in addition to other services. Check out our services page, and contact us.

Do you teach lots of fancy moves?
We do teach more complex combinations at the higher levels, after we are sure that the best foundations are laid down so that you can execute them with ease. However, we don’t just teach the moves for the sake of it, we normally use them to show illustrate a particular dance principle. That way, once you understand the principles, you can make up moves on your own and will seldom go to others for new moves.

Can I learn to dance from videos?
Maybe. It all depends on how well the content of the video is made, and there are very many of them around nowadays. Of course videos come into their own if you don’t have easy access to lessons, in which case they provide a necessary alternative. More experienced dancers tend to use them as a source of ideas and inspiration.

Do you do demonstrations?
The society is primarily a teaching society but we can facilitate demonstrations, providing our dancers are available.

I get a lot of conflicting messages/points of view about salsa. Which is the right one?
The defining aspects of salsa (music and dance) are as hotly debated as the Process of Creation. With so many theories and opinions flying around, probably the best way is to listen and consider as many as you can, and settle for the one that you like the most.

Do I need previous experience as a salsa dancer in order to join the Teacher’s course?
Experience is a double-edged sword. On one side, you have a head start. On the other hand, you might have bad habits to unlearn which take twice as much effort to overcome. No, you don’t need previous experience so long as you’re willing to work hard at it.

Is Rob (Attaran) the King of Sleazy Moves?
You bet. Never trust a man in shiny trousers.

Are there any rules about asking someone to dance?
Not in our society. We encourage everybody to dance with everyone else, including the teachers. On the particular case of less experienced dancers asking more experienced ones, don’t be afraid to do so. Only those who have forgotten what it was like to be a beginner would turn you down without good reason; and they would not have been worth dancing with.