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Frequently Asked Questions

About the classes

1) Can I join the salsa classes without a dance partner?

Yes, you can join salsa classes without a partner! Cuban Salsa Leuven ensures you’ll have someone to dance with.

Latin dance is a very social hobby and many students enrol without a dance partner. You are welcome to come alone, with a partner, with a friend or in a group. In case you enrol without dance partner, we will make sure you have one in the class. We change partners regularly during classes to give you the chance to meet and dance with other students. If you come as a couple that's completely fine as well, you can stay together but we would encourage you to join in with changing partners as you will find it very helpful when you begin social dancing.

2) In which language are the classes?

The classes are in English because of the international character of Leuven. Our teachers also speak Dutch, so we can always translate.

If needed, we’re happy to assist with additional explanations in Dutch, French or other languages where possible.

3) Where are the classes?

Almost all of our classes are in Heilig Hartinstituut Heverlee, Naamsesteenweg 355. There is a big free parking on the domain and it's easily accessible by bike (if you live in Leuven center) or by car.

When you enrol for a series, you will receive an e-mail with a map so you can easily find the dance hall.

Please check this email for the exact classroom location on the campus.

4) Which clothes/shoes should I wear in class?

Wondering what to wear to salsa classes? Choose comfortable clothes and shoes that allow easy movement.

Salsa is a Cuban street dance, so you can wear what you feel comfortable with. You can wear normal sneakers, or dance shoes, heels… whatever you want! 

5) How many classes are in a series?

Usually our series consist of 10 classes.

6) Do we stay with the same partner during the dance class?

You can decide! We change partners regularly during classes to give you the chance to meet and dance with other students. If you come as a couple that's completely fine as well, you can stay together but we would encourage you to join in with changing partners as you will find it very helpful when you begin social dancing.

7) How do you make sure the balance leaders-followers is ok?

When we need more leaders or more followers for a certain class, we invite leaders/followers from a higher level to come and help for free. The condition is that you are currently following classes in a higher level. For the students following this class this is good because it makes the balance good. For the helpers it is also good because they have extra practice and they meet new people.

8) Which level should I choose?

If you have previous experience with Cuban Salsa and related dances, you can contact us and we’ll figure out together which level would be optimal for you. At your first attendance in class, the teacher we’ll see how skilled you are in your movement and decide if you should stay at that level or move to another level.

The sequence of the series is: Beginners 1 > Beginners 2 > Intermediate 1 > Intermediate 2 > Intermediate 3 > Advanced.

9) Can I try a class for free?

Yes! Your first class at our school is a free try-out class.

10) What is the price for the dance classes?

Price for 1 series of 10 classes: € 90

Price for 2 series of 10 classes: € 160 (discount € 20)

Price for 3 series of 10 classes: € 230 (discount € 45)

Your first class at our school is a free try-out class.

Beginners 1 early-bird: € 85 instead of € 90 if you pay before the start of the series

11) What to do when I cannot make it to a class?

When you cannot make it to a class, please let us know as soon as possible. This way, we can keep an eye on the balance leader-follower in class. If you inform us on time (before 10 AM on the day of the class), you can recuperate the missed class by attending another class.

12) The series I want to follow has already started. Can I still join?

Normally yes. In general it is possible and allowed to join a series even if you mist the first classes. Missing the first 1 or 2 classes usually doesn't give too big problems for catching up. Our teachers are also happy to help you with this. If you missed more classes, it is also possible but the challenge gets bigger. If you're up for a challenge, you can try ;-)

About the School

13) Why choose Cuban Salsa Leuven?

We are the only school in Leuven that is focused entirely on teaching the dances that originated from Cuba and we are very passionate about the Cuban culture. We are therefore determined to provide you with the best Cuban dance experience. In our experience, the best way to begin to learn Salsa is through a very structured process, with lots of opportunities for repetition and practice.

We don’t only focus on teaching you the correct steps/figures that every dancer knows. We believe that dance is so much more than that. Through our dance classes, workshops and bootcamps we also teach you the meaning that is hidden behind certain moves and how they are connected with Cuban history and culture. We teach you about various Afro-Cuban dances and elements that can be incorporated in salsa to make it more dynamic and fun to watch and dance. We teach you how to listen to music and become one with it. We teach you how to communicate with the partner and add flavour to your movements.

But most importantly, our ultimate goal is to give you fun and help you become confident in your movement, fall in love with the dance and express yourself through it.

14) What makes Cuban salsa/salsa Cubana different from other salsa styles?

There are 3 main styles: Cuban, Crossbody (LA/NY) and Columbian. We teach Cuban style, as it is one of the most popular styles around the world, and the most authentic form of salsa. We love the energy in the music and the dance, the body movement, the rich cultural heritage. Cuban style salsa differs from the North American salsa styles in that it is ‘circular’ rather than linear. However on the dance floor, we meet dancers from all styles.

15) When do you start new series?

We start new series every trimester, so around January/February, April, July and September/October.

16) Do you offer private salsa classes, wedding dance choreography, teambuilding events?

Yes, we do! Please mail us as info@cubansalsaleuven.be or contact us at +32490116109 (call, SMS or WhatsApp)

17) Does Cuban Salsa Leuven organize other dance activities?

We do! Besides dance classes, we organize other activities:

• Fiesta Cubana - every third Saturday of the month

Monthly 100% Cuban party starting with an open level salsa workshop. Often in the afternoon we also organise a 3-hour bootcamp in a specific topic to extend and improve our knowledge of Cuban dances. All these events are for both advanced dancers and absolute beginners. The sooner you go to parties, the sooner you have an amazing amount of fun and social contact!

For all our events you can keep an eye on this website or on our Facebook page.

18) Do you have gift cards?

Yes, we do, you can even choose the amount we put on the card! You can use them as a present for birthdays, Christmas, New Year or any other occasion!

19) Are you still looking for volunteers, teachers or enthusiastic helpers?

We always do! We are a non-profit organisation totally based on enthusiastic volunteers to make this school a very nice place for everyone! If you want to help with events, marketing, teaching... we would be very grateful! Email us with a short message about your interests or skills!

20) What is your refund policy?

Our courses, bootcamps and other events are non-refundable, except when it is cancelled by Cuban Salsa Leuven. Enrolments are personal, and you cannot sell your place or ticket to another person.
If you miss a class, we can invite you to attend an alternative class to the one you missed. If you miss multiple classes due to unexpected circumstances, contact us and we will find a solution.

If a class, series, bootcamp or other event is cancelled by Cuban Salsa Leuven, all paying participants will receive a refund in the form or credit to their own account.

21) Can we follow Cuban Salsa Leuven on social media?

Yes, you can follow Cuban Salsa Leuven on social media:

• Follow us on Facebook 
• Follow us on Instagram
• Check our videos on Youtube and subscribe to our channel

General questions

22) Is dancing in a couple only reserved for a man and a woman?

No, not at all! In most of the cases, the man is dancing the leader steps and the woman is responding with follower steps. But since we live in the twenty-first century and in an open-minded society, the leading and the following role is not strictly linked to gender anymore. Anyone can be the leader or the follower in a couple and couples don’t have to be mixed! The only rule is that you dance the steps you are most comfortable in.

23) How long will it take before I'm a good dancer?

This depends on a number of factors. Like learning any other skill, a positive attitude, consistent attendance and plenty of practice between classes will give you the best chance of making fast progress in Salsa. Don't be afraid of making mistakes and remember to keep focusing on the enjoyment factor which will help you to relax and be more receptive to learning.

Learning how to dance is like learning foreing languages - the more you practise, the faster you will improve!

24) I never learned any dance before. Can I still come to your classes?

Absolutely! In our beginner classes, we will start at the very beginning and adjust the teaching to the capabilities of the students. We will provide you with a step-by-step explanation of the figures and body movement, we will enable you enough time to learn how to move and we will help you with corrections along the way. Everyone can become a confident dancer with a little bit of practice ;)

25) What if I have two left feet and no sense of rhythm?

Don't worry, you really don't have two left feet and there is never any pressure in our classes, just fun and enjoying! At Cuban Salsa Leuven, we believe that everyone can learn to dance. So let us take the challenge to help and entertain you while you just concentrate on having fun and you'll find yourself dancing in no time! We also believe that all our students are brilliant (we're a bit biased) so relax and enjoy the ride - it's going to be amazing!

26) Am I too old/too young to join?

Cuban salsa is appropriate for EVERYBODY. The dance community is very diverse, full of people of different ages, sexes, nationalities and professions. You’ll always find like-minded people at dance classes and parties. It is not uncommon to find best friends or even life partners within the dance community!

Salsa dancers come in all shapes and sizes so unless your doctor has advised you not to salsa, you can salsa! It is a gentle, fun form of exercise so it is suitable for people of all fitness levels. It doesn't feel like exercise so it can help you get in shape while having fun!

27) Injuries

The dance school is not responsible for any injuries that are caused by dancing, even if the injury has come up during one of our events or classes. By attending dance events, a person understands the risks related to physical activity and should check beforehand that he/she has an appropriate physical condition.

28) Can you recommend some Cuban music to dance on?

Definitely we can! There is so much great Cuban music, it is unbelievable!

We have created two great Spotify playlists for you:

• "Cuban Salsa Leuven" with all our favorite songs: listen here!
• "Cuban Salsa Beginners" with slow songs for beginners: listen here!