Hola, mi amigos, and welcome back from your Christmas hols.

First of all, for those returning to salsa classes after the long(ish) break, it’s good to have you back. For those who are new to us at todo latino, welcome.

Classes started this week with a doozy. We had a decent absolute beginner’s class (starting from January 10th, running until the week of Feb 28th, 2011, with another new eight week course beginning in the week starting on March 07th, 2011, and on and on).

As I was saying, the absolute beginner’s class was great (really eager students), and then a big beginner’s salsa class. Absolutely amazing. The energy was off the charts, everyone had a great time, learned a step or three.

As if that wasn’t coolness enough, the icing on this cake  was the fact that we have some students coming from other classes to see what we were like. Great to have you on board dudes! Come on in, the floor is fed.

Again, because we can’t say it or thank you enough: we  do love the fact that you’ve heard about us, and are curious enough to come and see what we do here, at Todo Latino Dance Co, but we need to make some issues clear.

Straight up, we don’t do calli salsa, nor do we do linea de baile. Nope, not New York salsa either. We do classic salsa and Dominican salsa. Not to say that other kinds of dances are terrible (because if it keeps you moving and happy, it’s not terrible. It’s all good), but that’s not what we do. It doesn’t hurt to ask at reception, or read the website, or text or call Amanda to double check.  You can still come (of course!), but at least you’ll know what not to expect.

In addition to all of the above, you do need to honestly access your level of dance competence before you  pay for the level of class selected. The thing is,  after you’ve paid up, we can’t refund you for a class that you’re going to be struggling in, especially if the receptionist will ask the following questions: have you done salsa before? For how long? What’s your competence level? Can you do and do you know the basic sixteen steps by name and function?  And oh my Gawd are those Jimmy Choos ?(Okay, the last question is just me being nosy, but are they?).

Please, please, please if you’ve only done two classes of salsa with a year in between each class, no you can’t come to beginner’s salsa. That is above and beyond your competency level.

Please don’t, because you’ll be frustrated, and you’ll find the class too fast, and the tutor ‘too strict’ (because at this level, he or she will rightly assume that by stepping on the dance floor, you do know what you’re doing).

There’s a reason for Amanda having to be so strict. You see, if you dance wrongly, many things can go wrong (and will!) such as: you can pull your partner’s shoulder from its socket, punch him/her in the nose, mistakenly grope your partner (because you weren’t taught to shift the position of your hands at the basic level – especially if you only did two lessons, a year in between each one, and not eight hours of lessons) and just being a danger to self as well as the other students.

This is why the receptionist (me!) will be an utterly nosey Parker  and pepper you with questions. Because if I don’t, and you go on the floor and err, it might not be something as simple as stepping on someone’s toes.

Wow, this post got real serious, real quick, didn’t it? But I thought that with a new year and all (and with some experience under my belt), we’d just do best starting as we mean to go on. Yes? Yes.

Right, I have some amazing news coming up soon.  But that’s for later, not now.

Oh all right,  you’re absolutely <i>gasping</i> for a hint, I know. It starts with Z, has five letters, and its the exercise of the moment. But more on that anon.

In other great news, we have a cool yoga class starting up this week. It’s yoganova – energising and mellow yoga done by a teacher called Emma and she’s quite competent and smart. Also, yoga would be a great compliment to your salsa dancing. You dance, and then you stretch, and no part of your body will be left unturned. Or untrimmed.

C’mon down, amigos, you know you want to.

I will see you there!