Q - DO I NEED A PARTNER TO TAKE A CLASS?
A - No you do not need a partner to participate in our classes. If you have a partner, that's great. But if you do not have one, a partner would be provided to you at the class. We generally rotate partners throughout the class, this also gives you the opportunity to meet new people and have fun. 

Q - WHAT IS A COURSE?
A - A course is a month long series of classes which are of a specific genre/subject and a specific level. The course-classes are held once a week, so each course usually consists of 4 classes per month (sometimes 5)

Q - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CLASS AND A COURSE?
A - A class is a single 1 hour (50 min) session of a specific genre/subject. A class can be a stand-alone or can be part of a progressive series of classes "Course". A course is a month long series of classes which are of a specific genre/subject and a specific level. The course-classes are held once a week, so each course usually consists of 4 classes per month (sometimes 5).

Q - WHAT DO THE NUMBERS FOLLOWING THE COURSE NAME MEAN?
A - The course number is a three number designation for each course in a given cycle. The progressive courses are numbered sequentially to identify the course position within the series (Cycle). The first number represents the level and the last number represents the course position in the series. For example, the course number for the Salsa level two (2) course held in March (month number 3) would be Salsa 203.

Q - CAN I DO A DROP-IN INTO ANY CLASS?
A - No you do not need a partner to participate in our classes. If you have a partner, that's great. But if you do not have one, a partner would be provided to you at the class.

Q - HOW ARE THE LEVELS ORGANIZED?
A - A level is a categorization of student knowledge and skill. Students can progress from level to level as they go through the curriculum. There is an evaluation at the end of each “cycle” to determine which students move to the next level.There are currently 3 levels offered at Somos. Level 1 (Basic Beginner), Level 2 (Intermediate Beginner), Level 3 (Advanced Beginner).

Q - WHAT IS A CYCLE?
​A - A cycle is a 6-month consecutive series of courses. In this 6-month period, students go through progressively increasing courses within each level (101 -> 102 -> 103 …etc). At the end of the cycle, students can elect to retake the current level to solidify their knowledge and increase their confidence or opt to take an evaluation to test into the next level. Entry into the next subsequent level is not guaranteed and is based on demonstrated proficiency in predetermined rubrics that would be scored during the evaluation.

Q - WHAT IS THE EVALUATION?​
A - The evaluation is an assessment performed by the students that would like to demonstrate proficiency and eligibility to be in a given level. The evaluation is usually conducted at the end of a cycle when students are intending to move to the next level. However, the evaluation can indeed be conducted at any time during the cycle. Entry into the next subsequent level is not guaranteed and is based on demonstrated proficiency in predetermined rubrics that would be scored during the evaluation.

Q - WHEN CAN I TAKE AN EVALUATION?​
A - The evaluation is usually conducted at the end of a cycle when students are intending to move to the next level. However, the evaluation can indeed be conducted at any time during the cycle at the request of the student. This special evaluation costs $50.

Q - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COURSE-CLASS AND A STAND-ALONE CLASS?
​A - A course-class is a class that is part of a course that builds progressively on previous classes/information. A stand-alone class is a class that does not build progressively on previous classes/information.


WHAT SHOULD I WEAR TO GO TO DANCE CLASSES?
For classes you should wear comfortable clothes, most people wear workout clothing, such as leggings, sweatpants, shorts, tshirts, etc. but casual clothing is also good.
 
WHAT KIND OF SHOES SHOULD I WEAR?
We recommend shoes with leather or suede soles, in case you don’t own a pair, wear shoes that don’t have too much traction. Dress shoes are generally good, some tennis shoes that have smoother soles, or flats are also good. 
 
WHERE CAN I GET DANCE SHOES?
We sell Yami’s dance shoes at the studio, they are very good quality and very comfortable, you can try them on and if we don’t have the style you like, you can order them online at www.yamishoes.com and you can get an additional discount using our code  SOMOSDANCESTUDIO.  
 
WE'RE COMING FOR A DATE NIGHT, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT?
That is so wonderful, we generally ask our students to rotate however, we understand that this is a special night for you and your partner. If you wish to not rotate, please let the instructor know at the beginning of class so they know the situation.
 
HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR CLASSES?
There are a few ways to do it, you can pay for the drop in fee at the studio when you arrive. But if you wish to purchase a course, we recommend doing it online. Go to www.somos.dance and pick the course you need to sign into.
 
WHAT DOES SOMOS MEAN?
SOMOS means "We Are". It is a representation of unity and the family of SOMOS. We offer a safe place where we learn to dance, we have so much fun, and we learn to express ourselves without the fear of judgment. SOMOS is an inclusive dance family where we welcome people from all backgrounds and make them part of the family. WE LOVE PEOPLE!

HOW DO I REGISTER FOR CLASSES? 
To register, go to the "classes" page on the website (www.somos.dance) and pick the course you would like to enroll in.

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IS THERE A DROP-IN OPTION?
Yes. There are certain classes you can drop-in to. Some include Zumba, Yoga, and the footwork classes. As far as the courses go (Salsa, Mambo, Bachata, and Rueda), we don't have the drop-in option since the classes are progressive, which means that we build on from previous weeks. So sign up for the whole course. You'll learn so much!

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALSA AND MAMBO?
The main difference between Salsa and Mambo is the count on which the break step is taken. The break step on Salsa is taken on the "1" (hence the term "dancing on1) whereas the break step on Mambo is taken on the "2" (hence the term "dancing on2"). There is more to it than that so come to the classes to find out more and learn about the history, the rhythms and the styles to understand them better. 

HOW MUCH ARE CLASSES?There are so many types of dance lessons, classes and courses. Pricing varies quite a bit. You can find pricing list at www.rastasalsadance.com/purchase-pass

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WHAT IS RUEDA?

"Rueda" is a style of salsa dancing which originated in Cuba, where couples form a big circle and execute turn patterns in unison to the calls of a single leader. In Rueda, instead of each couple dancing individually, couples form a circle and perform moves together to the calls (and often hand signals) of one person known as the “líder” or “cantante”. There is a strong communal aspect to Rueda, as all the dancers must work together to execute the complex patterns and partner switches. Because of the standardized dance moves in Rueda, it’s easy to organize a flashmob with synchronized dancing without having to memorize a long choreography beforehand. Rueda is perhaps the most standardized form of salsa dancing since every move has a name and there is a standard set of moves that all Rueda dancers know.

 

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT LEVEL CLASS I SHOULD SIGN UP FOR?

To know what level will best suit you, you will need to attend one of the evaluation sessions that we offer at the end of each month. Here we will see if you have the skills to be at the level you are trying to register for, or to move on to the next level.

We highly recommend going through this process because the lessons/courses are progressive and if you don’t have the right skills, you may feel lost.

 

WHAT KIND OF SHOES DO I WEAR TO DANCE?

If you don’t have dance shoes, then you should wear shoes that don’t have much grip on the sole. Try looking for shoes that have smooth soles, like suede.

We also offer dance shoes in our dance studio; they are beautiful and very comfortable. Come check them out!

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WHAT SHOULD I WEAR FOR SALSA CLASSES?

We recommend that you wear comfortable clothes, like T-shirts, tank-tops, yoga pants, sweat pants, jeans, etc.

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DO YOU OFFER PRIVATE LESSONS?

Yes, we do offer private lessons. You can talk directly to the instructors you want to learn from and book with them.

Private lessons are so great, especially if you want to advance faster in your dance journey.

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DO YOU HAVE PRACTICE SESSIONS?

We have some practice session ran by our students, we have a whatsapp group where they organize their sessions.

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