About Salsa Workshops

What is a salsa workshop?

A workshop is a series of intensive salsa group classes that focus on a defined aspect of the dance led by a professional salsa dance instructor. YA Salsa Workshops are typically led by instructors from other states and run for about 7 hours over a 2 day weekend. Students will get instruction focused on a variety of spinning and styling techniques, leading and following tips, dance floor etiquette

What are YA workshops all about?

The YA workshops were envisioned to expose the Metro Detroit Community to the world of Salsa outside of Michigan. With your support we will invite various instructors and performers from all over the US and Canada to teach intensive master classes. Each session will have classes geared for all levels of dancers.
We also encourage local instructors to attend these workshops. Workshops can be a valuable resource for networking and additional exposure to the various styles students may ask about.

Why should I attend workshops?

What these workshops will do is help put you on a path to becoming the dancer you have always envisioned yourself to be. We have in our minds an idea of how we want to look and feel as we are having fun dancing to our favorite salsa songs. What these workshops can do is show us different and exciting ways to use our body and soul to more accurately express to the outside how the music makes us feel on the inside.

Think of it this way...
The floor is our canvas, our bodies are the paintbrush, and the music is our inspiration. What these workshops can do is show us different and exciting ways to use these tools to create a spontaneous works of art with music and have fun doing it!

What is important to the development of a salsa dancer?

  • First there are the basics:
    Footwork, timing, leading, following, spinning, etc...
  • Then we add some flavor:
    Styling, Body Movements, Shines, Musicality. This is the stuff that makes even the most simple moves we know look fabulous.
  • Putting it all together:
    Learning how to string together moves into smooth, interesting and tricky combinations.
  • Inspiration:
    Of course you cannot be taught this. It is something that triggers one into action. What inspires you will be different for each person but once you find it your dancing will be propeled to a whole new level not thought possible!

These are all things we make sure are covered in every weekend of workshop.

So what makes these workshops valuble?

  1. Breadth of knowlege:
    Every instructor that comes in is different. They each have:
    • Thier own unique style:
      Some are more street/urban, Some have the afro-cuban flavor, Some are more elegant, etc.
    • Their On(X) preference:
      Some dance On1, Some On2, Some do Casino, others will mix all three, etc.
    • Different emphasis on the music:
      They each feel the music in different ways.
    With this much breadth in style, dance preference, and musicality, the dance student is better able to form their own style in the long run. The best dancers are usually those that do not stay within their comfort zones, those that allow themselves to be exposed to the many wonderful styles that exist. Not only do you learn what you like and what style you prefer, you also learn what styles you do not prefer.
  2. Extend your salsa family:
    The YA workshops provide you with a chance to extend your worldwide salsa family. This makes attending other congresses and salsa events outside of Detroit more pleasurable. The worldwide salsa community is smaller than most people think. Most of these instructors are quite approachable; and they rarely forget faces.
  3. Private Access:
    These workshops show us things that we cannot get on a day to day basis in this area. Having the instructors in town provides an easy way to have private lessons with top notch talent from around the country.
  4. Answers to the tough questions:
    Many students (especially those that are technicians) wonder about weight changes, taps, arms, styling details, etc. At workshops, one has the ability to ask the very detailed questions. This is not possible when you purchase a DVD; nor is it possible when you take a workshop at a larger congress.
  5. Sincerity:
    The instructors won't be bashful about cleaning you up or telling you where your tension is too strong, or where you should practice some more, etc...
  6. The Core:
    It seems like every instructor strives to explain what is the "core" for Salsa dancing... fact is, not any one of them know what that is for sure, but they all have a different take on (or piece of) it...by being exposed to the many different takes on this, one really starts to understand what that "core" is...

With your continued passion and support we will continue to do whatever is within our power to expose the Detroit salsa dance community to the vast variety of instructors and styles that are out there waiting for us. Our goal is to offer the tools, knowledge and inspiration for us all to be the dancers we have always wanted to be.

The YA Team