Making You the Best Dancer You Can Be

You can learn pretty much by watching videos, good dancers on the floor, but nothing beats a step-by-step breakdown of technique by our Instructors, with additional insight to how to dance in clubs. Even if your interests lie primarily in performance, unless you get out there and dance in Salsa Clubs, you'll rarely look good!

We offer two major styles -- the LA Style and Casino de Rueda. And our LA Style is usually updated a few times a year, with a new 2005 syllabus to incorporate new dance techniques, groove, dance moves, and new styling all early on in Beginner 1 (B1) and all throughout the rest of our structured syllabus Beginner 2 (B2) and Improver, and Open Intermediate. A lot of our good Intermediate and Advanced students, especially the Leaders, find re-taking some B1, B2, or Improver classes to be a whole new re-learning experience, breaking those bad habits!

We have seen our best students take material learned in class, practice dilligently, and their dancing transforms into an incredible movement of body and communication as well as style, on the dance floor in the clubs! Ask your instructor about club locations to go have fun, meet people, and practice your moves. And don't forget to dance to the music, which is the best part of salsa!! Current students have the priveledge of our exclusive Student Forum (http://groups.msn.com/HavanaEstudio/) for announcements on classes, student parties, and club locations... and open discussions about anything Salsa!

If you are a salsa student who's taken Salsa with another dance studio, make an appointment to get an assessment from our Salsa Instructors for the best Level and Class to get you going. Assessments take 2-10 minutes, depending. Drop by our studio anytime to check out our classes yourself. A Instructor's recommendation will be given to ensure that students develop strong fundamentals; with good fundamentals, at the more advanced levels, you will pick up fast, but without the fundamentals, you won't have as much fun and you won't pick up as fast! And will most likely have the least fun! 98% of incoming students in 2004 and 2005 who skip levels drop out after a few weeks and don't really get the most out of our classes. Stay with us, practice, and come out dancing, and Salsa will transform your life into something very positive, fun, and healthy!

'LA Style' Salsa Syllabus - Structured Classes

Meant for absolute beginners with little/no experience, or students from other forms and styles of Salsa who want build strong fundamentals in LA Style Salsa. This 8-class Series will focus on passing the fundamental basics of LA Style salsa timing, body groove, lead/follow techniques, dance steps, and cool combinations. Classes will be one hour per week.

To improve your footwork coordination, flexibility, and agility, Shines like the Groovy Mambo, Right Turn, Victory Walk, Left Turn, Joby, Forward Crossovers, Back Crossovers, Hook Turn, and Miami Slide will be taught. New in 2005 is body groove and body styling to add a little "sabor"(flavour) into your Salsa experience. You will learn Basic Partnerwork like: RT, CBL, RT Combo, LT, CBLT, Hammerlock, Alarde, Flips, Drops, Open Shines. Spin technique will focus on the Cucaracha Spin to Salsa music. Students are expected to master every week's steps before coming to next week's class. If you miss class, you are responsible to find out and learn material covered in that class before you come for your next class. Our students develop this discipline and have a great fun time dancing with their classmates, and when they develop confidence, just about anyone they meet in a Salsa Club in Malaysia, in Singapore, in Thailand, in London, in the USA, and most places around the world!

Pre-requisite: none. Students from other styles of Salsa or with Latin background are required to take at least B1 Class 1 - pay close attention to differences in footwork, moving technique, lead/follow, and the LA Style Salsa - before making a decision to continue classes at Havana Estudio.

LA-Style Salsa: Beginner 2 Level (8 Classes) - updated 30/3/05

Beginner 2 will pass more intricate dance or turn patterns and Fundamental Steps like: Open Break, Natural RT, CB Reverse, Open Hip Roll, Flare, Prep to Spin, Double Spin, Copa, Copa LT, Back Hand Drop, and Presentation Left Turn. And techniques and variations of B1 fundamentals like: Cross Hammerlock, RT Combo Por Atras, CB Flip, RT Behind the Back, Roti Canai, Lock 'N Flip, Titanic to Spin, and The Walk. Each week we'll teach you a new dance “routines”, styling for Ladies and Gents, flashy hand flips, and Shines like: Suzie Q, In/Out, Forward Flare, 3 Points, 7 Points, Joby Kick, Slide Flare, Cuban Breaks, and the Suzie Q Loco. Spin technique will focus on Prep Spins (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, Full), Mambo to Single Spin, and Mambo to Double Spin with Salsa music. Students are expected to master every week's steps before coming to next week's class. If you miss class, you are responsible to find out and learn material covered in that class before you come for your next class.

Students who complete Beginner 1 and 2 will have enough fundamentals to dance with most salsa dancers out there, in KL and around the world!

Strongly Suggested Pre-requisite: completed Beginner 1 without reservations from your Instructor, or have shown considerable technique during the pre-class Assessment (5-8 minutes, depending). 98% of students who did not go through our B1 syllabus in 2004, especially with some experience in International Latin or non-partner dancing, either quickly drop out or struggle in class even before they hit our Open Intermediate. At this point, the student who goes out dancing with us to clubs will have more fun in class, as the material presented will have strong relevance to a lot of basic moves danced out there!

LA-Style Salsa: Improver Level (8 Classes) - changes in progress

The third stage of our early Salsa program will focus on passing more intricate and flashy LA Style Fundamental Steps like: Spins, Copa Turns and variations, Flares, Blocks, Coca Cola and variations, Presentation Turns, Basketball, styling with more super-cool dance routines, spiced up with Shine Breaks, "fillers" for Leaders, more styling, and more Shines. The technical level of dancers after this Series will be higher.

You will learn Fundamental steps like: Copa and Copa variations, Back Hand Drop, Presentation Left Turn, Diet Coke, Coca Cola, Basket Ball, Cradle, SlingShot, Natural Top and variations, Dynamo, Fakes, Fillers, and much more. Isolations from the B1 and B2 will allow your body to style with more ease. Shine Break routines will thrill and excite even the most dormant of souls.

Strongly Recommended Pre-requisite: strong fundamentals in B1 and B2. Drop-ins must speak with the Instructors on latest schedules and ability before coming to class!

'LA Style' Salsa - more advanced Levels

LA-Style Salsa: Intermediate

Not for the uninitiated. This program will draw from the Resident Instructor’s and Salsa dancers' creativity, personal style, and imagination. Each week, you will be thrilled with the Shine-of-the-Week and Moves-of-the-Week. At this level, students are given the flexibility of drop-ins at a discounted Series Rate (we charge the same price for all levels!). Open Intermediate is an on-going journey as you explore your strengths, weaknesses, own personal style, as well as your own creativity as a dancer.

Fundamental steps will include: Groove exercises, Spin exercises, Fillers, and Intermediate variations of Cross Body Blocks, Copas, Cradles, Enchufla Spins, Slingshots, Natural Tops, Fakes, and much more.

Firm Pre-requisite: students are required to have strong fundamentals in Salsa dancing. If at this point, you have not been bitten by the Club dancing, you will struggle in class. Students with understanding of both Ladies' and Gents' steps will learn a lot about make your partner look good, if you Lead or Follow!

'Casino de Rueda' Syllabus

Casino de Rueda: Beginner

Drawing from Cuban and Miami styles of "Rueda" (dancing in a "wheel"), this Beginner 8-class Series will include the following moves: Pa’el Medio, Caminamos Arriba/Abajo, Dile Que No, Guapea, Enchufla and basic variations, Dame and variations, Exhibela, Kentucky, Candado and variations, Siete, Vacilala and variations, basic Sombrero, Adios and basic variations, and el Centro variations. Each class is an hour long. All "Calls" or "Canto" will be made in Spanish.

Strongly Recommended Pre-requisite: completed LA Style Salsa Beginner 2, can dance a whole song on time, actively dancing in the Salsa Club scene, and can differentiate rhythm/technique differences between LA Style Salsa and Cuban/Miami "on 1" styles. Students with strong fundamentals in basic LA Style steps like Simple Turns, Cross Body Turns. Talk to our Instructors today!

Minimum Pax: Classes will require a minimum of 8 couples before commencing.

Casino de Rueda: Intermediate Level 1, 2, 3

Continuing series of classes will include the following moves (not exhaustive list): Dame y Arriba, Setenta, Evelyn, Abanico, Montana, Balsero, Dedo, Abrazala, Coca-Cola, 3-Way Stop, and variations. Each class is an hour long.

Strict Pre-requisite: Rueda Beginners, can "Canto" or "Call" Miami-Rueda moves, actively dancing in the Salsa Club scene.

Casino de Rueda: Advanced Level 1, 2, 3

Strict Pre-requisite: completed Rueda Intermediate Levels.

Casino de Rueda: Master Level

Please see the Master syllabus sheet for more details.

Strict Pre-requisite: completed Rueda Advanced Levels.

KL Caliente Performance Group (invitation only)

Strict Pre-requisite: Upon invitation by Artistic Director (SalsaSam) only. And mastery of Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Levels, with enrollment in the Master Level.

For detailed Salsa Class Schedule, click here.