Classes
Learn Rueda de Casino with Ritmos Latinos
Ritmos Latinos is an organization at the University of Arizona that promotes latin music and dance to U of A students and Tucson salsa enthusiasts. Specifially, Ritmos Latinos promotes a form of Cuban dance style called Casino, or Rueda de Casino.
Visit www.ritmoslatinos.org for more information.
Mambo (on2)Intermediate Classes with Zona Pachanga
Zona Pachanga is currently not teaching any group classes. For information on performance group and private classes please contact: zonapachanga@gmail.com
Salsa Classes with Salson by Gerardo and Lupita
Gerardo and Lupita are currently not offering group Salsa classes during weekdays. We do teach at the Sunday Salsa Social on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of every month. For more information, visit: www.tucsonsalsa.com/sundaysocial
For private classes, you can contact Gerardo at 520.762.6639
Thank you for your continued support!
Salsa Classes with Salson with Melissa Alejandra
Vist Melissa's website at: http://melissaalejandra.com/
Salsón Salsa Classes with Melissa
New series of classes begins the 3rd week of April, Mondays and Wednesdays, for 8 (maybe 9) weeks.
Please fully read the description of classes below and feel free to email or call me with any questions before signing up. It's important and to the benefit of everyone that you sign up for the appropriate level.
MONDAY classes begin April 17th.
WEDNESDAY classes begin April 19th. *No class June 7th
*Please note: There is a minimum of 6 students required to hold the class. If the minimum is not met within the first two weeks, the session will be cancelled and you'll be refunded.
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DESCRIPTION OF CLASSES
INTRO LEVEL BEGINNING Salsa:
Mondays @ 6:45-8:05pm (1hr 20 min)
No need to have a partner to take the class! This is a beginning level open to all, whether you have no past experience or have some experience and desire to expand/build upon your current knowledge, fine tune what you have, practice or further integrate basic concepts. *For those who have previous experience, you'll learn variations on what you already know so you can expand your basic vocabulary while giving your bodies a chance to better integrate these basics and your lead/follow.* The first hour of class focuses on yourself and partner-work, while the last 20 minutes focuses on practice, repetition and help. We rotate partners for learning the partner-work and practice time so that you get a variety of experience dancing with different leaders or followers. Couples who attend the class can stay together for partner-work practice if they prefer. The material we cover builds upon each previous week. Please feel free to record each week to reference and help you practice or keep it in your minds and bodies.
BEGINNING LEVEL Body Movement Fundamentals <New Class!>:
Mondays @ 8:15-9:45pm (1hr 30 min)
This class helps you build the proper foundation in your body necessary for the many layers of expression possible in your dancing. At this Beginning Level, we start from ground zero and slowly work through the basic foundations that are key to all our movement, both in partner and solo dancing. These foundational elements will be critical in order to go beyond patterns and choreography and into the realm of movement and expression in your body, your vehicle for dance. The kind of mastery of the body seen in high-level or professional dancers is not something most are born with and the work done in this class is typically a long term, on-going process of years or a lifetime. This class is focused strictly on body movement, expression, vocabulary, coordination, control, rhythm, designed with Salsa and general Latin genres in mind - although this fundamental body movement absolutely translates to dance genres outside the latin realm. This is not a class for partner work. You'll exclusively be focusing on your own bodies and your own movement. We will go as deeply into the body and movement as you are willing and open to on an individual basis. *Please note: We will break down and unravel movement, build coordination and timing within that movement specifically during the first 3-4 weeks. These initial weeks will be important in order to maximize your learning and benefit. The remaining weeks will focus on drilling the exercises with only a partial review on occasion. The last half hour is dedicated to applying our movement to a small "Salsa Suelta" combination. I encourage you to arrive early to stretch on your own, warming up/preparing your bodies for the work you'll be doing in class.
ADVANCED BEGINNERS Salsa:
Wednesdays @ 6:15-7:45pm (1hr 30 min) *No class June 7th
This class ssumes the basic foundations are already second nature to you...please make sure you're already comfortable, strong and confident with the basics! This class in general moves more swiftly than the Intro Level beginning class, covers more complicated patterns and are expected to have your foundation and basics already solid. No need to have a partner to take the class. We rotate partners for learning the partner work so that you get a variety of experience dancing with different leaders or followers. Couples who attend the class can stay together if they prefer. The material we cover builds upon each previous week. Please feel free to record each week to reference and help you practice or keep it in your minds and bodies. *If you need to work on foundations like the timing and consistency of your basic steps, cross body leads, basic turns, etc., please sign up for the Introductory Level class.*
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Body Movement Fundamentals:
Wednesdays @ 8:00-9:30pm (1hr 30 min) *No class June 7th
For most, the work we do here is a long term, on-going process of years or a lifetime. For that reason, with each new cycle I offer slightly different material so that all who've previously taken the class can continue to be challenged, while still including basic foundational movements that should continually be strengthened, deepened and expanded. This class is focused strictly on body movement, expression and vocabulary, designed with Salsa and general Latin genres in mind - although this fundamental body movement absolutely translates to dance genres outside the latin realm. This is not a class for partner work. You'll exclusively be focusing on your own bodies and your own movement. You'll either fall into the category of building movement into your body and eventually into your dancing, or changing and/or advancing and expanding the movement you already have settled into your body. We will go as deeply into the body and movement as you are willing and open to on an individual basis. *Please note: We will break down and unravel movement, build coordination and timing within that movement specifically during the first 3-4 weeks. These initial weeks will be important in order to maximize your learning and benefit. The remaining weeks will focus on drilling the exercises with only a partial review on occasion. I will aim to put you on the path to fine tune, strengthen and advance what you already have as well as expand your expression and vocabulary within your own bodies. The last half hour is dedicated to applying our movement to a small "Salsa Suelta" combination. I encourage you to arrive early to stretch on your own, warming up/preparing your bodies for the work you'll be doing in class. * **
*If you're interested in taking BOTH Beginner and Intermediate Level BMF classes to strengthen your foundation, get more practice, etc., the second class is half off.
**If you're interested in the Intermediate class but don't know if you have the adequate level, you are welcome to try it out the first week. A Beginner Level of this class is now offered on Monday nights.
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COST
* All Classes $95 - 8 week session
* $143 - Both levels Body Movement Fundamentals (Beg&Int)
*There is a minimum of 6 students required to hold classes. If the minimum is not met within the first two weeks, the session will be canceled and you'll be refunded.
ENROLLMENT, PAYMENT AND CUTOFF DATES:
Email to register and pay now through the first or second week of class. If registering and paying in person, please arrive early to minimize time taken out of your class. Cash and checks only, please. If pre-registering, send a check to my address which I'll provide when you email me. You can come and check out the first class of the session for $12 if you want to test drive the classes before committing to the full session. We'll credit this amount towards the total fee for the session. Please pay in full no later than the first or second week to avoid taking others' class time away.
Salsa class enrollment closes after the second week (unless arranged otherwise with me), as the class syllabi is progressive in nature and we build upon what has been learned in the previous session.
Body Mvmt. Fund. is open to join after the second week if you should need, but not encouraged due to the progressive nature of the class, along with the detailed breakdown only available in the first few weeks. If you have to miss the first classes you are welcome to commit to the remaining weeks, but are expected to be OK keeping up as best as you can without having the more detailed information or receiving special attention to catch you up.
LOCATION
Classes are held at the Historic Y at 738 N. 5th Ave. (University Boulevard and 5th Ave ). Note that the classroom location is on the second floor studio at the top of the stairs. If you enter the building from the 5th Ave entrance doors you'll see the stairs painted in red, straight ahead at the back of the lobby, before entering Zuzi's. A map of the Historic Y with links to neighborhood parking locations can be found at: https://thehistoricy.com/location/. Please be aware that although there is plenty of free parking, there are also many signs indicating residential zones in this area. Watch out for the signs as to avoid a parking ticket. Feel free to click on the parking link above.
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IMPORTANT INFO
Be sure to bring water with you to stay hydrated as there is not a water fountain near to the studio!
Comfortable work out type clothes or jeans that allow you to move freely are fine and shoes that are not overly grippy or heavy (i.e. allow you to spin without too much friction) are best. Of course if you wish to dress up a bit more that's fine too, as long as you can move freely. For women’s shoes, flats or heels are both fine. It's really just a matter of how you prefer to learn and practice.
Anyone is free to join and sign up on the spur of the moment, but if you know that you are attending before hand, please register by e-mailing MelissaAlejandraaa@gmail.com to make the enrollment process faster. Again, please arrive early the first two weeks or feel free to pre-pay! In the event that the minimum of 6 students isn't met after the second week, class will be canceled and you'll be reimbursed. Hopefully we can avoid ever having to do that!
I'm looking forward to maximizing these classes during my remaining time with you here in Tucson. Spread the word, post this information wherever you'd like, and see you soon!
All the best!
Melissa
Salsa Classes with Salsa Soulseros
For class information, please visit www.soulseros.com
