How old are you?
27

What do you do for a living?
I run my own business, Bloomsbury Residential Lettings, a letting agency in Salisbury

Where do you live?
I have lived in Salisbury for about 2 years now, I am originally from Surrey

How long have you been doing Salsa?
I have been doing Salsa for just over two and a half years, I started in Guildford. I stopped for about 6 months when I moved to Salisbury, then started again last year.

What prompted you to take up Salsa?
Well I used to dance when I was younger. I did ballet for many many years, but stopped at exam time to do GCSE’s and A levels which took over. I had wanted to get back into dance for quite a long time. You get to know people that start at the same time as you. It’s not a problem going on your own. Its nothing like an exercise class where you go along, you do it, no one talks to you, you go home and that’s it. Salsa is so much more sociable. I made a conscious decision at the start of this year to really get into Salsa more. I am quite a creative person, I teach art classes, and I love the art side of Salsa, I think it’s a really beautiful art, I love watching it, it’s beautiful to watch, and I love dancing it. I have tried the gym in the past, and I would start it and it only last a few weeks! Or I would go to an exercise class and be completely bored after a couple of months. Salsa is just not like that. With the gym you have to think about it too much and make a conscious decision to make yourself go. You aren’t really enjoying it so it’s not going to last. I think with any kind of exercise or sport you have to enjoy it to be able to keep going. There has to be something about it you like to motivate you to continue to go. At the gym no one talks to you. Everyone is in their own little world, and these days it’s too easy not to communicate with people. I have tried so many different gyms, and even the staff at them don’t talk to you! You just go there do your routine, you go home and that’s it! You are not going to meet anyone at a gym! Everyone is in their own little world, on their own little mission. You have to think about the exercise too much and make a conscious decision to do it, Salsa is not like that. I just don’t enjoy the gym, and you have to enjoy what you are doing to carry on doing it.

Do you tell your friends about Salsa?
Yes! I am sure all my friends now think I am incredibly boring as they ask me what I have been doing and all I talk about is Salsa! I tell them I have been to a class and I have learnt some new moves etc. and they look at me as if I am mad!

What about music, what do you like?
I notice Salsa music everywhere I go now, in coffee shops and restaurants. I will notice a track and say I know this one from Salsa! I also like Indie music, but mainly Salsa music. I have Salsa music in my CD player! Salsa is very addictive!

How did you first hear about Justdance?
I was going to a class in Salisbury once a week, which was Cuban Salsa, a friend mentioned Justdance. She used to go to the Winchester class once a week so she dragged me off there with her, I enjoyed that so started the Sunday one as well.

What other classes do you do?
I go to Justdance classes on Monday in Otterbourne and Sunday in Eastleigh

Why do you think guys don’t always want to give it a go?
I think once guys get the hang of it and get past a certain level you find there are sometimes not enough women in the higher level groups! Sometimes you can be quite short of men in beginners but if you can keep them, they do well, if you can get a man up to improver level they are hooked. They like the fact they are learning a skill. I think that’s why you get a lot of martial arts people. They are already doing something which requires body movement, stamina and strength. And I think a lot of women find men that can dance quite attractive. Salsa is not like being a ballerina, you don’t need a tutu! Salsa is quite a cool, sexy dance!

What else do you like about Salsa?
Well I think it’s quite a trendy dance, more like hip hop, that kind of genre! I also like the fact that people don’t drink, I couldn’t drink and dance! I think the best thing about Salsa is that it’s healthy, and you are meeting people in a safe, friendly environment. You can go on your own, you don’t have to have someone to go with. You know you are going to meet people there and talk to people. There is no one drunk, no one leering at you, no rowdy groups of men. You don’t ever feel intimidated unlike nightclubs and bars. You don’t tend to meet anyone nasty, they are all very nice people. Most of them are all very interested in dancing, and it’s a very nice social environment.

Any other benefits of Salsa?
It builds up very good social skills. I think with all the technology today people have lost the art of communication, with email, text etc. We don’t actually talk to each other much anymore. I think something like Salsa brings in communication skills. The other good thing is the people you meet aren’t necessarily people from your usual social group; they aren’t people you work with. You don’t necessarily meet people at work, especially if you work alone, so it brings you into contact with people you wouldn’t necessarily meet, and broadens your knowledge.

Also I have lost a stone in weight this year! So I feel much better about my body. I also think it’s good for posture. I go to work more refreshed after Salsa, as I don’t stay at home and think about what I am going to do the next day! So I am more enthusiastic the next day! And I have made loads of great friends.

What do you think is the best thing about Salsa?
Its good fun! I love the music, and you are building up a skill, you really feel like you are learning something. It’s good for balance, movement, memory, and improving posture. Salsa is also good for taking your mind off work and relaxing you. You are so focussed on learning a move, you can’t think of other stressful things. It kind of puts your brain on hold for a while. A bit like meditation it quietens your mind. I tend to write down the routines after classes.

So you would recommend Justdance Salsa to others then?!
Yes, just a bit! I have tried to drag other people along! And with moving to a new area it’s great for getting to know people.

Has Salsa changed your life at all?
Yes I think it’s helped my confidence and it’s good for confidence building. I think as a woman it makes you more aware of your body, and moving well, and better posture, and it also makes you feel that you’re quite attractive.

Is there anything you think should be done to improve Justdance classes?
Nothing apart from I would just like to see even more people coming along!! I think any involvement in Arts type things might be good, to make people more aware of it. I think promoting the fact it’s a really friendly thing to do is good idea.

The fact that Justdance promotes people coming to watch people doing Salsa first takes away the barrier of turning up to a class.

I think some people have the wrong idea that Salsa has a bit of an 18-30 club image! Once you go along you realise it’s not like that! I think initially people aren’t used to the physical contact with people, I think the beginners teachers can help overcome that by making it fun and enjoyable and making people feel they have learnt something even on day one. I think the good beginner’s teachers from what I have seen are the ones who make it enjoyable and fun. If you can send people out of a class even only having learnt one thing thats good. I think that’s the good thing about Salsa it’s a challenge to master a skill and do it well that’s what I like about it, it’s a challenge to learn something. You can keep going for years and still learn something new. I am now learning two completely new skills, learning to lead, and how to teach! and I am starting to teach beginners. Salsa teaching is definitely where I want to go, I decided that at the start of the year. That’s why I decided to do lots more Salsa.

Do you think party nights are a good idea?
Yes it's an opportunity for people to dress up, unlike normal classes where people are mostly in jeans or casual clothes, and it's a good night out. You would spend much more on a meal out with friends, probably not have such a good time, and put on weight! And I would probably spend more than I do on a whole weeks worth of Salsa nights at a meal out. If you put it into perspective, the benefits you get from it outweigh any cost. If you went out for coffee and a cake with a friend you would spend more than that! And in an evening at Salsa you get an hour’s tuition and a night out!

What about Justdance teachers any favourites?
I really like Max, he is friendly and he breaks it down in a way you can understand, and is very enthusiastic. I also really like John and Linda. They teach really well, they are both very friendly; they dance with everyone in freestyle. Linda is very smiley. That’s really important as well everyone needs to feel welcomed and get a dance in Freestyle. I think if people aren’t dancing its good when Colin does something like the Cha Cha. I liked it when he did that the other day. It’s just about keeping people involved and interested.

I think it takes quite a long time before you do feel confident. With beginners, you have to be friendly, make it fun, have a joke, and keep everyone moving. I think it is incredibly important to have the right beginners' teachers. Even teaching art helps me. The same thing applies; people are there to enjoy it, learn something and walk away feeling they have achieved something. Even if you have only taught someone one little thing, as long as they have enjoyed it that’s the main thing. If they have had a laugh and a chat to people it will encourage them to come back..

Does Salsa hold any appeals for certain people?
Salsa does appeal to creative people like us, you with your writing and me with art.

Thanks, Su