I have had a great experience at Joel’s salsa classes, such a friendly environment and they are amazing instructors. I have been at other salsa studios in the Bronx, and the Manhattan and I can assure you that Joel’s salsa is the best if you truly want to feel supported on this salsa journey. The way they explain step by step and are open to answer questions and patiently repeat steps to make sure the students are understanding the moves is admirable. I feel a lot more confident after joining this school and have learned so much.
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This is THE studio if you want to learn how to social dance. Joel is funny and practical, his moves are easy to pick up but hard to master. But above all you can use what he teaches in the wild. Maria is tough and whips leads into shape, while teaching followers the proper steps and how to handle any social interaction.
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Great experience and lots of fun..Joel and Maria are great salsa instructors,their studio offers a very relax atmosphere to learn how to dance salsa New York style.
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As someone who has absolutely no background in dance or music, I cannot recommend enough learning to how to dance salsa through Joel Salsa. Starting with zero experience and even less confidence, I decided to begin by doing private lessons. I began taking privates with Celia since January, and began attending the group classes in March. I am now in the middle of my 4th cycle of their Level 2 classes (taught by Celia as well, and sometimes David or Joel depending on which day). I have picked up a variety of hobbies over the years, so I have a good feel for what makes someone a good teacher/coach, and Celia is great at what she does. First and foremost, I find every lesson I’ve done (including the group classes) fun, which is probably the most important part, or else you won’t keep doing it. When you’re a beginner (particularly for something very challenging), there are so many things to think about and constantly be working on, that it can be overwhelming. Good teachers find the right balance of helping you focus on improving one thing at a time, to actually get better while also gaining confidence. There's a lot of things you're going to do "wrong" as a beginner, but it's a safe space to make mistakes (you have to laugh at yourself), and she slowly has helped me correct many things over time, without giving me too many things to work on at once that can hurt your confidence. Overall, I’ve grown to really enjoy dancing salsa and I am committed to continually improving and eventually being a solid social dancer. While I still have a long way to go, I am impressed at how quickly I’ve learned to at least be somewhat competent. I owe that to Celia, as well as everyone else that teaches at Joel Salsa. Aside from the privates, the group classes are a great way to learn different movements, while also getting to meet many other people at your skill level. There is certainly a community aspect, which extends to the social that Joel puts on at the end of every month (of which I finally attended my first in May). There are also great online resources, such as their online beginner bootcamp, as well as other courses such as musicality, and more in-depth courses for variety of levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced, etc. If I had to offer a critique, it’s a minor one, but sometimes the ratios of leaders to followers can be a bit off in the group classes. I’ve noticed this much more on Saturday classes than Wednesday. There’s not too much you can do when people don’t show up to class, but I’ve seen several times where there is a couple (sometimes two) that only dance with each other. I’m not sure of the etiquette here, but it only seems fair that they should have to rotate partners so we all get the same opportunities to learn.
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Joel and Maria are AMAZING instructors because they give students details and tips to become better dancers. Don't think twice and sign up for their classes ... Wepa !!! ❤💃
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I was looking for a salsa school that not only teaches steps but also focuses on musicality. A school that puts a strong emphasis on dancing on timing. And so I am happy to have found Joel Salsa!!! The instructors train your ear as well as develop your dance moves. I highly recommend this school!
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Joel and Maria are amazing. I came to their studio over two years ago as a complete beginner and now I'm confident dancing at clubs and socials. And I still learn something new from them in every class!
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I have just completed two rounds of the "Beginners 1 class" and loved it. Joel and our teacher Celia were great. They make the lessons fun while taking time to review the steps slowly so everyone gets them. They make it easy to come alone (most people do) as they rotate the partners, so you get to dance with everyone. They also put on social evenings where you can go along and learn some new steps and practice with other dancers. I highly recommend it if you want to start learning salsa in NYC. Thank you Joel & Maria
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I had a wonderful experience when I was taking classes with Joel and Maria a few years ago. Unfortunately, due to an unforseen life event I could no longer attend. I knew that when I was able to resume Salsa classes, that I would return to their classes... and so, I was super ecstatic to finally do so this April. I decided to jump into level 4 since I've been dancing for many years and I wanted to challenge myself to regain full motor skills in my recovery. I enjoy that Joel and Maria are patient, down to earth, their humor when engaging with their students, and their teaching style. I will continue to share and recommend their classes with others Joel and Maria we greatly appreciate you both and thank you for giving us the opportunity to come learn and enjoy your classes.
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I began taking the Salsa Level 1 Beginner classes at Joel Salsa. I enjoy the classes a lot because the energy feels very good, time just flies past while we learn with fun. The classes are well structured and the instructors are very good! I am very happy that I enrolled with Joel Salsa because I feel that I am building a strong foundation with the help of the instructors who teach about technique with minute details such as posture, balance, leading and following and understanding the instruments in salsa music and dancing to music rather than just numbers. If you want to learn Salsa, this is the place to go in New York!
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The class I took was fantastic- Joel and Maria not only explain extremely well steps and intricate moves, but they have such a great, fun personality , the atmosphere is always full of joy and complicity- I absolutely loved the shines taught that day - was a pretty intense workout , with multiple, relentless repetitions, “otra vez”!!! : impossible not to able to shine for real on the dancefloor after that!
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I have been taking the Intermediate salsa class, and sometimes I also take the advanced beginner class and what I enjoy the most about these salsa classes is that Joel and Maria are great instructors and offer a fun and safe learning environment. They structure the sessions to progressively learn in a month a mini-choreo for shines and a mini-choreo for partnerwork appropriate for the class level, and you get plenty of time to ask questions and practice. There is always good energy in the class and you get to learn at your own pace. I have never felt embarrassed when I don’t get a step right or when it takes me longer to get it right. They aim to register the same number of followers and leaders so you get to learn and practice with different partners. Another plus is that the class runs for 1.5 hour so they progressively provide tips/guidance to help improve the moves. I especially like when Joel and Maria get a chance to jump in to dance with students as it is an opportunity to help them identify additional feedback / tips / clarifications for us. Through repetition, I have significantly improved in all aspects of my dancing, my posture, balance, and timing which is helping me enjoy social dancing even more! The combination of a well kept studio with great sound quality, smooth floor, music selection, and the quality of their microphone headsets make the learning experience truly enjoyable. I highly recommend their salsa classes to my friends and family!
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