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Why You Shouldn’t Learn Salsa/Bachata and What to Learn Instead
Dancing is fun.
Salsa and bachata are popular dances for novices because they’re famous and taught in every city in the world. This makes them prime contenders for beginners but few know they’re not good choices to start dancing with.
I started learning salsa 10 years ago but quit after five classes. The teacher was moving too fast and I couldn’t follow. My 10 years of music practice helped me feel the beat but I couldn’t step right.
I followed more classes five years later, but failed to enjoy them. The learning curve was steep and the women were frustrated with my poor leadership abilities. They were much better dancers than I was.
I moved away from dancing until I randomly ended up in a Charleston class in October 2024.
I loved it and sought a class in my city, but all I could find was balfolk.
Balfolk is a broad term that contains a wide range of traditional European dances, mostly from France. The balfolk dances are danced at balfolk festivals and can be practiced individually, in groups (3,4,5,6, 35…), or in couples, such as the balfolk waltz, the balfolk polka, or the scottish.
I didn’t know what to expect when I joined my first balfolk class, but by the end of it, my…
