Regardless of your level

Walking into your Oxford Salsa Social/party for the very first time OR into a venue you’ve never danced at before can be quite interesting/challenging due to the mix of emotions. However the truth is that it feels the same for most dancers, from absolute beginners to the most experienced dancers!

Excitement

There’s something exciting about a new dance space. New Djs, different music, new faces, new energy and this is so cool. You could be dancing for hours on end without even noticing how long you’ve been dancing for until your feet get really sore. This is exactly what happened this week end at the Scottish Salsa Congress where I danced so much, I could barely walk! It was super exciting to meet new people from Ireland, Holland, Spain etc…

You might feel inspired watching others dance by looking at the styling, body movement, turn patterns, enjoying the vibe, or simply excited to dance somewhere new.

Fun

Once you take that first step onto the dance floor, fun takes over, for sure!

You laugh at missed steps, enjoy the music, and remember why you started dancing in the first place. It is so much fun when you really connect with your dance partner and have an amazing dance (regardless of their level). Rosa and Giles will always tell you that you learn best when having fun.

Nervousness

Let’s be honest, nerves are totally normal whether you go to your local venue, or a different venue, or attend a festival/congress. That’s human nature for you! it could be excitement, or butterflies in your tummy. Even experienced dancers feel like this, the key here is remember what social dancing is all about: connection with your dance partner, not perfection.

Breaking the Ice: asking someone to dance

Asking someone to dance doesn’t need to be or feel complicated.

• A smile and eye contact go a long way
• A simple “Would you like to dance?” is more than enough and so easy to do. Especially if you ask someone you’ve never seen before, as it will make both of you feel inclusive and friendly.

Kindness & Courtesy on the Dance Floor

In simple terms, be kind and courteous to your dance partner and you will have the best dance.

• Be aware of your partner and the space around you (if it’s busy, make sure you take small steps and don’t bump into the next couple – space awareness pretty important)
• Adjust your dancing to suit each other (if one of you is a more experienced dancer then adjust the lead/following to ensure you have the best possible dance). I often have amazing dances with intermediate dancers because they know how to have fun and they don’t worry about being perfect but just about connecting with their dance partner and music
• Always say thank you at the end of the dance – this is so simple, easy but often overlooked – a simple thank you and a smile can really increase someone’s confidence on the dance floor and enhance their experience for the whole evening

A compliment goes a long way – A kind word can completely transform someone’s confidence. Something like “I really enjoyed your leading, it was super fun” or “Thank you so much, loved the dance”.

At OnSalsa, we don’t just teach salsa steps , we teach you how to feel confident social dancing anywhere

Whether you’re a complete beginner, returning, or already an experienced dancer, our classes are designed to help you:

Feel relaxed asking people to dance (lots of practice in class and in our mini socials)

Enjoy socials without pressure

Dance with confidence

Be part of our friendly, welcoming community

📍 Rosa and Giles’ Class Details

🗓 Tuesdays

7:30pm for Levels 1, 2 & 4 – following by Social Dancing

8:45pm for Levels 3 & 5 – followed by Social dancing til 10:15pm

📍 Summertown Church Hall, Portland Road, OX2 7EZ, Oxford

Pricing

£9 per class, or £30 for 4 weekly classes

Singles and couples welcome, no partner needed.

🔗 Book Your Place

👉 Book online: www.onsalsa.co.uk

👉 Follow us on Instagram: @OnSalsaOxford

👉 Message us directly, rosa@onsalsa.com, if you’re unsure which class is right for you

If you can walk, you can dance.

And at OnSalsa, you’ll always feel welcome

Rosa & Giles x

What is Styling?

Styling is the expression of yourself through dance.

It is how you bring your personality, emotions, and musical interpretation into the movements you already know.

Styling isn’t about doing “extra” steps. It’s about how you move (e.g. the timing, the intention, and the body movement that sits around your basics). It is what I call “the cherry on the cake”

It can be:

• A soft arm line
• A pause to match the music (musicality… another big Topic)
• A head movement (head roll, subtle with with arm line)
• And much more!

In short, styling is how your dance starts to feel truly yours, how you make it yours.

Why do we style?

Styling naturally appears as you progress through your dance journey. As you get confident in your dance technique, your moves, you will start thinking about how to embellish your dancing, you will start to explore and express more through your arms, hands, foot work and musicality.

Styling helps you:

• Add your flair and knowledge into your own Salsa dancing
• Make your moves more interesting without overcomplicated them
• Feel more connected to the music (hitting breaks for example)
• Build confidence and your own personality on the dance floor

BUT it is not about standing out or showing off, it is about feeling comfortable and confident in your own body, expression while you dance.

How do we style?

This is truly personal and evolves over time. You cannot rush styling and you can’t compare styling because it is how you feel the music, your knowledge and ultimately yourself.

Some dancers,including myself, draw styling from other backgrounds. Having a strong background in ballet and Jazz dance, I incorporate a lot of elegance and grace to my social dancing.

• Ballet
• Contemporary
• Hip hop

Other dancers prefer to let the music guide them and let their body respond to the latin rhythms (listening to the base or campana or piano etc)

Now you might ask yourself

• What feels comfortable for me to do?
• What is the music telling me?
• What do i like doing? body movement? shines? armography?

That subtle “je ne sais quoi” comes from listening to the music and yourself of course. You might feel like not styling your arms but you may start moving your hips, upper body.

Final thoughts

Styling is not the final destination of dancing. It is the Cherry on The Cake. This takes time, patience and experience to develop over time.

At OnSalsa, we believe that strong basics come first:

• Clear basics
• Solid turn technique
• Confident leading and following
• Timing

Once these foundations are rooted then styling will become your next layer, the next step in your dance journey. Styling will become effortless and you will enjoy making it your own and have fun with it and with your dance partner.

Rosa and Giles introduce styling elements right from Level 1, so that you can start developing awareness and confidence early — little by little, without pressure.

Remember:

Styling is a nice touch, not a necessity

It grows differently for everyone

It should be enjoyed, not stressed over

Your OnSalsa teachers are always here to guide, support, and encourage your personal dance development.

Interested in 1:1 styling sessions?

For personalised guidance tailored to your body and movement style, contact Rosa & Giles at rosa@onsalsa.com

Keep dancing, keep discovering, and enjoy the journey. 💃🕺

Rosa and Giles | OnSalsa | Building Community Through Dance

Focus: Beginners & Improvers – Your way into Social Dancing

Walking into your first salsa social can feel exciting… and at the same time absolutely terrifying…

The music is pumping, the room is buzzing, and then you look around and see dancers spinning, styling, laughing like they’ve been doing this forever. If you’re a beginner, that moment alone can make you want to hide behind the wall—or head straight back out the door.

But this is why at OnSalsa, we always offer Complete Beginners and Improvers workshops at our party nights so that you instantly feel included right from the moment you come in. There will always be a smiley face at the registration desk to make you feel welcome.

So Why Does This Happen?

Why do Beginners & Improvers feel intimidated?

Most beginners compare themselves instantly to others. Well let me tell you something, you’re not just watching people dance, twirl, and do complicated turn patterns (combination of moves) – you’ re watching confidence.

What you don’t see is:

• How long those dancers have been learning (1, 2, 5 years?)
• The mistakes they made (and still make – but fun overrides it all)
• The nerves they once felt walking into their first social (and we’ve always felt nervous once)

Beginners often think:

• ” Everyone is watching me” [FALSE – everyone is busy having fun]
• “I’m not good enough yet” [Stop here and don’t think like this – My advice to you is: can you walk? yes? so join our beginners workshops at our parties which are the perfect ice breaker]
• “I should wait until I’m better” [well…. you cannot tell me that staying home is more fun than coming out, having a go and having a drink? and if you make mistakes, does it really matter? of course NOT

Social dancing is not a performance, a show. It’s the opportunity to practice what you’ve learnt in a friendly party vibe environment where we all gather to have fun.

What can we do to help?

An awful lot! OnSalsa as a dance community plays a big part in making you feel welcome, connected and meeting as many like minded people as possible.

• We create a welcoming vibe (hope you felt welcomed when you arrived as a friendly environment goes a long way)
• We always encourage all our OnSalsa students to dance with Beginners (one lovely dance can change your entire night)
• Giles and Rosa do not believe in mistakes, we believe in learning whilst having fun. If we miss a lead or if the lead was unclear, it is not a big deal! No-one is perfect so practice is key and then all will eventually become instinctive
• At OnSalsa, we encourage progress, not perfection. Confidence grows from watching and doing, not from waiting and not doing.

SO COME TO SOCIALS AND LEAVE YOUR NERVES BEHIND

Give it a go 💃🕺

If you’re a beginner or improver reading this:

TRUST US

• You don’t need more moves
• You don’t need more classes before you’re “allowed” to dance

You just need one brave moment

• Say YES to one dance
• Smile, relax and listen to the music

And that’s how you can start building confidence

And one day, sooner than you think (trust me),

YOU will be the dancer that someone else is watching, wondering “wow, how do they do this? how do they make it look so easy, so fun?”

MY BEST ADVICE TO YOU IS:

Stay for the Social after your weekly Tuesday class, practice with other students, ask us, your teachers, to dance with you and let the magic happen. We are here with you on this amazing dance journey to guide you, help you and make your confidence grow on the dance floor.

See you all on the dance floor 💛

Why is Social Dancing so Good for You?

Social dancing isn’t just the fun part after class,  it’s where everything comes together. It’s one of the most enjoyable ways to improve your dancing and your wellbeing. Believe me, after 25 years of dancing Salsa, I still love salsa socials.

I can hear you ask: Why is it so good?

In a nutshell, it’s because;

• Your confidence grows naturally
• Your timing and musicality improve over time
• As as result, your moves start to feel more relaxed and instinctive

It’s where your class moves come to life

Our OnSalsa classes give you the tools, but social dancing gives them meaning. When you practice your moves in a real social setting:

To start with, you may feel a bit apprehensive however the hardest thing you’ll ever do is to actually take yourself to the social and discover how much fun it is!

My advice to you is:

Stop thinking and start dancing. At OnSalsa, we want you to flourish, have fun and become a confident dancer.

It’s amazing for your Happy Self

Salsa dancing has amazing qualities which allow you to;

• Energise yourself (especially after a hard day at work)
• Help you switch off from daily routine (I love this part of it)

Keep fit without it feeling like exercise

Social dancing is sneaky fitness 😉
You’re moving constantly, improving coordination, balance, and increasing that lovely feeling, all without counting reps or watching the clock. It’s cardio disguised as fun. And if you wear your Fit bit watch, you will see how many steps you’ve taken at the end is the evening.

You feel happier inside out

Dancing releases your feel-good hormones, which means:

• Better mental health (and we need it especially during these long winter months)
• Increased self- confidence as you increase your knowledge and apply it
• A sense of achievement every time you dance (OK, sometimes not all moves work out but practice and patience is key)

Trust me when I say that even one song can lift your mood. Imagine how happy you will be after a whole evening? Our DJs are phenomenal so don’t miss them (every 2nd Friday of each month at the Oxford City FC OX3 0NQ)

You make real friendships

We’ve met the best people throughout our years dancing salsa including my husband Giles, my bestie Helen and all of you 😍
Social dancing brings people together in a way few activities do:

• You meet people from all walk of life (no judging at OnSalsa, just pure joy of dancing)
• You build confidence socially as well as physically (this is quite an amazing thing)
• Friendships form naturally in class, without pressure

The hardest thing you’ll ever do, is to actually join your FIRST social.

But once at the venue, you will arrive as an individual but will leave feeling part of a community.

So my OnSalseros and OnSalseras,
Social dancing helps you practice, keeps you fit, lifts your mood, builds confidence, ALL while having fun.

Book your ticket and have fun with us

If you’re learning to dance, don’t skip the social that’s where the fun really lives 

Next social Friday 9th January 2026 at the Oxford City FC Bar 1882, Court Place Farm, OX3 0NQ

• Doors and bar open 7:30pm
• Salsa classes 8pm
• Incredible guest teachers and DJs
• Have fun til midnight
• Free car park
• Central location in Marston
• Great vibes
• Great fun
• GRAB YOUR TICKET – early birds for only £12.00

https://www.onsalsa.com/monthly-friday-parties/ 

Rosa & Giles

Teaching the”unteachables”

I’m writing about this topic as it was a request from one of my students!

Teaching the so-called “unteachables” can feel like a challenge… but here’s the truth:

There is no such thing as an un-teachable dancer.

At OnSalsa, we truly believe that if you can walk, you can dance.

From our 25 years of teaching Salsa, we’ve never encountered ANYONE who cannot be taught to dance salsa.

Dancing is a process and everyone learns differently and Salsa is no exception.

• It’s a new style of music
• It’s a partner dance
• It has many facets: leading, following, timing, musicality, connection and much more!

We pride ourselves on teaching people who believe they have “two left feet”. It is absolutely incredible to see our students grow, at their own pace, into dancers.

There is no better achievement and satisfaction for a teacher to see a non dancer giving us the pleasure to watch them social dance, have fun and navigate their salsa journey with a smile on their face.

Our job isn’t just to teach steps, it’s to help you:

• Believe in yourself
• Become a good learning student
• Understand how your body moves
• Learn how your body transfers weight
• Take your time and relax into the learning process
• Learn how to connect with a partner
• Be kind to yourself along the way

Salsa is also incredibly powerful beyond the dance floor:

• Great for keeping fit
• Helps improving coordination, balance, and cardio
• Helps with mental health, boosting confidence, focus, and mood while reducing stress
• And of course, it’s brilliant for connection with music, movement, and meet people

One thing is sure,

At OnSalsa, no one is un-teachable

Because:

• We provide the right foundations
• Give clear guidance and encouragement
• Set the right challenges at the right time
• Support you through every milestone (be it doing a suzi Q or achieving a double spin)

We love watching your confidence grow week by week and become beautiful dancers through your perseverance and hard work

As a result,

• You will become a beautiful dancer
• You will connect with people
• And most importantly, you will have fun

Salsa brings joy, not only to yourself but also to others

And we are lucky enough to share with you our fabulous OnSalsa Community and be part of your salsa journey.

So this is what Rosa and Giles say:

“Take your first steps today and you won’t look back. An amazing time to be had for many many years to come – Love to all”

Rosa and Giles | Building Community Through Dance

Why I love teaching Salsa

…for over 25 years

For me, Teaching salsa is deeply rewarding on so many levels

It is my joy

• To watch people learn how to dance
• To see them relax
• To see them laugh
• And genuinely have fun

What moves me the most is

• Watching their confidence grow, sometimes quietly, sometimes boldly week after week.

What Fascinates is me is

How differently everyone learns

• Some of you learn best by watching
• Some of you connect through word association and key words
• Others by doing, feeling, and repeating
• And some of you need the movement explained in a completely different way through sports, patterns, or familiar experiences that suddenly make everything click

OnSalsa Oxford | Different ways of teaching

Having students from different backgrounds, with different ways of learning, makes me and all our OnSalsa crew better teachers.

I can hear you asking; “WHY?”

Simply because:

• it challenges all of us (teachers) to adapt
• to evolve
• and to constantly rethink how we deliver our classes and courses

To all my OnSalsa students

You are a pure joy and privilege to teach

Your eagerness makes it so enjoyable, so fulfilling.

My goal and the one of all our OnSalsa teachers is:

To enrich your Dance learning experience even further

OnSalsa Oxford does this by:

• Keeping a fresh curriculum
• Continuously working on our teaching methods
• Delivering each lesson in the most appropriate format
• Exposing your learning journey to guest teachers (they bring their own flavour and experiences in other dance styles such as Son, cha cha cha and Boogaloo were taught at our party nights)

At OnSalsa, a teacher is always a student

• We never stop learning
• We always focus on your learning journey
• We learn from you as well as you learn from us

To our students:

Keep on learning and being humble on your dance journey

Have fun together

Laugh together

and most importantly Connect and Build Community Through Dance 💃🕺

Happy Dancing to all xx

This week we’re focusing on connection, how you communicate with your dance partner without words ( yes this old chestnut is essential: Leading & following).

Great salsa isn’t about complicated moves.

Believe me it’s not! As far as I’m concerned, as a follower I’d rather much prefer being lead nicely into simple and well executed moves rather than being pulled right, left and centre.

For me SALSA is about:

• Clear leading & following

• Feeling your partner’s movement

• Staying relaxed through arms and body maintaining appropriate tension

• Moving together as one

Try this whenever you can

Keep your arms relaxed and your frame comfortable with good tension. Try to lead correctly OR follow without anticipating what the leader might be doing. Connection rather than anticipation is key.

When connection improves, everything feels so much nicer and easier, turns are smoother, the dance is so much enjoyable and dancing becomes way more fun.

Remember: connection first, moves second ❤️

Join our OnSalsa classes in Summertown Oxford to learn more about Leading and Following and all dance skills necessary to achieve this.

January 2026 – New Beginners 4 week course

The course starts on Tuesday 6th January 2026 at 7:30pm until Tuesday 27th January.

It’s a great start to the New Year – dance your way to fitness and new a healthy lifestyle.

Please book early as places are limited. Use the link below to book your place on the course. 

Pricing £30.00 

Location: Summertown Church Hall, Portland Road, OX2 7EZ

Click Me!

Confidence on the dance floor

Wow! This is a BIG Topic because confidence or the lack of, is everywhere, anywhere and it’s not different in Salsa.

Confidence isn’t something you suddenly get (usually), it’s something you build, step by step with the support of (in our case) your OnSalsa teacher and your salsa fellow dancers.

Everyone Starts Nervous

Even the most experienced dancers once felt awkward and or shy! Trust me!

It’s normal to feel nervous when:

• you try a new hobby (and let’s face it SALSA is quite different from let’s say tennis, football or netball)
• you dance with someone new (and this can be quite daunting to start with)
• you’re learning about timing, following, leading (pretty hard stuff)
• you step on the dancefloor in a social setting

What you feel IS absolutely normal, it is not a lack of ability by any means.

Confidence Comes from “Doing”

Many dancers think they’ll become confident after they feel they’re “good enough.” However you will only become good at something by attending classes regularly and by practising consistently AND that’s what OnSalsa is here for: to take you from literally Zero to Hero. If you can walk then you can dance – patience is the key here.

Your Confidence will grow when you:

• attend class regularly
• practise little and often (10 minutes a day would be a good start)
• start dancing socially (after your class is ideal as you’ll know fellow dancers)
• don’t worry when you make mistakes (we all do – remember no-one is perfect!)
• be proud when you “get that move” or “that technique” which you used to struggle with so much

Every little achievement is a step forward.

Connection with Your Dance Partner

The most confident dancers aren’t always the ones with the fanciest moves…they’re the ones who make their partner feel good and happy when they dance together. A great dance will go a long way.

To build confidence, try this:

• Leaders: keep your lead gentle and clear
• Followers: trust your following, relax into the lead and go with the flow
• Both: Be nice to each other, smile and enjoy the dance.

Salsa is a conversation to be enjoyed over music

Change Your Mind Set

Easier than done I know… but think positive (this is valid for everything we do in life, not just salsa)

Replace: ❌ “I’m bad at Salsa.”with “I’m learning this.”

Replace ❌ “Everyone is better than me.”with “Everyone learns at their own pace.”

Confidence will grow with the support of your OnSalsa teachers and fellow dancer.

Practice

Try these:

• Arrive to class 5 minutes early and start practising with fellow dancers or your OnSalsa teacher
• Ask one new person in class to dance during the Socials on Tuesdays after class
• Practise one move each week with either your OnSalsa teacher at the end of the class or a fellow dancer
• Feel proud of your achievements because We at OnSalsa are certainly very proud of you.

Small steps create amazing dancers. Beginners today, advanced tomorrow. Don’t start running before you can walk. Trust me, give yourself enough time to learn and you will thrive. Nothing makes your teacher happier than seeing your progress each week, months and over the years.

Your style doesn’t have to match anyone else’s. Some dancers are playful, others smooth, some musical, some funky. Be the dancer, you want to be and “dance to your heart out”.

The moment you embrace this, your confidence will skyrocket.

Enjoy Yourself

For me, Confidence is about:

• showing up to class and or social
• trying (something new, something tricky, something fun)
• smiling (yep! once you start smiling, everything feels so much easier)
• enjoying your progress (that’s amazing)
• letting yourself have fun (go for it!)

The more fun you have, the more confident you will become

Final Thoughts

If you’re thinking, “I wish I felt more confident,”

Guess what? You will be because you are here to enjoy yourself, have fun and meet new people who feel the same as you with supportive teachers.

See you Tuesday — let’s build confidence together!

All your OnSalsa Teacher are here to be part of your Salsa journey.

7:30pm · Summertown Church Hall (OX2 7EZ)

Building Community Through Dance

Rosa, Giles and the OnSalsa team x