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Testimonals

Instructors:
"I just want to say thank you [Paula] and Jose for all your help...although there is still so much to be learned, we've learned so much from you in such a short period of time. I think that you guys are amazing dancers and choreographers...thank you again."
- Johanna

“You [Paula] will be very pleased to know that the wedding and our salsa routine were a huge success!! We missed one move but got back on track without skipping a beat and received loud applause several times during the routine. It wasn't perfect but you still would have been very proud. We are so thankful for all your help and for insisting on such a high standard. You're a great teacher and a wonderful person!”
- Sonya & Gary

“I just finished the Beginner 1 Salsa class and I wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone at the studio and especially to Robert. The class was amazing - lots of fun and I really feel like I learned a lot.”
– Riana

“I'd like thank you [Robert] for your great and unending patience in helping us learn the art of salsa dancing. I always enjoy attending your class and especially, always enjoy dancing with you. What I'm hoping is to get the chance to dance with you as a partner on a dance floor.”
– Novalyn

“I want you to know that you (Paula) are a fabulous teacher (this coming from an adult educator!), and I'd recommend you and the studio to anyone - in fact, I already have!”
- Marilyn

“I LOVE my class! Robert is fantastic!”
- Angie

“There are some of your students [at the Saturday Salsa Practice] and I can tell that they're from your class as they're good. When guys ask me which dance studio they should go to, I always recommend yours. At my age,I'm still getting complements on my dance and I owe it to you and Jose. I got a very good foundation.”
– Marietta

“As our instructor [Jose], I recall you being very patient, attentive and gentle, with a good sense of humour. We had a great time.”
- Melissa

“For Salsa, the best place is Dance to Live.”
– Christina

"Over 3 years ago, I signed up for some workshops at Dance to Live.  At the time, I thought I’d be getting a quick and easy “how-to” to be able to get by at an upcoming friend’s wedding.  To my surprise, I really enjoyed the workshops and was hooked.  I signed up for the beginners salsa classes and after 3 years, I am still going strong with the classes. 

Looking back at myself in the beginning, I was very hesitant and self-conscious of the way I looked.  Well guess what, in the beginning, we all looked awkward but we actually felt it much more so than what came out on the dance floor.  Over the past 3 years, I have gained an internal confidence, not only with my dancing but with myself as well.  Not being a svelte person, self image has always been a struggle, but since I have continued with the salsa, the struggle is not as much of a problem anymore.

In conclusion, I have to say that I really enjoy, and look forward to my classes every week.  It’s a great place to meet people, all of whom have the same interest at hand.  Also, believe it or not, it’s a great work-out.  If you are like me, you may not like the gym scene, so consider dancing.  Not only are you doing something fun, but you are getting a great cardiovascular work-out as well." 

- Marcela


Instruction Methodology:

“The first thing that struck me about Paula's teaching is her highly methodical and well-rounded approach to teaching. Paula runs the classes with a sort of energetic "spunky" attitude and good humour which masterfully balances having a fun time in class with a real concern that her students truly learn and understand the material and get full value from the classes. She is perfectly honest and outspoken in her teaching and will tell you without hesitation if something you are doing is not quite right and, consequently, if she says that you did something well you can feel assured that she means it and is not just being encouraging.”
- Gabor


Events:

“On behalf of Monica and myself, we’d like to thank you for your the fantastic performance this afternoon! You all kept the crowd moving and entertained. We got a lot of positive feedback from the organizers of Ontario Tourism and people in the crowd. I know you all definitely got people in the Salsa spirit!!”
- Claudia Gutierrez – TLN Telelatino Network

“I watched your [Robert] performance of the Toronto Congress last night - it was really really good. Paula's choreography and attention to detail is so much better than anyone else in Toronto. None of the other Toronto Groups came close. I am really really happy for you guys”.
– Jen

“Paula y Jose;
Les escribo para darles mil gracias por el show tan espectacular que nos ofresieron, muy lindo deverdad, su apoyo y ayuda hacia la programacion quedara siempre con nosotros. Mil Gracias!”

- Maribel

Translation: “I am writing to you to say thank you for the spectacular show you offered, truly very beautiful, your support and contribution to the program will stay with us always. Many thanks!”
- Maribel


Day In the Life Of a Salsa Class from a Student’s Perspective:

“A typical class starts out with learning a shine pattern followed by doing shines through a complete song as a warm-up. This is usually followed by a review of the step/pattern covered in the previous class before moving on to the new material for the day. The new pattern is broken down in detail with particular emphasis on those aspects of technique which make the steps "work" (lead/follow, precise footwork etc.), including tips for the males with respect to adapting the lead technique to different sizes and shapes of women as well as typical differences in the types of "follow" you are likely to encounter on a dance floor in practice (beginner vs. advanced, spaghetti arms or stiff arms vs. responsive etc.). Partners are rotated very frequently so you get to practice "adaptation" to different people as a matter of course during the class. Paula and Jose [the instructors] also take part in the rotation so they can correct what you are doing as you dance with them. New steps and old are incorporated into various "combo’s" with care taken to demonstrate various possibilities (different endings, dicing and slicing routines, transitions etc.) to ensure that on the dance floor you can actually use the material you learned in a varied way. A class usually ends with a few minutes of freestyle so that you can practice incorporating what you just learned into your dancing. At the end of a term you are presented with a printed "syllabus" [now video syllabus] which describes all the steps/combos that were covered in some detail. Referring to these enables you to retain everything that you learned so that, if you refer to them regularly, no steps are "lost" and your repertoire grows with time. From my (male) perspective, as someone whose main objective is practical i.e. to be a decent social dancer, this teaching structure is absolutely ideal.”
– Gabor