FEQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What kind of shoes and clothing should I wear?
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WHat's your group class schedule?
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Where should I park?
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Do I need experience?
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Do I need a partner?
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Are yoUR classes friendly for same sex couples?
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What FORMS of payments do you take?
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How long will it take me to learn to dance?
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When should I start attending group lessons?
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What is the average age of your students?
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How long before I can dance with a stranger in public?
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Do I pay you or the studio?​
Can I drop by the studio TO MEET YOU?
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What Styles of Dance Can I learn in private lessons?
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how many lessons should i take a week?
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What do cover in private lessons?
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How do I set up private lessons
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Will people be watching me learn?
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Do you make house calls?
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what is your cancellation policy?
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Where can I practice?
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Where can I find music?
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Is dance good exercise?
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Can I video tape class?
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What's the difference between On-1 and On-2, and what do those mean?​
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE ME TO LEARN
This is a trick question. How long did it take you to ride a bike and learn to walk? Everyone's answer is different. Danella cannot put a timeline on learning to dance. Your process will depend on past experiences, how quick you learn and how much you practice.
Danella will be there every step of the way pushing you to become independent of her guidance and help you set goals along the way.
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TO LEARN THE FASTEST: ONE MUST TAKE PRIVATES, GROUP CLASSES, GO OUT AND PRACTICE AND PRACTICE IN BETWEEN LESSONS.
Everyone should do it a little bit each day. This does not always mean private lessons. You should cross train your learning as well.
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SUGGESTIONS:
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1 to 2 private lessons a week
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2 group classes a week on different days
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Go out and dance once a week
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Practice 10 to 15 mins daily
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Learn more than one dance at a time
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I ALREADY DANCE AND WANT TO TRAIN: MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS
How many lessons should i take
Will I be Watched
Maybe, but not really.
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Private Lessons are Private. Danella will be the only persona watching you learn. However, sometimes other teachers and their students are learning at the same time in the ballroom. Booking out the whole room is an additional cost.
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In group classes there may be between 15-40 people, but everyone is focused on learning and paying attentions to what they need to do to accomplish class. Danella encourages a positive learning environment. I will also be recording the Zoom lesson for live online students, so just step out of frame if this seems intimidating.
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DO NOT LET THIS HOLD YOU BACK FROM ATTENDING GROUP CLASSES
Classes are full of all types and ages. Danella does not discriminate to any. The average age of her students are about 38, with the range being from 18-65.
Children under the age of 18 are allowed to attend class with parents permission/attendance. Parents, Danella does ask that your children are really there to learn and will not be a distraction. Also note they will be dancing with the adults in class & Danella is not always PG-13 with her vocab.
AVG AGE
Video taping
GROUP CLASSES: GO FOR IT! Social Media Only. Just make sure to tag me and give me credit. @DanellaDuttonDance
Danella post videos for you online. Please feel free to video yourself doing it, as long as it is not a distraction to class.
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PRIVATE LESSONS: YES please do for learning purposes. Please do not post these online. We can do a social media post separate if that is how you want to spend your time.
styles
SALSA CLUBS
Salsa (Traditional/On-1/On-2 & Contratiempo)
Merengue
Bachata
Cha-Cha
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No specific style
Body Mechanics
Grooves
Wedding Dances
Basic Partnering - Merengue and Swing Influences
Basic music timing (Basic Top 40's Club Movements)
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AMERICAN BALLROOM/SOCIAL DANCING/COMPETITIVE
Cha-Cha
Mambo
Rumba
East Coast Swing
Bolero
Waltz
Foxtrot
Tango
V. Waltz
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INTERNATIONAL BALLROOM/COMPETITIVE
Cha-Cha
Rumba
Jive
Samba
Waltz
Foxtrot
Tango
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SWING SOCIAL
West Coast Swing (Beg to Int Levels)
Single time swing (Shag/Jitterbug)
Hustle
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COUNTRY
2-Step
Waltz
Swing
It all just depends after a series of extensive questions, a relationships has been formed and this will all be up to the discretion of Danella.
TRAVEL FEE: $15 within a 10 minute drive from the studio (Hollywood Dance Center). Additional $1.40/minute of travel time beyond that.
PRIVATE LESSONS
Not on the first private lesson
Your location will always be shared with a friend of hers
PRIVATE EVENT GROUPS
Your locations will always be shared with a friend of hers
This is for her safety.
CELEBRITY CLIENTS - MUST HAVE PROOF IT'S YOU . YOUR LOCATION WILL NOT BE SHARED, SHE WILL NOT POST SHE IS TEACHING YOU OR GIVE OUT THIS INFORMATION AND SHE WILL COME OUT ON THE FIRST LESSON.
HOUSE CALLS
ON-1 v
on-2 v CUBAN
There are many different styles of dancing Salsa. If you hear someone saying On-1 or On-2 this is a question as to what beat of music you dance on.
In private lessons Danella can cover either. Neither style is right or wrong it is just a preference. On-1 has one dancing to the Melody or downbeat and On-2 has one dancing to the Instruments, Timing (Clave).
In her group lessons, she teaches On-1. However she is trained On-2 and takes a lot of their principles and her Caribbean (traditional or circular) influence is mixed into her teaching style.
Danella can also teach you how to dance more traditional in the event you are visiting the Caribbean or just want the movement and knowledge. Below is some advice from Danella:
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NY Style (On2) - SLOT DANCE STYLE
The On2 means you break (step) fwd/back on the 2nd beat. This style still has you dance to the down beat so you will learn where the "1, 2, 3" is in the music. This style has you picking your foot up on the slow beat. Because the music is a little harder to understand with the steps we spend a lot more time covering the music/rhythm. This also makes class go a little slower, but we spend a ton of time on moving to the music! If your personality style has the patience for this, people who learn On2 first typically become stronger/better dancers. This is due to the fact that right out the gate we are forcing you to go through the "struggle" of understanding exactly where your body is supposed to be on which beats of music. Smaller Classes = more details.
LA Style (On1) - SLOT DANCE STYLE
The On1 means you break (step) fwd/back on the 1st beat. This style also has you dance to the down beat so you will learn where the "1,2,3" are as well. This style has you stepping down on the slow beat. For some reason stepping out (fwd/back) on the 1 (the down beat) is easier for people to comprehend so these classes feel like they move at a faster pace. It stays exciting and we keep moving. This really puts the practice in the hands of the students and they must do work outside of classes. If not, you will be doing it, but not necessarily learning or comprehending. This usually causes people to excel to the Intermediate classes faster, but then realize they need to spend more time on beginners techniques. Retention is the goal in both styles so when you go out social dancing it feels fun and not stressful (that's going to happen no matter what). Larger Classes = more trial and error.
If you really want to learn and know you do, pick On2 (NY Style) if you just want a life distraction and fun pick On1 (LA Style). At the end of the day, the moves are the same. I teach the feel of the styles the same, it's just really where you step on what beats that are different.
CUBAN On2 - CIRCULAR DANCE STYLE
Cuban On2 is just a Nickname now given to the original way to dance On2. This is just to differentiate between this and New York Style. You will be dancing to the up beat so moving to the 2, 3, 4 and the 6, 7, 8. This allows for more body movement and is more traditional. You will be moving more circular with this style and not forward and back. It feels like On1 dancing where the slow is a down movement.
It is more traditional and follows the Tumbao (Conga Rhythm) in Latin Music more than any other style. The Conga Rhythm is the Gun (4 beat), Gun (& beat), Hold on 1, and the Slap on 2 of the Conga. This is the Congas sounding like the Cha Cha Cha in the music. I do workshops on this style.
SPOTIFY PLAYLIST - Just for you guys!
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music
Cover in privates
This really depends on your goals and where you are at in your dancing.
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Usually advancing ones level comes down to advancing your basics. As much as complicated moves seem like something new they are just a variation of some basic movement. So no matter what style of dancing you are learning in your private coaching sessions Danella will teach you the following:
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Basic body movements and drills to practice
Music
Patterns
Whats needed to really lead and follow
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Danella will do this through repetition, patterns and dancing. She will also cover the techniques needed to do all of this.
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Danella will also work with you until she finds a way you comprehend what she is trying to get across to you.
when do i start groups
All of the group classes until further notice are Series. Make sure to email her if you have any questions.
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How to set up a private
There are 2 ways to do this.
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Pre-Purachse:
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Buy your package HERE
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EMAIL DANELLA - Letting her know if days, nights, weekends or, week days are best.
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She will respond with a few options which fit into that weeks schedule.
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Once confirmed with a studio she will send you a confirmation email.
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Paying Cash: ​
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EMAIL DANELLA - Let he know you are interested in private lessons and want to pay cash.
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She will respond with a few options which fit into that weeks schedule and she will send a CC Authorization Form to you to hold the lesson. This is for her strict 24 hour cancellation policy.
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Once confirmed with a studio and CC Authorization Form is filled out, she will send you a confirmation email.
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YOU ARE ALL SET
where to practice
Everywhere!
At home, in the bathroom at work, in class, with a partner or alone, or out on a dance floor. Some practice is better than none. Even if you are alone. Dance is muscle memory, like sports. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.
Now I know you probably meant, where do I go out dancing?
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SAME SEX FRIENDLY
ABSOLUTLY!!!
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No matter you sexual preference Danella encourages students to learn the opposite half to better your learning. You will often walk into a class with guys following and ladies leading.
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Also some of her more advanced students will help balance the numbers by doing so. Also it's kinda fun.
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Cancellation
policy
STRICK 24 HOUR CANCELLATION POLICY.
PRIVATE LESSONS
As long as you give Danella a 24 hour notice it does not matter. This allows Danella time to try to book the slot you were in. Remember you may have booked a prime time slot and someone else was told it was already taken.
Cancelling within 24 hours cost Danella double the money & she still has to pay the studio rental space. Doing so will result in:
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A lesson lost on your pre-paid package or her charging your card on file. The full rate.
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You agreed to this in your first confirmation email with all of the details.
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GROUP CLASSES - UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
24 hour policy as well.
All Pre-registration classes will be holding a slot of the limited capacity class, this means if you don't show up you will still be charged for the whole month. Danella will gladly email you the videos for the classes though.
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PRIVATE GROUPS or EVENTS
Cancelling within the 72 hour period will result in the loss of your deposit and up to 50% charge of the total cost.