Views #811 | Low-Intermediate 4

Salsa Dancing

Fred and Katia talk about the salsa, the other dance they teach at their school.
image
Todd: So, Katia and Fred, we're talking about your dance school, and before we were talking about the belly dance, and Katia you do the belly dance, but you also do Salsa.

Fred: That's right, Todd.

Todd: And that takes two?

Fred: That takes two. It takes two to salsa.

Todd: It takes two to salsa. So you are part of the salsa team?

Fred: Yes. If we could call it a team, I mean,

Katia: Yes.

Fred: It's mostly Katia teaching me how to dance and then I try to pass it onto the others.

Katia: That's not true. Fred... Fred is a very good teacher, I think he's just very humble but where I think we make a very good team: We're both patient and we know what a student is struggling and that's the important part.

Fred: And it's also good to have partners like this to teach other people, whether they're partners or not, or they just want to learn salsa, like the men would come to me to learn about a special move and then the women would have a tendency of going more towards Katia so we're making... striking a perfect balance in teaching, I think.

Todd: Now, do you get a fair balance of students, of male to female students, for salsa class?

Katia: Right now, we have more women than men so hopefully we'll have a balance in there, but yeah.

Fred: I guess women are more open towards taking dance lessons than men are. Maybe men feel a bit scared. I don't know. How do you feel, Todd? Would you come to the school?

Todd: Well, you know what, I will. I will come, but I have to admit my feeling would be that I would be intimidated. That I would look really foolish, so yeah. I think most guys would probably feel the same way.

Fred: Yeah, that's why we have more girls I think.

Katia: Unfortunately, but the truth is from what I've heard from the guys, from the men, they do want to learn how to dance.

Todd: Yeah, it does sound fun. It does.

Katia: And women also like it. Women like for the men to dance, and especially in Salsa, usually it's the man is the leader,so it's very important that the man is who leads.

Todd: That sounds like more pressure.

Katia: No, no, no. Well, you learn how to be a good leader and how to lead, and the woman how to follow.

Todd: So, let's say somebody goes to your school, like myself and they have two left feet. They cannot dance. How long does it take to where you can do a salsa reasonably well?

Katia: We... right from the beginning, at least we can a little bit, where the person is and does it, can they hear the music or not. From the first class, you dance with a partner. Of course not freely. We can tell you what steps to take. And we advance accordingly, so it might take in one step, it might take a long time, so it depends on people that are in the class, and it all depends on the person.

Todd: Right. So some people learn faster than others.

Katia: Yes.

Fred: But definitely after one class, you will have learned a minimum two steps

Todd: OK. Really.

Fred: Yeah.

Todd: OK.

Fred: Guaranteed.

Todd: I'm sold. I'll definitely come and try it out.

Fred: Please do.

Katia: Please do.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

pass it on

image

Then I try to pass it on.

When we 'pass something on,' that means we give it, either a physical thing or a piece of information, to another person.  Notice the following:

  1. I'll pass it on to my boss.
  2. Can you pass it on for me?

have a tendency

image

Women have a tendency of going towards Kati.

A 'tendency' is what we usually do in a given situation.  Notice the following:

  1. I have a tendency to fall asleep in class.
  2. She has a tendency to interrupt when others are speaking.

striking a perfect balance

image

We're striking a perfect balance.

When we 'strike a perfect balance,' that means we spend a desired amount of time between two or more activities.  Notice the following:

  1. Striking a perfect balance between work and play is difficult.
  2. Striking a perfect balance between diet and exercise is the key.

more open toward

image

Women are more open toward dance lessons.

When we are 'open toward' something, that means we are willing to consider new or different things, ideas or suggestions.  Notice the following:

  1. I'm more open toward new music than most of my friends.
  2. He was more open toward it than I expected.

two left feet

image

He has two left feet.

When we are not good at dancing we say we have two left feet.  Notice the following:

  1. My boyfriend has two left feet.
  2. Before I took dance lessons, I had two left feet.

Vocabulary Quiz

pass it on • tendency • balance
open toward • two left feet
  1. The president of the company is very new advertising ideas.
  2. It is her to say yes to everything.
  3. My grandmother gave my mother that ring and my mother will to me someday.
  4. There is no in his life.  All he does is work.
  5. He thinks he is a good dancer, but really he has .
Answer the following questions about the interview.

Try These Lessons


815 Routine
815 The Gig
Eoin talks about what life on the road.

814 Ferry
814 Off to Osaka
Eoin talks about traveling with his band.

813 Band
813 The Rock Band
Eoin talks about his band Nanbanjin.

812 History
812 Dance Teachers
How they became dance teachers.

811 Salsa
811 Salsa Dancing
Fred and Katia talk about the salsa.

Free Courses from ELLLO

One Minute English Videos

Free Courses from ELLLO