It’s that time of year again! This weekend marks the beginning of NYISC Salsa Week — the week before the New York International Salsa Congress (held over Labor Day Weekend) when hundreds of Latin dancers from around the world come to NYC to train, social dance, and explore the city where dreams are made of. It’s a jam-packed, inspiring week and one of my favorite times of the year to go out social dancing.
As you’re dancing your way through the city that never sleeps, here are a few helpful things to keep in mind:
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New York is huge and things are far away from each other.
It often takes an hour or more to get from one location to another, especially if you’re traveling to and from different boroughs (i.e. Brooklyn to Manhattan, or Manhattan to the Bronx). As you’re planning your itinerary, pay attention to locations and account for transit time in your schedule. Know too that on weekends various subway trains are often closed for repairs or running on different lines, and taking an alternative route could add significant time in transit. Google Maps is a great tool to use when looking up directions and transit options, but make sure to download the MTA app for the most up to date subway information.
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Socials get crowded a little later than most other Latin scenes, generally around 11pm.
If you’re looking to catch as many dancers as possible, plan to social dance between 11pm and 1am, but be prepared for a very crowded dance floor. Most nights socials in New York fill up, so be sure to pay attention to the other dancers while you’re on the floor. Showtime is usually advertised for midnight, but shows won’t likely start until closer to 12:20 or 12:30. Most events run until three or four in the morning, but the party will start to thin out around 2:00am, and there are usually only a core group of dancers still hanging around after 3:00am.
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Like any close-knit scene, New York dancers tend to social dance with the people they know.
Which means that if you want to dance with someone, you’re going to need to ask. Followers, that means you too! If someone says no, don’t take it personally. There are a million and one reasons why someone might say “no” to a dance that have nothing to do with you! If someone turns you down, ask someone else instead, and keep asking until you get a “yes.” Getting your first few dances can be hard (and a little discouraging), but once you’re on the dance floor a few times, people will start to notice, and thus might be more likely to say “yes” later on in the evening.
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Looking for the more advanced dancers? Head over to the DJ.
At most socials the DJ booth will be near the performers room/backstage area, which means you’ll likely find all the professional and more advanced dancers hanging out over there too. So don’t be shy! Head on over and ask the dancers you really want to dance with — the ones you traveled all the way to New York to see! — to dance. Every advanced dancer was once a beginner too, they know what it feels like to be in your shoes. Remember that if you start to feel shy about asking them to dance.
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Taking the class (or classes) before the social is a good idea (and a really great deal!).
Dancing in New York for the first time, especially if you’re still a beginning dancer, can be a little intimidating, especially at socials with a lot of pros and advanced dancers. Classes too tend to be crowded and oftentimes dancers are trying to show off for a potential camera. Dance classes before socials ten to have a little more of a relaxed vibe and are a great way to get in some solid training (promoters and organizers in New York really invest in the talent they bring to their events!) and warm-up before the social dancing later on. Plus, most social entrance fees include the pre-party classes, which means you can often get a dance class (sometimes two!) and hours of social dancing with some of the world’s best Latin dancers for just $15. It’s by far the best deal in town!
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New Yorkers really do wear a lot of black…
So if you show up to a dance class in bright, colorful leggings you might feel a little out of place. Black leggings are the norm here. Also, most classes are filmed or Instagrammed in some way (it’s New York after all and dancers and artists are trying to get discovered), so it’s a good idea to wear something that makes you feel and look good, just in case you end up in someone’s next promo shot.
Have other tips for planning a salsa dancing trip to New York City? Please leave them in the comments below!