After a year long break I decided to slowly pick up dancing again.

No private lessons just some groups for starters.

I went to a new studio in my neighbourhood nad the instructor there invited me to have a try at their friday evening 8-9 samba and 9-10 latin group lessons. Which is great as I finish work around 6, but...
I have never done any Salsa before and the course has been going for 2 months (at 1 hour a week not much).
The instructor says I'll do great (and the first couple of hours are free) and maybe he is right. It's not that he hasn't seen me dance ballroom at their parties..
Still I have this increasing fear that I'll do really bad and would appreciate any insigths/advise

Thanks :)

have taught thousands of beginners with no, some, a little, and a lot of B/room .

if you are getting street style salsa-- forget what your ballroom foundations are-- a lot of conflictual info.-- chances are, its not street-- in which case-- you will be more than adequate ( you probably will be in the other instance )

As i say-- the worst thing that can happen ?- having a good time !

i agree with terrance - the worst thing that could happen is to have fun. i started salsa a little over a year ago. i thought i was horrible and would never learn it. my intructor gave me great feedback and encouragement. i'm in advanced salsa performance now. i still think i do badly at times but i see beginners and how they struggle and remember. just keep working at it. one day, you kinda wake up and you're there!

I've been doing ballroom, Latin and Argentine Tango for a little less than a year. As a newbie to virtually all of the dances except a little country waltz and two-step from years ago, I don't think salsa is any more difficult to learn than any other dance.

Crossover breaks, 5th position breaks, some cuddles and crossbody leads in salsa are pretty much the same as in cha cha and rumba, at least in the variant(s) of American style that I'm being taught.

Personally, I think samba is harder than salsa but that's just me. You'll do well.

Ballroom students relate to Mambo/Salsa more readily, due to their exposure to the " rhythm " dances, as many of the steps are transitions that are modified to suit .

caveat-- be careful to NOT make them look like their b/room counterparts .

With Salsa I find that at the beginning it is better if it is explaned that in the basic movements there are four beats and only three steps. the fourth beat is a Latin Motion movement of the hip, and to get an isolation of the the hips from the upper body. This is easy for somebody who is proficient in the International Style of Latin Dancing which also incorporates the turnout of the feet. I also like the idea of not counting beats 4 and 8. which are not steps. With a beginner if those beats are counted there is a likelihood of a step being made.
In other words give a pupil the basic facts right at the beginning.

Firstly " cuban " motion is an action that is carried over ALL 4 beats.

Secondly, counting it rhythmically ( QQS ) displays where the beat value is employed .
The use of # and rhythm counts ( where poss. ) should always be employed .It also identifies the bars of music-- critical if you are dancing to clave -- reason ? -- the clave changes from 3/2 to 2/3 in many songs-- not knowing where, is like dancing on 321 in Waltz .

And, by the way-- turning out the foot advice , is very much confined to the way we teach Intern. Latin-- most " latinos " would baulk at the thought !!

There is also Cumbia rhythm injected into many " Salsa " songs--- another change of pace that the majority ( even Pros ) dont understand ..

Salsa/ Mambo, has probably the most complex rhythms for dance, in any of the genres , primarily due to the jazz oriented compositions overlaying the Son, gauganco and montuno background .invariably present . .

Terence. As we all know if there is no turn out of the foot there will be a gap between the thighs. This can look rather ugly . See Slavik 's DVD and the advice given by Karina. Those who have the Cha DVD look again its very important.

You have obviously never spent any time among " latinos "

I have probably forgotten more about " street " latin than slavik will ever know .Thats not usually the format that comp. dancers persue, and thats OK.
I was trained in Intern latin by the best, close to 60 yrs ago-- that concept went out the window whilst being introduced to the indigenous form, from the people who invented it, in the states .

I know not ONE teacher in the states and anyone else involved solely in Salsa ( and I have taught all over the states and in the UK ) that teaches that foot position in street style salsa ..

It took me many yrs to adapt to the street style, and that is what I still teach, and dance , today .

The majority of B/room people have never spent one single nite in a true latin club.
How can anyone begin to comprehend a culture and its music, if all they are involved in , is a competitive sport ?-- at best, its a cabaret form of dance and bears little relationship to what any latino, from any country, that dances Mambo /Salsa .

The sad truth is, many teachers seldom broaden their horizons, and continue on in the same old way until they retire .

I believe it is incumbent upon me as a Prof. , to continue my education as long as I am teaching . ( and I,m a dual fellow all divisions, and a former exam. ) still learning new things.

there is a very famous coach who went to Cuba recently-- they came back amazed at the style of dance that they were dancing doing Cha on 1 .
This was related in a lengthy dance article.

I responded,--- " that is how the dance originated, and that the Americans and English " anglicised " the dance, which they still dance today-- namely Guajira."( which incidentally came from triple Mambo )

needless to say-- my article was never published .

Funny how beginners seeking advice seem to spur postings that become the place for advanced dancers to spar over technicalities.......I know I'm not that advanced yet.....LOL!