CUBAN SALSA

WIM

ALEX

LENNERT

FEB - JUN 2024

  • Monday with Alex


    Level 1
    MONDAY 19:00 - 20:00
    Studio Art Deco (1st floor)
    €180/ €153 for students (-25j)
    15 sessions

    Level 2
    MONDAY 20:00 - 21:00
    Studio Art Deco (1st floor)
    €180/ €153 for students (-25j)
    15 sessions

    Language: EN/NL

    *You can also follow Rueda de Casino level 1 classes with Alex on Monday.

    *Please note that for the Cuban Salsa classes, registration with a dance partner is required.

  • Tuesday with Wim & Lennert

    Level 2
    TUESDAY 19:00 - 20:00
    Studio Art Deco (1st floor)
    €180/ €153 for students (-25j)
    15 sessions

    Level 1
    TUESDAY 20:00 - 21:00
    Studio Art Deco (1st floor)
    €180/ €153 for students (-25j)
    15 sessions

    Level 3
    TUESDAY 21:00 - 22:00
    Studio Art Deco (1st floor)
    €180/ €153 for students (-25j)
    15 sessions

    Language: NL/EN

    *You can also follow Bachata classes with Alex on Tuesday.

    *Please note that for the Cuban Salsa classes, registration with a dance partner is required.

  • Thursday with Alex

    Level 1 ELF
    (Everybody leads and follows)
    THURSDAY 19:00 - 20:00
    Studio Art Deco (1st floor)
    €180/ €153 for students (-25j)
    15 sessions

    Level 3/4
    THURSDAY 21:00 - 22:00
    Studio Art Deco (1st floor)
    €180/ €153 for students (-25j)
    15 sessions

    Language: EN/NL

    *Please note that for the Cuban Salsa classes, registration with a dance partner is required. Except the Cuban Salsa (ELF)

    *You can also follow Rueda de Casino level 2 classes with Alex on Thursday.

CUBAN SALSA

Are you in search of a dance partner to join our Cuban Salsa classes, seeking information about our lessons and more?

Join the Shoonya Dance Forum and connect with our vibrant dance community!

  • Salsa (literal translation: sauce) is a highly popular partner dance of Cuban origin. The name originated from a popular radio program sponsored by a spicy tomato sauce manufacturer. Salsa originated from the Cuban son and further developed in the Caribbean, Latin America, and North America.

    It is not a static style, but rather emphasizes movement. This means that there is no fixed sequence in which the dance is performed. The man leads and determines the figures based on the music. The dance is not done across the floor, but rather in place. Intricate arm movements are a typical characteristic of salsa.

    A set of dance steps in a salsa dance is divided into 8 counts, spread over two measures of 4 counts each. Since the 4th and 8th count are rests, they are often counted as follows: 1, 2, 3... 5, 6, 7...

  • The most important series in your salsa career! Here, we will teach you in detail the basics of Cuban salsa so that after this series, you can smoothly progress to level 2.

    A lot of attention is given to the rhythm, learning to count correctly, understanding weight distribution, maintaining the proper basic posture, and more.

    The basic steps will be thoroughly covered, allowing you to master the structure of salsa.

    We will teach you how to lead properly at the right moment. What should your arms and body do? How do you move and guide your partner smoothly and comfortably? For followers, we will also focus on body posture and how to pick up on the subtle signals from your partner.

  • In this continuation course of level 1, we will gradually build upon simple combinations and refine your technique. Typically, you will complete this series 1 to a maximum of 2 times before moving on to level 3. This is also the orientation group for those who have previous salsa experience but have not taken classes with us before.

  • We will teach you various combinations ranging from very simple to slightly more complex ones. Each season, new combinations are introduced. This is what makes salsa so enjoyable, as it is endless, allowing you to continue learning in this group for years. We once again emphasize the importance of proper leading and following techniques. Gradually, you will also learn to interpret the music with your heart rather than your head.

  • In this group, you can come to dance by invitation from the teachers. We will teach you more complex figures and, most importantly, how to create your own. Followers will learn to interpret instructions even better and add subtle accents.

  • Salsa/Bachata Practice Evening:

    Every 2nd Friday of the month (except during holiday weeks)
    Free Practice Evening 20:30 - 24:00

    (check the calendar on our website for the most up to date information)

WIM

Wim Boussery, founder and director of Shoonya Dance vzw, discovered salsa in the late 1980s. At that time, salsa was completely unknown in our country and still in full development. Wim intensely studied under various teachers, both domestically and internationally. In 1999, he began teaching salsa himself, and it eventually became his full-time job in 2004. In 2015, he co-founded the Shoonya Dance Centre with Swapnil Dagliya. Some typical characteristics of his fluid teaching style include patience, humor, calmness, and step-by-step detailed explanations for both followers and leaders, emphasizing love, respect, and tenderness towards dance partners.

He often compares learning this dance to learning a language: The first year is crucial, as you learn structured vocabulary and verbs to construct simple sentences. In the second year, you learn to create longer sentences, and the third level brings the poetry of the dance.

ALEX

Alex, from Bucharest in Romania; started dancing ballroom & other latin dances in 1993 and over the years has achieved numerous awards, both national and international in his career as a competition dancer and as a teacher. As a dancer he was part of the Romanian National Team in ballroom and latin, and a finalist and semi-finalist at the Romanian National Championships and Cups.  As a dancer his biggest achievement is wining the European and World Champion title in Rueda de Casino in 2007 and 2008. In 2009 he became the Vice World Champion in Salsa in the competitions organised by the International Dance Organisation (IDO).

His teaching career both for social and competition dancing started in 2005. The couples who trained under Alex, became World and European Champions in Salsa, Bachata and Latino Show. For 3 years Alex lived in Turkey, and his students represented Turkey in the World Championships organised by the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF) and became national champions. 

Alex has a dance experience of over 30 years and a teaching experience of over 10 years. Even though he teaches Bachata, his favorite dance is still the Tango.

Alex loves the expression of passion and other feelings that you can express through dance and his favorite quote about dance has to be: “Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels”.

LENNERT

Lennert Boussery (1989) is the son of Wim and was exposed to salsa from an early age, just like his dad. As a toddler, he already made attempts to copy his father's moves. Over time, Lennert caught the salsa bug and has been taking lessons from his father since 2005. He has adopted the same teaching style and shares his father's sense of humor. He is essentially a younger version, a copy of his father.