Do I need a dance partner to
take lessons?
No, the majority of students who take classes come alone.
Also, the best way to learn is to have different dance partners,
so partners are rotated frequently during every class.
What's the cost for a class?
Classes are $10 each per person, except Salsa Intermediate, which has special discount pricing for additional classes during the week. See our Fees page for more details. Classes at our dance parties are free.
Can I get private lessons? And
if so, how much do they cost?
Yes, private lessons are available and need to be scheduled
in advance. Private lessons cost $35 for half an hour and $60
for the hour. The cost for the lesson is not per person, so
if three people sign up for an hour lesson it's still only
$60. Please note, private lesson costs for groups of six or
more differ from above.
What do I wear?
Something casual and comfortable are your best bets. Please
wear shoes that you will most likely be dancing in. Avoid
wearing sneakers and work boots. These may add stress to
your joints and are cumbersome.
How long will it take to learn?
Like any physical activity, much depends on natural ability
and the desire to pursue it.
Where can I go dancing?
Some of the South Jersey area's favorites are the Atrium's Saturday Latin night, and Double-shot Friday Hustle and Swing parties, the Stardust and others. For ballroom, many attend our Sunday Ballroom Mix party.
There are many dances and venues to
visit throught the week. Please see our new dance venues page for
more information about where to dance in the South Jersey Area. See a complete list of dance parties at the Atrium.
What is Casino
Rueda?
Casino Rueda is the most exhilarating style of Salsa dancing, sometimes referred to as "Casino" or "Cuban Square Dancing".
In the 1950's, in a Havana social club called El Casino Deportivo,
Casino was born. Many great dancers gathered there for friendly
competitions. They would practice all week to invent new moves
and go to the club to show them off. Soon they began to dance
the moves together. In order to keep a distinction between
one move and another, they began naming them—creating what
is known today as Casino Rueda. Rueda is the Spanish word for
wheel. Two or more couples get together and form a circle or
a Rueda. The leader of the Rueda calls out the commands and
the couples respond by performing the moves simultaneously
exchanging partners in response to the callers instruction,
much like what is done in Square Dancing. Many of the moves
also have hand signals as well as names, in order to be able
to dance in a loud club setting.
The Rueda can be as
small as two couples, or—as large as a space can hold—hundreds of couples. As a result of the Castro regime and
the arrival of Cuban exiles, Casino Rueda began to slowly
make it's way into the Miami salsa community and in the
late 1980's and early 1990's it experienced an enormous
explosion of popularity. The emergence of Rueda outside
of Cuba began in Miami but has now spread to many salsa
communities all over the U.S.
In Miami, Casino has been
so embraced that one is hard pressed to find a nightclub
in which Casino or Rueda is not danced. Casino has grown
not just in size, but also in complexity and style. As
the time progressed some additional influences (such as
Disco and Mambo) have affected the dance, however today's
Ruedas are quite similar to those of 50 years ago. Dancing Salsa is a way of connecting with someone physically and
mentally. When you dance with a partner you both have to
be in sync with one another and this creates a bond. In
Rueda the energy extends to the entire group.
ATRIUM DANCE STUDIO
4721 N. Crescent Blvd. (Route 130)
Pennsauken, NJ 08110
856-661-9166
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856-661-9166