Salsa Memphis Dance Factory

If you are tired of traditional dance lessons and aerobic classes but want a fun way to exercise, try salsa. Don't worry about having a partner because someone will step in. Alex Labrador, who is Filipino, started giving salsa lessons and it grew into Salsa Memphis. Salsa Memphis is lucky to have Edgar Mendez, originally from LA as an instructor. Now, Salsa Memphis offers plenty of opportunities for people to try it. You can opt for lessons at their dance studio on mt. moriah. The lessons are about a hour to a hour and half and are $12 a lesson or you can buy a pack of 4 lessons for 40 bucks. Beginner lessons are on Mondays. You do need to wear shoes that have slick ,smooth soles so it will be easier to spin. Also, I would recommend a towel because you will work up quite a sweat. The first part of the lesson is usually individual footwook where the basic steps are reviewed. Edgar breaks it down slowly so everyone understands the steps. Then he will use the steps to make a dance routine. The dance routine will actually help you because you use the steps learned in your routine with a partner. As for partners, you initially select a partner but then you will stand in a circle and rotate. Therefore, you learn to dance with different people--some who will have more salsa skills than others. All in all, it is quite a workout. If you want to see what salsa lessons will result in, go to High Point Cafe in the Pinch on Saturday night about 11pm. All the advanced dancers are there and they put on quite a show. You can go earlier and get a free beginner salsa lesson with your 6 dollar admission (it will be $10 if there is a live band). Mostly, they play salsa, meringue and bachata music. People who salsa are quite diverse in size, shape, and nationalities and they are all very nice to beginners. Don't be surprised if you see local news personalities or college athletes there. Want to get out of the house and do something different, check out the salsa memphis website and give salsa a try.