Salsa with Tomaj

My fiance and I LOVE our Friday night salsa lessons with Tomaj. We have so much fun, and it's amazing how much you can learn in a progressive series class like his. We had occasionally dropped in at Allegro for salsa classes about two years prior to our beginner series with Tomaj, but neither of us remembered a thing by the time we started Tomaj's classes. By the end of the class, we actually knew a pattern and immediately signed up for the intermediate session. We've made a lot of new friends, and we're very excited to sign up for the next series.We are of the opinion that Tomaj is a very good instructor. That being said, there are plenty of people who disagree--we've had quite a few dropouts in our class, and a couple of the other students sticking with it complain about him. My observations are follows: people who take his criticism personally or want only "positive reinforcement" don't do so well with his teaching style. I don't think he's particularly harsh, but it can feel like he's picking on you at times. My fiance just laughs it off every time Tomaj shakes his head and stops the music because of some mistake he made. There is a really big difference between his beginner and intermediate classes. He's extremely patient in the beginner class, and it moves very slowly with lots and lots of repetition. Once we hit the intermediate class, we spent a good portion of the class confused and tripping over our own two feet because the degree of difficulty skyrocketed. To be fair, he does warn you in the beginning that the intermediate class is no joke. Also, from his perspective, he really does have to ramp it up, because he has people who have taken his intermediate class several times--if he kept it at the same slow pace, he'd never have repeat students. As a result, his intermediate class is definitely not for everyone. You have to be willing to keep trying and making a fool out of yourself. You can't give up or get too frustrated. And you absolutely cannot take his criticism personally. I also think that it's ultimately you who determines what you get out of the class. As I said before, we've gotten to know a lot of our classmates, and I think that's made a really big difference with our experience. There's a real sense of camaraderie when you're able to commiserate AND get advice from classmates.

I highly recommend Tomaj's classes. I've had lessons at 4 east bay venues (allego ballroom, shboom, etc.) - all are run by wonderful people, but Tomaj is the best - hands down. You just have to try them out and it will be immediately clear. He is focused, explains things very clearly and knows how to pace the class so that everyone learns.He's also the only one to have his classes on DVD so you can practice at home - this alone has immeasurable value as it's virtually impossible to take notes in a dance class. (Do yourself a big favor - if you're going to put the time investment into taking classes, start watching the DVDs and practice at home. They're inexpensive and you'll progress much faster.) He also has a wonderful staff that always jumps in to help balance out the gender ratio when needed - something more dance studios should do. And hey - he's a really nice fellow on top of all that!

I've taken salsa off and on over a few years and have been exposed to different instructors at all levels of skill and experience. Tomaj is right up there with one of the best. I've not taken any privates from him but I think as a leader in group classes, he's extremely competent. His style of repetition helps groove in the patterns he teaches which are useful. He's quite serious and on-purpose, keeping the class from bogging down. Overall, he gets high marks as an excellent instructor for all levels! JF Danville CA

Tomaj, Thank you so much for making our wedding day even more spectacular than we could have ever imagined. Adding the element of our own unique and memorable wedding dance was by far, the most stressful, but most worth it experience. The dance was fun and we still to this day receive compliments on how well it was choreographed. You were an amazing instructor to both of us. You showed us patience and gave us hope. We had absolutely no dance background and considering I had two left feet and my husband was super nervous. We were your biggest challenge. You made us feel confident and comfortable to stand in front of all of our family to show them how to have a good time. It was blast learning how to dance and the best part was learning how to dance with my the love of life. Thank you Tomaj! You were so awesome. I recommend everyone should have him teach them their very own unique first dance. He is worth every minute. Oh, by the way... his Bachata lessons were awesome too.

I took a class with Tomaj last Friday at the Allegro Salsa Party with live music and 3 djs spinning bachata kizomba and salsa. His partner for that night was Ava Apple. I have taken classes from both of these instructors before and I think that last Friday was the best class I have ever seen. We did crossbody turns left and right. The presentation and tips to improve our dance were excellent. The party was also a huge success plenty of food wine and sangria.A friend of mine also came to do her first salsa lesson and she very much enjoyed it so its for everyone.

I think Allegro Ballroom on Sundays is a much better place to learn and more fun. Tomaj is very aggressive when it comes to money and arrogant. He has offended several people I know so I am not a fan of Tomaj. I also think that Juan Gil at the Lake Merrit Dance Center is a great teacher with small classes and great dance parties the 3rd Friday of the month.

I was feeling "good" and signed up for Tomas' beginning Salsa class, here in Castro Valley. It was a good $ value. I'm a "married" dancer - sadly married to a "non-dancing" husband - and this class advertised that a partner "was not necessary." Indeed, they did sort of step-by-step- session, and then, paired folks off if they were not already paired. I started out with his able assistant, Flor (which I don't have an issue with - I'm cool dancing with another lady in a class/party setting - the most important part is getting to dance!) Then, it was "switch to the right" and you had a new partner to work on your latest move/combination with. And that is good thing, as you either learned what you were doing right (or wrong) and had the experience of working that out with a variety of partners. Much like a "real life" club setting would be. Plus, knowning the sad dearth of male partners available in most of these settings, I "think" they brought in a bunch of "ringers" who more than made the experience both valuable and enjoyable! This was a great intro class with the option of hanging out for the intermediate/advanced lesson to follow for a little bit more. Plus, they plan lots of parties/events throughout the bay area so you can strut your stuff in a social setting. I would recommend highly to those partnerless dancers who are holding back for that reason alone. Good age range too - From the 20s on up to the 60s (?) with plenty of folks holding the 7-count in in between. I've taken a LOT of dance classes in my day. This was comfortable, fun and not a bit pretentious. Besides, if you are dancing on a regular basis, think of all the additional calories you could be consuming! I yelp you Tomaj! Dance on!

If you really want to learn ballroom salsa in a structured environment this is the place to be. You won't feel intimidated; in fact one of the first things Tomaj will teach you is to leave all complexes and self-doubt out the door before coming here. In my experience after going to other dance schools and teachers who teach in a more informal manner, Tomaj has warm up sessions at the beginning of each class where he teaches turns and flairs step by step which will be used throughout the class. He puts together 6-8 week sessions and you learn a pattern or routine that will help you learn new steps and turns every time. He also has 30 minute blocks after each class to do some free style dancing to practice your moves. He is available for any questions to help you get the steps right so you can go home and practice some more. We typically form two circles leaders/followers we partner up and rotate - so you don't need to bring in a partner as you get to dance with the whole class. It is a fun environment, he is disciplined and likes for students to be respectful to others as we are all there to learn, but still have fun and make friends. We have parties after each session, some volunteer to perform the pattern we have been practicing for the last few weeks. We bring our friends and family to show them what it is all about!. I have been taking classes with Tomaj for 2 years and have learned tremendously from the "front-center-back-center" to dancing at nightclubs with confidence developing my own style. I strongly recommend you to take the first step and join his class!

If you are just starting with salsa dance, this is a great place to learn. The students are at all skill levels so that makes the learning easier in the begginer's class for new comers. If you have made enough progress with the basics, there are always fun patterns to learn in the intermediate class which I attend regularly. Try it. Try the salsa dance class with any club or studio, your money will be well spent.

Salsa with Tomaj is pretty much the best way to learn Salsa step by step. I have been trying to learn comfortably for years, but signing up with him, I already feel like going out to clubs and showing what I've learned.He is clear, repeats his steps, and his character is great. I think hostile people project themselves onto others, and Tomaj is not arrogant at all. He's funny, understanding, patient and encouraging.Take this class if you are nervous, buggy or on the fence with learning. It will make you feel awesome and it's worth every cent.