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Should I take group or private salsa lessons?Group or private salsa lessons, that is the question. How much money do you want to spend? And how good do you want to get and in what period of time? Here are some thoughts that may help you decide what you want to do for yourself. Group LessonsGroup lessons have remained an affordable way to learn to dance salsa. It gives you the opportunity to dance with a wide range of dancers. The unfortunate side of this is that you may have to dance with someone who just doesn't get it. The good part is that you won't get stuck with them because you'll rotate dance partners frequently.Group lessons may cost any where from $10 to $12, or may even be free! Don't expect to learn too much from free group lessons because its usually geared to attracting new dancers to take the real lesson at the dance studio. 
Group salsa lessons can only take you so far. You don't get the individual attention that you need. So you actually might end up learning the wrong things and may have to unlearn them later in your private lesson. Private LessonsPrivate salsa lessons are quite expensive, but well worth the money. They can range from $50 to $100+ per hour. The good part is that the dance instructor usually allows you to bring a dance partner or up to 3 people. That way you can all split the costs of the lesson.With a private lesson, you'll probably get beat up and beat down by the instructor when you find out that there are more subtle things to this dance like leading with your core and not with your arms, being grounded, and feeling the music. Game PlanHere's a good game plan for you. Since you are still a salsa baby, the best thing is to take group lessons. After all, you may find that salsa dancing is not for you, or you may not have the time to dedicate to this. It would be ashame to pay for expensive private lessons and end up not salsa dancing in the long run.After taking group lessons and hitting a plateau, you can supplement or replace your group lessons with private lessons. How long does it take to learn salsa?If you want to learn to dance salsa, one question you should ask yourself is "How much time do I have to learn to dance salsa?" This can help decide whether you want to take a group or private lesson. As with anything, you will need to dedicate some time to this dance. How fast you learn is entirely up to you! At the Atrium Dance Studio, the group lesson is very structured. Basics 1 will take you 6 weeks to complete and Basics 2 will take you another 6 weeks. The next level is intermediate level. At a minimum, you should take this class for 3 months before moving to the advanced classes. Although, most people wait a year or more before taking Advanced class. Timeline to Learn to Dance Salsa
You may opt to take Basics 1 and Basics 2 and the repeat both levels again while taking intermediate class. This will let you learn things that you may have missed or even re-learn some things that you may have learned wrong. The basic steps are the foundation of salsa dancing, so its a good idea that you take as much time to learn your basics correctly. Let me say that again. Learn your basic steps! Later down the road, you'll find that every intermediate and advanced move is made up of the basic steps. If you can take the same lessons 2 times a week, it will accelerate your learning curve and help you master the basic moves. So get out there and learn salsa dance!
Good luck with your group or private salsa lessons!
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