Salsa Fever On 2 Dance Academy — Local services in Jersey City

For the longest time, I have been wanting to take dancing lessons—specifically salsa. But, due to my high-level of shyness and lack of confidence in my dancing skills, I never took the initiative needed to start my salsa journey. However, that all changed a year ago and since then my life has completely changed in a way I never thought was possible.

Last July, I decided to take a leap of faith and take lessons at Salsa Fever on 2. Like many of us, I ran straight to the comment section and read the reviews posted by current/prior students. Although, there were negative comments about Mario B.’s way of joking and commenting on the progress of his students, I did not let that deter me. And I'm glad that it didn’t!

Even though his humor can be interesting at times…we all do tend to laugh and enjoy being present at the studio. Mario does show love for the sport that he teaches, and ultimately wants us all to progress and become better! He is an amazing person that just wants the best out of his students even if sometimes the love can be a little strong haha! This is seen through his different levels of cycles and the attention to detail he puts on the progression of the 6-weeks. Ultimately, to get better at anything that we do, effort and dedication must be placed. He teaches his students that all of us will progress and learn differently and that it’s okay. What I love the most about his teaching is that he is direct in the areas we need to work on. I personally thrive on clear and direct feedback, which has built a fire in me to become better and better as I progress throughout this journey.

Through Mario’s detailed and skillful way of teaching, I have learned the many basic salsa fundamentals that has allowed me to progress and strengthen my salsa skills. Mario is extremely intricate in his way of teaching. Not only does he explain the basics in a way where one can easily learn, but one of the things that makes his studio stand out compared to other studios in the area is the intensive number of details he puts in teaching his students timing and musicality. Due to his attention to detail in timing and musicality, I can now hear music in such a unique way, and dance to the rhythm of the music. This may sound miniscule, but as I attended other studios in the area, Mario’s fundamentals have helped me significantly in my awareness which is wayyyy harder than it sounds.

Not to mention, Mario has built a phenomenal community in his studio. Many of us congregate to learn and dance with each other. Often, we meet up to practice or even support each other when we go to socials. This has been a game changer for me because as I mentioned before, I am shy and get nervous easily if I am around people I do know or go to places that I am unfamiliar with. Since then, my confidence has boosted, and I have made amazing friends through this hobby. SFon2, Mario and the students changed my life for the better and I will forever be eternally grateful that I came across such an amazing studio and instructor.

Thank you, Mario, for...

I came to Salsa Fever On 2 Dance Academy completely new to the world of dance, with the hope that I could pick up dancing as a new social skill. What I found was not only an incredible school, but also a community that was supportive, down to earth, and friendly. Over the months that I've been at the studio, I've unexpectedly not only made many friends among the students and instructors, but also have found a family that's been supportive of me in both my salsa journey and my personal life.

Curriculum: 10/10 The school's curriculum is extremely structured, with a focus on strong fundamentals and natural progression. There are weekly cycled classes that build upon and reinforce material each week, and there are weekly + monthly specialty classes and workshops that help to further strengthen your dance in areas such as timing and leading/following. Some of these classes even feature other dances, such as Bachata or Cha Cha Cha. A focus on fundamentals is the school's core strength, and it shows when you dance with individuals outside of the school. The structure makes it very easy for students to learn at their own pace, and there are classes for everybody.

Staff: 10/10 The staff at the dance academy are one-of-a-kind, with a true focus on the well-being of their students. The assistants and instructors are extremely friendly, and they provide constructive feedback when needed to further your growth. Mario, the founder, director, and main instructor of the academy, is an educator through and through. His years and variety of experience make it easy for him to point out what you need to improve. On top of all that, he's absolutely hilarious. Sometimes, it feels like I'm getting a two-for-one deal: a salsa school + a comedy club for the price of one!

Pricing: 9/10 The pricing is very reasonable. There are about 11 classes each week, covering all levels from pre-beginner to beginner to intermediate and above. The monthly pass allows you to take as many of these classes as you want, and even covers the socials and practice parties. If you're able to take advantage of more classes, then it is definitely a steal. However, If you're unable to take advantage of all the classes due to time constraints, and instead decide to pay per class, then the cost does go up significantly. However, it is pretty easy to make up for the value of the monthly pass, assuming you take at least 1 - 2 classes a week.

Overall, the studio is a fantastic place to be. I've found myself hanging out with other students and instructors inside and outside the dance studio, whether it's just catching up and talking after class, or grabbing dinner and hanging out on a weekend. Whether you're casually or seriously interested in learning how to dance salsa, you'll find a fun, supportive environment, with a diverse array of...

If you are looking to build up the best fundamentals in salsa in all of the NJ / NYC area, look no further than Salsa Fever On 2.

The studio offers 5 different levels of salsa dancing - from the very basics as a pre-beginner where you learn the fundamental footsteps of salsa - to their progressive intermediate class (advanced) where you get to learn moves that look like the ones you see only salsa professionals do.

The group dance classes range from ~10-25 students for a given class, and the instructor is extremely attentive to you, carefully correcting mistakes that you make, unlike in other studios where there are too many students, such that the instructor doesn't have the time to help address anyone's mistakes.

Compared to other dance studios, this dance studio also has a strong emphasis on timing and musicality that you won't be able to find anywhere else. The instructor, Mario, teaches you what instruments exist in a salsa song, what they sound like, and in what counts they are played. He even brings out the instruments for the students to hear their sounds. Fun fact, he personally has the legendary Tito Puente's conga drums in his studio that he brings forth in his musicality class. If you love the history of salsa, the instructor teaches a lot of its history in his classes, and he's friends with many of the legendary salsa musicians and dancers himself and shares many of their stories, having known them personally. He's actually a living legend in the salsa community as well, for any history buffs out there.

Mario gets to really get to know you personally outside of just being a student at the studio and has become one of my closest friends outside of just being my salsa instructor. He creates a vibrant community in the dance studio where you'll also make much of your close friendships with the other students.

Many of the students go out to social dance every week with the other students from the studio, and Salsa Fever On 2 also hosts a monthly social at the studio itself, so if you're looking for making friends while dancing, this is an excellent, tight-knit place to join.

A great plus is that the instructor is absolutely hilarious, so during our group classes, we all end up laughing throughout the whole class. A lot of us came to the studio for the dance, and we stay for the jokes.

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I also took a series of 5 private lessons with the instructor, and cannot highly recommend that enough, even for existing students at the dance studio! A lot of small details that I would've never picked up were taught to me during the private lessons, and my salsa level increased by a dozen-folds after...