The Salsa Box Studios

If you’re serious about learning salsa, do yourself a favor and get the one-​on-​one classes w/​Lisa. Other teachers show you the steps, but she’ll make sure you’re doing the steps RIGHT. She’s not afraid to get technical and will teach proper positioning, movement, etc. She’ll also go over stylings so you can add a bit of flair to your steps!
Classes are «sequential» in that she’ll build off the previous class. She’ll review old stuff and add on with new material. She allows you to practice this individually, and once you’re comfortable she pairs up with you so you can practice the moves in a partner-​setting. She knows the male part so she’s able to lead women also.
All in all great experience. I enjoyed learning at my own pace and having such attentive instruction. It was a good «jump-​start» for a beginner like me. I’m looking forward to the beginner/​advanced group courses next!

Just had my first class and it was really fun. We learn routines. I’m taking the Advanced Beginner because I learn quickly (because I practice and practice)
The studio is at the Santa Fe Lofts in Downtown. The area is shady but inside the building it’s gorgeous. It’s just historic. You need to be buzzed in to get in. The owner of the studio is always there with his cute dog — Buddy.
Parking:
Street parking: On Main, free after 6pm; On 6^th, free after 7pm
Paid parking structures: $ 5
Instructor:
Very nice and shows step by step. We had a shortage of girls there so the girls always had a dance partner. Very fun routine and then last minute of class we do a Dominican dance as a group — solo no partners.
I’m new to the whole partner dancing. I usually dance solo and so this is very difficult for me to let someone lead me. I’ll update when I finish the rest of the 6 week workshop.

I am currently in my 2^nd session of salsa lessons at Salsa Box and I love it!!! Wednesday nights have a whole new meaning for me now.
I’ve read through the previous reviews and it seems like the negative ones come from people who took the bootcamp. I have not taken the bootcamp yet, but let me tell you that the series are soooo worth it. Lisa is very patient when teaching and walks you through each step before taking you up to tempo. I am finally feeling confident in my dance skills and seeing the difference in my body too. The salsa studio is in a «interesting» area. But you are in no danger.
Give Salsa Box a try… hey you might even see me there!

Lisa is fabulous as a teacher and the 4-​hour boot camp version is good in theory BUT I don’t think it’s so good for beginners really (esp not when you are also taking a class with intermediate and beyond intermediate folks). I loved the experience, the location (although it looks like she has since moved from the pico/​washington location she used to be at), the music, her personality, her instruction and the food — but I did not learn very much. I would perhaps go back for a beginner’s class on a weekly basis and then try the bootcamp after i had the basics down but for me it was waaaaayyyy to much to try and comprehend and keep up with.

The Salsa Box Studios is awesome. I’ve been going for a number of months now when time allows. The bootcamps are a good way to get a lot of practice in one day. I feel like salsa takes some time to really pick up. I’m not sure most people who’ve never tried get that. I’ve been to a number of other studios in the LA area and Lisa’s classes are easily the best and a lot of fun.

I just went to Lisa’s bootcamp today. She’s a fantastic instructor and the class was small (only 8 of us). During the first hour she taught us the footwork. The rest of the time, we worked with partners on a simple routine. I can see that one person was really lost but the rest of us felt a sense of accomplishment for learning so much in just 4 hours.
I highly recommend it (especially at the Goldstar price).

Why I am so glad to keep coming back to the Salsa Box :
1. You get RESULTS. Lisa, the owner /​main instructor, is not just a great Salsa/​Latin dancer she is a TEACHER who has worked in the local school district. Lisa has the insight and patience of a teacher at what point you are getting «stuck» and gets you «unstuck» and advancing. When you work with Lisa, you will work with a fun, outgoing teacher who will repeat a step or movement as many times as you need to get it right.
2. Private lessons are AFFORDABLE (MUCH LESS than any of the other quality instructors I’ve been to), Lisa has specials and by mixes private lessons with after class practice. This is not only cheaper but I get to use what Lisa teaches me immediately with another dancer. Since I can afford more lessons, I go more often and learn more.
3. Salsa Box teaching style emphasized REPEATING DANCE MOVEMENTS UNTIL YOU ARE COMFORTABLE, CONFIDENT, AND COMPETENT. At the Salsa Box, dance patterns and moves are worked, and reworked if it helps you to do so until you get them down with confidence. Being also trained in classical ballet, Lisa knows that REPETITION is key to learning dance. How many months – even years-I’ve wasted with otherwise good instructors who insist on completely changing the patterns week to week. This is no way to learn. That’s why the same lost people used to show up to those classes, and like, most eventually quit. This won’t happen at the Salsa Box. Thanks to Lisa I have finallty left the Advanced Beginner stage of Salsa and am now an intermediate dancer.
4. The Salsa Box is fun. Lisa is a younger instructor who so much loves Salsa like you do and shares her enthusiasm moment to moment. The lessons themselves are fun as well as the practice. Additionally, Lisa has party events where you dance in a fun, friendly environment.
– If you want to have a good experience learning salsa, and get RESULTS from an AFFORDABLE, FUN, PATIENT teacher, go and see Lisa at the Salsa Box. The Salsa Box has literally brought more excitement to learn and dance and get out and dance than any studio I’ve been to. So what are you waiting for, give Lisa a call and get into Salsa!

I’m excited because I actually learned to dance salsa! The teacher had energy to spare, yet patience for the beginner student like me. The price is reasonable, too. Thank you for teaching me how to dance.

I went to salsa Box about 3 weeks ago with my fiancé, to the beginning bootcamp. The lady that taugh the classes was nice enough. I would not, however, go again. The bootcamp was $ 60.00 a peice for 4 hours, which is not cheap, but I was willing to shell the money out because, well, we really wanted to learn salsa. The big problem, I felt, was that the class went way too fast. We were not the only couple who were completely lost. It was brought up a couple of times that the instructor was going too fast, but nothing was done about it.
The other problem was the location. I notice that theactual location has changed, but when I went, it was upstairs at Lisa, the instructor’s house. Ummm, great, but not what I expexted. furthermore, her 3 year old daughter kept coming in and interrupting. I love kids, I work with kids, however, there is a time and a place. Furthermore, even though we paid $ 120 for the bootcamp, she had the audacity to charge us for water. NOT COOL. Provide water!!! Not too much to ask for. I don’t feel like I need to pay $ 1.00 for water.
Finally, on the website, it saysthe classes come with a free lunch buffet. This was the worst… we had to wait for 45 minutes at least for her to «set up» the food in the kitchen. I t turned out to be Pollo Loco style chicken (no drinks) served on paper plates in a small kitchen. Honestly, I was appalled. I certainly would not have waited for that. On top of the fact that it was not enough food for the 15 or so people that were at the bootcamp. It’s fine NOT to offer food, but don’t advertise «lunch buffet» when that is not the case at all.
I waited a while to post becauseI wanted to think my review through. Lisa was a good enough instructor, I just feel that there is a lot of room for improvement. I would not go again.

Here is why I’m such a fan of Salsa box:
1) Frequent dance parties with food and drink [2buckChucks!] provided (usually Fridays, I think. Check the website). There’s an outdoor and indoor dance floor with the music pumpin’ through the night.
2) Ladies’ Styling class that I’m IN LOVE with and am literally kicking myself in the butt (yes, it’s big enough that I can do that) because I have not gone in so long! Seriously, I have picked up so much from that one evening workshop with Lisa.
3) She differentiates instruction (haha, education buzzwords) for all different levels. I went to a beginner’s class with my boy, but she saw I was getting bored. While teaching the others basics, she gave me stuff to work on at my level.
It’s such a good feeling to know that I can expect to be challenged at a class or have a good time at a dance party. I love referring friends to Lisa’s classes.
Thanks, Lisa!

I enjoyed taking their 6-​week belly dancing course, the instructor is very good and over time really took the time to explain step by step how the movement works. I’m not sure how much I got out of it in just 6 weeks but I would suggest continuing on with classes if you are very serious about know how to shimmy!
They also teach salsa and they usually have specials running on goldstar!

The beginning classes are great here. You start out with the basic step, then move on to some spins and are partnered up for some combination moves by the end. Go solo, with your girlfriends, or it could also be a cute date.
The classes here are inexpensive, $ 9 – 11, depending on what specials they are running. Lisa, the instructor, is patient and unpretentious. There is plenty of parking in the back.

I’ve been informed that there is now a parking lot at the back of the building!!! Yippee…
4.5 STARS…
We found The Salsa Box on Goldstar Events. What a great deal!!! Salsa lessons for 4 hours (yes, that’s why they call it boot camp) and a good lunch of rice, beans, salad, chicken and carne asada.
It was tons of fun. The people were really friendly and we learned the basic and advanced beginners steps.
The classes are held in an upstairs room that appears to have been renovated from an apartment to a studio. There’s centralized air, clean restrooms, and the room is comfortable.
This place would be 5 stars if it weren’t for the location… kinda’ in the middle of nowhere in Southwest LA and no dedicated parking lot.

After taking a 5 year hiatus from salsa dancing, I came with a friend for a one day bootcamp thing. It was very basic… cool for beginners. It was fun though getting to do a little bit of salsa dancing again.
The classes are held in a house like building… okay so not even house-​like… it IS a house…
The day I went it was in the middle of our 100 degree heatwave and I was being baked on the second story of this place even with the giant fans going.
Minus 2 stars for the heat stroke… the place is probably lovely in October.
Lisa, the instructor was very nice and as part of the package, she bought and cooked food in the kitchen for after the workshop…
Update: Plus 2 stars… I hear they have central air now… =)