Salsa Con Todo

I attended the Friday night Salsa drop-​in class with a friend and we had a great time! We’re both girls so they split us up between the leads but it was nice to meet new people. I have some dance experience but I’ve never done any type of ballroom before and my friend has no dance background. Although it was more difficult for my friend, the teachers were great with teaching some basics first. Vassili was very patient! There was obviously a big experience range in the group, but that’s to be expected in a drop-​in class and I believe that they handled it to the best of their ability. Would go again!

Brand new dance studio is amazing! Dancing sort of just fell into my plans tonight and I don’t live in Seattle, so going to this studio was quite the gamble. I can honestly say I believe it was the best decision I could’ve made. I took both salsa and bachata drop in classes. They were both challenging, but the instructors (Vassili & Kate) were very patient and explained the moves well.
The community members were eager to learn and were very amiable. It really felt like we were all in it together. I will absolutely come back next time I’m in the area!
Wanna dance? Go to Salsa Con Todo and see for yourself why I liked it so much. Enjoy!

Natalya’s Latin technique intro class is one of the best I have taken in Seattle. She brings a combination of skill, grace, ease and enthusiasm that will have you addicted to dancing before you can count «5−6−7−8». Not only is she an amazing and talented dancer, she also has a gift for teaching. She breaks down complicated concepts into steps anyone can pick up. By the end of her class, you realize it has been a legitimate cardiovascular and core workout as well. But who knew a workout could be this much fun?
If you weren’t able to attend the first class, make sure not to miss the rest of this series!

Hello Unilocal Land,
I am giving this a 4 as of now. I just went to an event here where the space was rented out for use. The space is nice, clean and airy feeling. The manager answered the phone! to give directions!!!
I have not taken the salsa yet, but they have quite an array of classes.(This used to be a different space which held many hours of dance, yoga and drumming events. Very high positive energy stuff! Woohoo! Great history and super vibes! They’ve cleaned it up and it is so much nicer
) One note– the bathroom down theback hall is a bit hard to find.

Arrogant teacher. At the beginning of the class he asked how many people had danced before. About half the class had never danced salsa. He spent maybe 12 seconds going over the basic and then proceeded to baffle the class with a complicated routine. I’m not a beginner but felt AWFUL watching all the well-​meaning leads who had no idea what the basic steps of salsa were but tried valiantly to keep up. A teacher less interested in proving himself to be a superior dancer would have divided the class into absolute beginners and the rest and taught those poor guys the basic steps!
Go to century ballroom if you want to dance salsa with less ego and better teachers! I live closer to Fremont and would have loved to make this my regular spot but as is they shouldn’t put «beginners» on the website as welcome for the Friday night drop in – don’t think I can stand watching new people feel like they are horrible dancers right off the bat just because a teacher doesn’t bother to alter the class a bit to his audience…

i tried the salsa 1 series, BUT if you’re a quick learner and light on your feet i recommend the quick bootcamp over the 4week series 1 because the class moved a little slowly for my liking. other than that it was great.
I will go back to try the salsa 2 bootcamp and i’ll let you know how that goes.
update:
just do it, you won’t regret it.

I just finished taking salsa II bootcamps (7 hours weekend workshop) here. Came back for Salsa II series because I was simply amazed by how much I had improved after salsa 1 workshop I took a months ago. I had just started learning salsa through series classes, in a studio in eastside but the progress was really slow. all the Students in the sala 1 bootcamp were starters, and they grilled us from the basic of the basics and got our foundations right. I was speechless by the meticulous amount of details that was taught here in that bootcamp.
Ron and Elizabeth were amazing teachers in salsa II workshop and we were getting individual attention and guidance for each step of the pattern we learned over the weekend.
I would strongly recommend the Salsa bootcamps at SCT to everyone. Also, I think the bootcamp is a way better and quicker way to learn salsa than the series classes.
Hope they will be offering Intro to Bachata workshops!

I just finished a weekend Dominican bachata bootcamp taught by Tanya. It was so worth it! She’s a very warm, funny, intuitive instructor and not only teaches the dance but covers more practical aspects of dancing that might seem obvious but are often neglected. She is good about offering constructive suggestions without sounding mean. She really helped me improve my dancing by giving feedback on the amount of tension in my arms, and my dance partners later that night at century immediately complimented me on the improvement. She is only in town to teach every few months so if you get the chance to book a class or private lesson with her, grab it!
I can’t comment on other classes or instructors at sct but I plan on taking more classes once my schedule opens up. But overall it’s a very high quality studio that produces beautiful dancers.
My only complaint is the fact that we weren’t allowed to do a videotape of a summary of what we learned at the end of class. This is pretty standard at other studios and has been an important tool for me so that I can practice at home.

Hey! I really enjoyed my salsa lessons– this is a pretty good place to learn or to brush up! I had great salsa instructors in college, but it’s been a few years since I’ve properly danced. Vassili and his team here are really good. Recommended!

Vassili is by far THE BEST Latin Dance teacher out there. I have had the pleasure of taking private Bachata lessons from him a few years back and his instruction has stayed with me all this time. All the reviews here regarding his instruction is true and I can attest that the enthusiasm you sense reading them are directly related to the professionalism and talent Vassili gives to his students through his exceptional teaching style. Well done Salsa Con Todo!

I did the weekend Bachata intensive and it was fun! I’ve slowly been tiptoeing back into dancing, and while I wouldn’t call the weekend intensive slow, it was definitely a good foundation, especially if you’re already comfortable with dancing.
Vassili has a pretty organic method of teaching in that instead of teaching and-​one-​two-​three-​four, it’s more a combination of that to get you started, but also emphasising that you need to feel and listen to the music in order to dance to it. So you might get duh-​duh-​DAH-​DAH or song lyrics as a count from him, which is perfect for me cos numbers are the antithesis of dancing in my own head. Some people may not appreciate this, but it helps me. I like that he went into the history of these popular dances.
I’ve been dancing since I was a kid, so I’m very comfortable with music and moving to it, but I get very stiff and awkward in situations with strangers. The class I was in was a little crowded, so I would’ve appreciated them capping the registration, or adding more teachers as they found that the number of people taking the class reached a certain point.
I’ll be back for a smaller class, maybe, but if you’re a beginner, the pace of the intensive courses may be too fast. I liked the space that the classes were held in, and everyone was having a good time, which is the requirement for any dance class.

*Event Space*
This is a review as an event space.
Pros
— Very affordable
— Decent location
— Looks amazing
Cons
We we’re randomly told that because of another event earlier that month leaving a huge mess, that we would be charged a $ 50 cleaning fee (and that would be the norm from then on). We we’re fine with that until we reached the space the day of the event.
There was garbage everywhere (plastic and papers cups). Two garbage bins overflowing with garbage and garbage placed around the bins. Expensive personal items were left in the space (an iPad and a Ducati motorcycle).
The whole time while we’re cleaning we’re thinking why are we paying a cleaning fee?
Called them up, expecting that fee would be waived once they heard how dirty the place was. Instead, there is a huge push back. You should’ve expected the place to be dirty because we have dancing until 3 AM. You should’ve called the owner to clean (he was San Francisco).
When we showed up the next day to drop off the key, the next instructor didn’t even know we had an event. Yup, we cleaned up after ourselves. According to her, she had never seen the studio so clean.
The $ 50 fee just seems like a ripoff/​gravy. If anyone rents this place again, make sure you’re receiving a clean space before hand if you’re paying the charge.
*UPDATE*
Just plain rude. Got off the phone with the owner after admitting many times that they’ve made a mistake they still insisted on keeping the cleaning fee. «It’s just $ 50.» If it’s just $ 50, then why the push back for a refund? The owner himself admitted that the cleaning crew didn’t show up on Saturday. Anyway, long story short after getting talked over, yelled at and cursed at on the phone, I’m supposedly getting a refund but I can no longer recommend this space.

During the day, they are normal looking people. They hold jobs like you and me. They have bills like you and me. They have stress like you and me. But, as the weekend approaches, the lights go dim on the dance floor, and the music begins — they transform. The timid college student becomes a smooth, suave, and confident lead. The shy veterinary assistant becomes a soulful, relaxed, and open follow. Its like a real life «Clark Kent» to «Superman» transformation once the music starts. Its as if they have a power few people own, and its something I needed to have too.
For all the guys out there — let’s face it, dancing is a skill every man MUST possess. No woman has ever said that a man who can dance well is a complete turn off. Thus, we must impress!
After a little research, I signed up with Salsa Con Todo’s Salsa 6 week Salsa 101 Session — and no doubt, I’m hooked.
The Pros:
* Great location in Fremont with lots of street parking.
* Lessons and sessions are progressive — Just like back in college. You take a six week 101 class, then are welcome to take the 201 class, and then the others.
* Optional online videos that help refresh what was taught in class.
* Affordable rates with student discounts available.
* The biggest pro for me is the lead instructor Vassili. He is the man! What I enjoy about Vassili’s teaching style, is that he doesn’t just teach you a bunch of mono-​chromatic dance steps. He shows you the flow, the details, the way you make these steps sexy and seamless. He’s knowledgeable of all styles of Latin/​South American dance and enjoys sharing the history of specific dances with his students. He’s also has a great sense of humor! Vassili encourages all his new students to practice their new skills in the «Real World» — which I actually did this past Thursday at the Century Ballroom — Although I have only 4 sessions under my belt, I had a blast!
The Cons:
* None so far! I’m just a bit miffed that I waited so long to get started.
Although I can’t compare Salsa Con Todo to other dance studios, I have little doubt that you’ll find a more passionate group of dance instructors in the area. I plan on completing all the salsa sessions, and eventually take the Bachata sessions as well.
Don’t put it off!

I’ve been salsa dancing on and off for a while, but after to moving to Seattle and trying it out at Century for a little bit, I kind of fell out of it for several years. When I started a new job in Seattle, I found out that Salsa Con Todo was right across the street so I decided to check it out.
Right off the bat the place gives a good impression as it really looks like a dance studio. It’s pretty much a room with mirrors and a nice floor. When the lesson starts you’ll get another good impression from the class sizes and the instructor (s).
Vassili is the main male instructor and although you can’t give too much credence to looks, he looks the part and his dancing is even better! He has a major emphasis on basics and fundamentals — this might be somewhat of a deterrent to those who think salsa is all about the patterns and spinning, but it’s a testament to his dedication and understanding of the dance that he knows that learning the fundamentals makes it much easier to learn those later techniques. The primary female instructor is Christine and she brings an equally deep understanding regarding body posture and movement to her teaching. Both of them are a joy to learn from as they take the time to move your foot, rotate your shoulder, or tilt your head.
The studio has a strong community around it and the Friday practices are a great place to start social dancing in a low pressure environment with most of the people already knowing how to dance a bit. It might be intimidating, but it’s much better to learn with people who know the basics rather than being unlucky and dancing with someone who doesn’t know how to dance at all, a rather unfortunate turn of events for a beginning lead.
I find the current prices pretty reasonable for a 1.5 hour session over 6 weeks. It’s definitely less expensive than something like cross-​fit which tends to run $ 100 for 4 1 hours lessons, and while it’s not the same level of workout it’s definitely still a good workout when you get into the higher levels!
Some minor drawbacks — the parking kind of sucks since it’s in Fremont. They try really hard to keep the ratio 1:1, but since the classes are much smaller compared to someplace like century, if people drop out/​stop showing up, it is possible to be in a class that has something like 10:6 ratio of guys/​girls or girls/​guys. It’s actually kind of random which way it’ll skew.
Highly recommended.

I would recommend Salsa Con Todo to anyone seeking to really learn salsa from its core. I’m only half way through the first beginner class and I’ve gotten way more than I expected.
Vassili is a great instructor who gives a perfect mix of getting his students to have fun yet being strict at the same time to make sure we really work on what we should be working on. He stresses the fundamentals because he understands the importance of the basics.
He gives little tastes of the level that we can achieve when he dances with the female instructors (which by the way are gorgeous and extremely talented).
Classes are also usually pretty well balanced so you won’t be dancing alone.
Sign up, you’ll love it!

Disclaimer: once you start you may not want to stop. Salsa Con Todo is Seattle’s best salsa school. The other reviews have pretty much summed it all up. New to dance or not, Salsa Con Todo has much to offer. Salsa addictions included.
I’ve been dancing for most of my 26 years, but have not delved much into the world of partner dancing beyond the social dance scene. I was a little concerned that I’d find the 101 class mundane, after getting my groove on (periodically) for years at Century Ballroom’s salsa social nights. Okay, so the first class was a little slow for me, but it picked up by the second or third class. Plus, with Vassili’s humorous anecdotes and brief salsa history lessons… one could never be bored.
I have registered for the 102, and trying my best to make time in my schedule for the Ladies’ Styling class or Bachata 1. I can’t get enough. The drop in bachata classes are awesome, and are followed by the social dance. Friday evenings at SCT are a must.
Taking class with Vassili and the rest of the SCT team is likely to become the highlight of your week. Don’t deprive yourself.

Vassili is the best instructor in Seattle — By FAR!
He focuses on style, musicality, and body movement. He shows you how to actually move your body to the music. Most instructors just show you a bunch of patterns. Highly recommended!

My (now) wife and I started taking lessons at Salsa Con Todo back in August with an eye to our first dance at our wedding. I had never really done any dancing before and we were hoping to surprise our wedding guests with our first dance.
We took three sets of group lessons and they were all really well taught. Vasili is a a really great teacher and has the ability to really make you feel like you can dance the steps by the end of every group lessons. Also Christine, his dance partner, was a great instructor, especially for ladies styling.
What really stood out for us, however, was when we went to have a few private lessons to come up with some choreography for our first dance. Vasili and Christine each met us for separate a one hour private lessons. It was amazing what they came up with. The choreography was simple enough for me to master in under a month, but spectacular enough that everyone in the crowd was oooohing and aaaaaahhhing. They even helped us pick a PERFECT song for the first dance.
They always make you feel comfortable about dancing, which is especially important for someone just starting out. Also there friday social is a great place to learn how to «dance in the wild.»

Vassili is truly the best salsa instructor in the Seattle area. After years of unsuccessful lessons from Century Ballroom, I finally decided to give Salsa Con Todo a try and I was blown away with how much I’ve learned in the last 6 weeks. Ladies, if you really want to learn salsa, if you want to be able to do the hip movements, the musicality, and all the techniques… do yourself a favor and sign up with these guys.
Each class starts out with a short warm up routine follow by separate ladies and men instructions. This is really important because you actually learn the follow’s movements and techniques while the leads are learning their own movements and techniques. Then you pair up together and practice the moves together with more instructions from the teacher. This is so much better than wasting half of the class time waiting for the instructors to explain the moves… most of which is talking to the leads and not the followers. I finally feel like I know what I am doing instead of being push and pull like a puppet by the lead.
The class is fast pace but super fun because the instructors are funny. He’s really passionate about salsa dancing and teaching. I would recommend this class to anyone interested in learning salsa.

The best teachers out there.
I’ve been through quite a few dancing classes before. This was by far the best. The instructors are lots of fun and really nice. They have a real knack on knowing how to teach on all levels.