A snapshot of Sheffield’s salsa scene

With a vast social scene, Sheffield is the perfect place to be for a night of salsa-based fun. Whether you’re a complete novice and have never set foot on the dance floor before, a beginner just looking to learn more and gain some confidence, or an absolute expert on the dance floor, you’re bound to be able to find the perfect place for you.

You never know who you’re going to meet through salsa, with such a huge social scene and various opportunities for people to partake in classes all across Sheffield, the salsa community is massively diverse. As well as all the locals joining in throughout the year, come September you get a huge range of people from all over the country and from different backgrounds as the students roll in to Sheffield and start to settle into life in a new city. Not only is there an incredible amount of diversity in the salsa community, but it’s also close enough that once you’ve been to a few classes, or attended a couple of social nights you’ve made some friends for life, who you end up seeing week upon week and sharing your passion with.

There are so many reasons to take up salsa, and if not commit to it completely then simply try it out. To begin with it’s good for you! It’s good to have healthy hobbies. And it’s fun too! It can go from a simple hobby to being an addiction, a passion, and all because you can just spend your nights on the dance floor having fun with friends, (even if you don’t think you’re that good at it. And on top of all that – you get to meet some absolutely incredible people and make amazing friends.

If salsa is something you’re considering trying, then there are so many places you can go to learn. Ranging from lessons being held by university societies, across to classes in your favourite salsa bars, you can get stuck for choice on where to go. Both the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University have salsa societies, which run weekly lessons – the perfect place for students stuck for something new to try. On top of this, regular lessons are at: Bloo 88, Revolución de Cuba, Cubanas and Crystal, so finding somewhere to hit the dancefloor and take your first few steps is super easy!

Once you’ve started to learn and you’ve gained a bit of confidence then it is time to hit the social scene. With a social night in Bloo 88 every Wednesday, Revolucion de Cuba on a Thursday and Cubanas at the weekends, you’re bound to be able to find at least one venue with an atmosphere and vibe that suits you. The best advice I can give for finding the perfect social night for you is to try them all out – you’ll soon figure out which one you like and where you feel the most comfortable!