Dance Classes
Cuban Salsa
Well, we're not talking about the delicious dip you eat with your tortilla chips. Salsa is a Latin dance and a musical style with a mix of Caribbean and African roots. Cuban son and Afro-Cuban rumba, are the two main styles, used to create the basis of a rhythm that would later become known as Salsa. With the Cuban revolution, many musicians and dancers relocated to New York and Miami, and Salsa grew in popularity.
Cuban Casino style is our specialty here at Salsa Therapy. Originating from Cuba, Rueda de Casino is a group dance where pairs of dancers form a circle and dance moves are called out by one person - The Caller. The dance moves combined with cheerful Salsa music are great therapy for the body and mind. The advantage of learning Rueda de Casino is that all moves learned in the Rueda circle can be danced one on one with a partner, adding to a dancer's repertoire of moves.
NEW SALSA Beginners - 28th Sep 7pm
NEW SALSA Beginners - 28th Sep 7pm
Salsa Timetable
TERM 5 - 2026
starts on 28th SEP
Special 10 weeks term
We run our classes in 5 terms (8 weeks per term). Classes build on each other as we gradually introduce different elements of the dance, helping you to develop movement, musicality and coordination. As you progress through each week you will gain more confidence on the dance floor. We look forward to seeing you at one of our classes!
MONDAY
Join us at - Thistle Hall
6:15PM
Cuban SALSA - INTERMEDIATE
LILIA & ANDRIJA
FROM 28th SEP
Get your social dancing to the next level!
Musicality, shines, connection, Rueda de Casino craft
10 weeks course split in two blocks
7:15PM
NEW Cuban SALSA - BEGINNERS
LILIA and RILEY
Ready to learn Salsa from scratch?
Our next Salsa Beginners course starts 28 September
No experience? No problem! Come learn the basics, meet new people, have fun, and get your first taste of the social dancing. ❤️
10 weeks course split in two blocks
8:15PM
SUNDAYS
4pm-5.30PM
Cuban SALSA - Improvers
LILIA & JAY
Foundations & Flow - Review and refine Cuban Salsa basics
Expanding Your Vocabulary - New turns and partner work
Rueda & Social Dancing
10 weeks course split in two blocks
SALSA Performance Class
PERFORMANCE CLASS SALSA CUBANA- RUEDA
This course is for those students who are ready for challenge and willing to put more effort and invest into their dancing to improve their coordination, master body movement and styling.
Express interest sends us DM
Bachata
Bachata is a style of dance that originated in the Dominican Republic. It actually started in the early 1960s, evolving from Bolero and Merengue. Today, it is wildly popular and danced across the globe. Like all dances, Bachata has evolved, and there are four main styles: Traditional (also called Dominican), Moderna (which features more turn patterns influenced by Salsa), Sensual (featuring flowing movements and isolations adopted from Zouk) and Fusion (which takes inspiration from hip-hip and remixes).
As the longest running Bachata dance school in Wellington, we love to explore all its variations. Our main focus is on Moderna and Sensual however we have we offer Dominican Bachata courses as well. In the past 20years, we have been training with some of the best, such as Daniel and Desiree, Ataca and Alemana, Korke and Judith, Sara and Marco.
Bachata Timetable
TERM 5- 2026
starting 30th Sep and 1st OCT
For our Ladies NEW Bachata Heels from 1st OCT at 8pm
We run our classes in 5 terms (8 weeks per term). Classes build on each other as we gradually introduce different elements of the dance, helping you to develop movement, musicality and coordination. As you progress through each week you will gain more confidence on the dance floor. We look forward to seeing you at one of our classes!
WEDNESDAY
NEW STUDIO - L1, 22 Webb str.
6PM
Salsa / Bachata Private Lessons - Book me
with LILIA de Castro
Fast-Track Your Progress in Salsa / Bachata!
Looking to improve faster or focus on specific areas of your dancing?
Private lessons are the perfect way to take your skills to the next level!
👉 Personalized attention – Tailored to your level and goals
👉 Faster progress – Learn at your own pace, with focused guidance
👉 Perfect for beginners – Build confidence before joining group classes
👉 Great for experienced dancers – Refine technique, styling, or musicality
7PM
NEW VENUE - TOI ARO ARTS CENTRE - 3 Market Lane
BACHATA INTERMEDIATE
LILIA & ANDRIJA
We are building your confidence with musicality, syncopated steps and mastering some of the foundation moves used in Bachata Moderna and Sensual Bachata
This course will be 10 weeks
Split in two blocks
Block 1 - Moderna turn patterns
Block 2 - Dominican Flow OPEN LEVEL
THURSDAY
6PM
7PM
8PM
BACHATA BEGINNERS - LEVEL 2
LILIA & ADAM
Building Your Vocabulary, combining movements and turn variations. Connection with your dance partner. Easy styling
STUDIO 2
SENSUAL BACHATA /ZOUK influence - OPEN LEVEL
LILIA & ADAM
Sensual Bachata with ZOUK influence/ techniques. If you have experience in BACHATA for more than a year and you want to take your skills to the next level join our Sensual Bachata classes and learn how to have fun with some cool moves and body movement STUDIO 2
NEW BACHATA HEELS - OPEN LEVEL
LILIA & RILEY
What is Bachata Heels?
For our beautiful chicas! In this class we focus on lady styling for Bachata and fuse it with some bold and sexy moves! You will learn a short and achievable choreography, with optional challenges for more advanced. Let’s build styling skills that you can take straight onto the dance floor!
🌟 Open level — everyone is welcome! Whether you’re completely new to Bachata or have been dancing for years, come along and have fun.
Heels are NOT required… but we definitely encourage you to give them a try! 👠 STUDIO 2
What level am I?
Beginner
Our Beginner’s level will introduce you to the basic steps and moves. We are passionate about teaching all the techniques for leading and following so you can build a strong foundation as a dancer. These classes are suitable for complete beginners or students with limited experience in a particular dance style. The beginner course consists of two terms of Beginner 1 and two terms of Beginner 2 before you can progress to Improvers.
Improvers
At the Improver level, we start to explore more complicated movements and discuss technique in more depth. We emphasise the importance of a good frame and connection with your partner. We will start introducing faster music and footwork to develop better coordination. The turn patterns are longer and at this level you will become more confident when social dancing.
Intermediate/Advanced
Our Intermediate level starts after completing at least two levels of Improvers and is for students with a minimum of eight month’s dance experience. At this level we expand your repertoire with more complex moves and focus more on musicality, body movement, styling and secrets of social dancing. On average, it takes at least two years to cover the entire curriculum.
Why should you join our Beginners class?
Salsa Therapy Dance Classes are:
Perfect for people with or without any dance experience
Fun and easy to learn
A great way to exercise
A place for making new friends
No partner required (but bring them anyway if you have one!)
Inclusive and welcoming
Teaching you dance skills that you can use worldwide.
We have limited spots to ensure an amazing dance experience. It’s important to us that you can see and hear your instructor and have a wonderful time meeting new friends.
Start on the next available date!
Private Lessons
Our experienced teachers are available for one-on-one private lessons and small group lesson. We can also entertain your guest with a fun SALSA LATIN LESSON at your event.
Fast-Track Your Progress!
Looking to improve faster or focus on specific areas of your dancing?
Private lessons are the perfect way to take your skills to the next level!
👉 Personalized attention – Tailored to your level and goals
👉 Faster progress – Learn at your own pace, with focused guidance
👉 Perfect for beginners – Build confidence before joining group classes
👉 Great for experienced dancers – Refine technique, styling, or musicality
Whether you're working on Salsa, Bachata, or both, private sessions can help you unlock your potential and accelerate your growth.
Single or couple: $100 for the 1h.
Group of 4: $120 for 1 hour
Looking for Zouk?
WeZouk is the heart and soul of Brazilian Zouk in Wellington