FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions that we get at Esencia Libre Academy.
FAQ
GENERAL ENQUIRIES & VISITING US FOR THE FIRST TIME
If the below doesn’t answer your questions, please contact us on the live chat.
Address: The Church Blessed Sacrament Hall, 157 Copenhagen St, London N1 0SR
Closest Stations:
- Kings Cross Station
- Angel Station
- Caledonian Road Station
Please note that the studio for Monday’s lessons is located on the lower ground floor and can only be accessed via stairs. Kindly ensure you arrive on time to check in at the front desk.
Absolutely! All levels, ages, types of people welcome with our beautiful social dance being for all. We have classes and special intensive workshops for absolute beginners that cater specifically for newbies and allow you to get to grips with the absolute basics in a safe and fun environment. Salsa classes are friendly and non-intimidating environments and our instructors encourage this amongst students so that everyone can feel comfortable and included.
Our classes are for the moment predominantly aimed at adults, but of course minors are more than welcome to join. Please note though that our instructors are not DBS checked, so we ask that either a parent be present during the class as an attendee/ watching the class, or alternatively that the school is notified in advance and consent given to Esencia Libre to teach the minor in question.
- A short warm up
- Followed by learning a combination of steps and movements appropriate to the class you are in / ie footwork or partnerwork
- Rotation in all partnerwork classes
- At the end of the lesson, we allow you to record a 1 min recap of the lesson to take away
- Workshops/ jam sessions: these are longer more intensive workshops run on weekends to bring you a larger amount of knowledge in an abbreviated time span. They can cover specific topics or dance forms and give focus to that for the duration of the workshop.
As a beginner, no specific salsa dance clothes or shoes are required. You just need to ensure that you are comfortable in either sports/ casual clothes and shoes or trainers. If you progress through beginners to improver and beyond, we do recommend getting appropriate dance shoes for the safety of your ankles/ knee joints to prevent injury whilst turning and spinning.
Address: The St Marylebone School, 64 Marylebone High Street, London, W1U 5BA
Closest Stations:
- Baker Street Station
- Marylebone Station
- Regents Park Station
Please note: The studio for Thursday’s session is located on the lower ground floor and is accessible by stairs only. Entry to the building is permitted no earlier than 15 minutes before the class start time.
The school is located behind the beautiful Marylebone Parish Church. Upon entering the school gates, walk across the open-air quad and take the stairwell on the left. At the bottom of the stairs, you’ll find the studio next to the basketball quad.
All class information including explanation & videos of levels is listed on the website. If you are still unsure after looking through this, reach out to us on the live chat, or alternatively speak to one of the instructors on arrival at the studio and we can help put you into an appropriately leveled class.
Drop-in classes: Suited for those who need a little more flex in their schedule...a single purchase class, on date of your choice, on a PAYG basis.
Monthly courses: Suited for those looking for progression week on week. Valid for regular weekly classes within the current calendar month. Courses run on months cycles with new combo/technique drills every two weeks. All cycles run from the first Monday and Thursday of every month, unless indicated otherwise. Where there is a month with 5 weeks, you will get a bonus week of classes.
Workshops: These classes are bespoke (with a duration as indicated on the event link) and offer a deeper dive into a particular subject matter advertised. They do not run consistently and are indicated on our events calendar in blue or directly linked on the specific class page. A single purchase class, on dates advertised, on a PAYG basis. No membership registration required.
In the beginning we recommend at least twice a week. But where the real growth comes is practicing your moves that you learn on the social dance floor.
Your salsa teacher will advise you when they think it’s time for you to move to the next level, otherwise it’s safe to assume it’s best to repeat that level again. Foundations are everything and so often even the most advanced dancers are still seen in foundation classes polishing their technique.
FAQ
Classes, memberships, bookings & payments
If the below doesn’t answer your questions, please contact us on the live chat.
1) Navigate to the PRICING page and select your preference.
2) We also have option to pay cash/ card including contactless on the door at all venues.
Yes, classes can be booked in person on arrival. Allow yourself a few extra mins to register accordingly before the start of your class. Payment will be collected using either cash/ card payment.
Classes cannot be cancelled. All purchases made are non-refundable
Unfortunately we do not. Once a class/course/ workshop/ event is full, we do not offer a waiting list option, but you can always reach out via our Esencia WhatsApp on the day and see if there have been any cancellations.
All classes are currently being offered in person only, with no online class option available at this time.
We do offer online private lessons, see 1-On-1 page for more info.
- No classes can be swapped, rescheduled or refunded.
- Exceptional circumstances will be considered on a case by case basis.
- Where a refund is processed, a £5 admin fee will be incurred.
In the rare case of class/ course cancellation by us, we will communicate to you via email/WhatsApp and refunds will be processed free of charge. - For further reading, see full Terms & Conditions.