Salsa holidays in Colombia

Salsa dancing in Medellin, Colombia, is not just a popular pastime. It’s part of the city’s social fabric, an immutable element of its cultural heritage, a survivor of the hard times in the ’70s and ’80s when the city was wracked and ruined by drug cartel violence. Through its fast-paced, intense rhythms it also serves a tangible link to the past for working class Colombians and those descended from African enslaved peoples.

David Schafran is the founder of our partner, Somoloco, who help us offer deeply immersive salsa (and other forms of dance) holidays in Medellin. He first fell in love with salsa as a tourist. “I went to Medellin on vacation and discovered a beautiful dance scene. It was so enlivening and joyous that I ended up spending between three and six hours a day dancing there, for six months. From a wellness perspective, it’s the best thing I ever did.”

Somoloco means ‘We’re all crazy, together’ but if you listen to David enthuse for a while about his passion for salsa, and his love of Medellin, you can’t help but feel it would be crazier not to take a salsa dancing holiday in Colombia. “It’s not just about lessons, though. It’s about helping people activate their own joy, their personality, through dancing and cultural immersion and travel. It’s about wellness, connection, transformation.”

Salsa was brought to Colombia in the mid-20th century by sailors returning from New York and by Cuban immigrants, and immediately became popular. Many salsatecas (salsa schools) sprang up, especially in working class neighbourhoods. Along with Cali to the south, Medellin quickly became a hotspot, known for its range of styles. “What makes Medellin so great is the diversity of the dance scene,” says David. “On one, on two, Cuban, there’s a mix you don’t get in Cali. Medellin is a global centre of dance with a very strong community.”

We work with experts like David to make sure you get the most enjoyable, most memorable, and most practical experience. “If you organised a trip to Medellin yourself you would struggle to know the best places to go or who to talk to if you wanted to dance salsa,” David says. “With our holidays we handle everything, so you can just let go and have fun.”

All levels are welcome from complete beginners to confident and experienced dancers looking to sharpen their moves. While the median is around 35-40 years old, age-wise our travellers are anywhere from their 20s to their 70s. “About 90 percent of our participants are travelling solo, but we have created a whole community so that once you return home you’re in touch with other alumni in your own country or city, and can meet up to dance if you wish.”

“I danced salsa for the first time in 2015 in the US and thought ‘Holy cow that was fun, I want more of that,’” David says. But it wasn’t until he discovered the salsa scene in Medellin that he realised how transformational salsa could be, and how much he wanted to share the experience with others.

Most holidays involve private classes with one-on-one instruction from an expert, English-speaking teacher, personalised to you, so that you can master the fundamentals and see rapid improvement. There’s no comparison between this level of guidance and what you might receive on a once-weekly group class back home. On certain dates there are group tours, where classes are shared with people of similar abilities.

A typical trip will last anywhere between one and four weeks. Over the course of a week you might have around 15 hours of instruction (which is adapted as you progress), three hours of group classes, and two organised nights out. You might also enjoy a lesson in salsa percussion, a visit to one of Colombia’s top salsa radio stations, and a musicality class where you learn how the music is mapped to the dance.

The great thing about our salsa holidays in Medellin is the variety of dances you’ll be able to practise – according to your own interests and passions. These include On-1 (LA style) and On-2 (NY or Mambo style) with their roots in American salsa, elegant and sensual while still fast-paced; Cuban (Casino) salsa with its vigorous hip movements and circular movements, and the frenetic and showy salsa Calena (Colombian style). Cha cha, pachanga and other root rhythms are also available to learn. You can also try a bachata holiday, focusing on a dance that originated in the Dominican Republic and has become a global phenomenon in recent years. You’ll be accommodated in comfortable, serviced apartments with excellent facilities. Meals are not included, but you’ll have a wealth of excellent local cafes and restaurants right on your doorstep – and no shortage of recommendations from your instructors on where to eat.

You’ll be learning from patient, talented and fun-loving local instructors – a diverse team, many of whom compete professionally in dance competitions, and some are even world champions. Our holidays provide good employment and income opportunities for hugely talented people who are often marginalised or excluded.

Beyond the practical lessons, your instructors will also take you out on the town for a few evenings, introducing you to local people and giving you the confidence to strut your stuff outside the studio – a memorable and hugely fun experience.

You’ll be accommodated in comfortable, serviced apartments with excellent facilities. Meals are not included, but you’ll have a wealth of excellent local cafes and restaurants right on your doorstep – and no shortage of recommendations from your instructors on where to eat.

…is an understandable question given the city’s association with Pablo Escobar and the cartel drug wars. But Escobar died in 1993 and, though you should of course take reasonable precautions, as you would anywhere, such as to avoid walking alone in dodgy neighbourhoods, Medellin is very safe for tourists.

With around three hours of lessons each day, you’ll have plenty of free time to explore Medellin and get a feel for this vibrant city. Our holidays can include a range of activities and experiences to enhance your cultural understanding such as meals and food tastings in local homes, as well as guided excursions to places like the famous Rock of Guatapé, or to la Casa de las Piedritas, a beautiful stone house hand-built by a man for his beloved wife.

“Colombia is so damn lovely,” says David. “The people, the nature, it’s just lovely and welcoming, and people here want their visitors to feel good. And the best way to access all this joy is through salsa.”