Help promote a salsa school

Aleksandra Sell of Calgary, Alberta, Canada writes:

“I have a school of salsa dance and I’m looking for ways to generate appreciation for salsa dance and music in a large oil and gas town. In every large city in North America, salsa has taken over by storm, but not here. So far, it’s been like pulling teeth. Any ideas on growing the salsa scene would be greatly appreciated.”

Brick & Mortar
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  • Ginny Cooper

    Not knowing what you’ve attempted, the first thing that comes to my mind is a promotional/informational campaign involving salsa – the kind that comes in a jar. Tagged with the line “How do you like yours?” and images of mild, medium and hot salsa products. Or “What goes into salsa?” and proceed to talk about the dance, not the tomato sauce product. Alternately, oil and gas products are the sources for heat, so tag a campaign targeted to the industry’s public with “Appreciate the heat”. Team up with a local radio station to offer a call-in prize whwenever a particular sals song is played on the radio. (“Listen to the heat”). Sponsor a cultural dance event that includes, but is not limited to, salsa. Create a dance team that will perform exhibitions for schools and civic groups, again not limited to salsa. For elementary age tag it “A Little Latin”. Or create 3 levels, mild, medium and hot, and approach elementary, middle and high schools.

  • Preston F. Kirk, APR

    Aleks,
    One of the largest and fastest growing condiments on U.s. and N. American tables is also salsa. So-o o o, why not combine a salsa dance demonstration or recital or contest — or all three — with a “home-made” salsa contest.
    Believe me, in an oil-and-gas town like Calgary, with probably lots of visiting Texans and southerners and cowboys — they love their salsa (food) and can learn to love the salsa (dance). Particularly if they know that the great combo can “spice up their life.”
    Lots of visual opportunities

  • Staci Torgeson

    Get out there and dance! Have your teachers and students hold demonstrations anywhere and everywhere you can – bars, malls, festivals, etc. Bars and nightclubs are always looking for a new draw for their location – work with one or two locations to offer a free demonstration & lesson during happy hour. And find unique ways to get your group noticed by the public and media – if there is a fundraising walk coming up that typically gets covered by local television stations, have a team of your dancers wear your company t-shirts and salsa dance through the course instead of walk – that will definitely get them noticed!

  • Carol Adams, Charlotte, NC

    If it airs in Calgary, why not bank on the huge ratings success of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”? Contact 2-3 local celebrities — making sure at least one is a local television personality — and offer them free lessons with a pro. Then, have the local station cover the “competition” on the air.

  • Sandie Vega

    My recommendation to get people interested in learning or improving in Salsa Dancing is to have an open house and invite individuals to sign up and receive a free Salsa Demonstration. You might have a few different times and dates so that you can get more participation. This is a perfect way to introduce something new to your patrons.

  • Gail Sideman

    Salsa dancing is a great way to stay fit so pitch its cardiovascular benefits to health, or even a features reporter. Find out how many calories are burned during an hour of salsa dancing compared to other activities, including other styles of dance, and use the statistic to support your angle.

    This story is also a good one for getting reporters involved. Invite them to visit the studio for an hour of instruction, then communicate the simple learning curve with their audiences. Your website says that even kids can learn. Show us how it’s done!

  • Shel Horowitz

    Have a contest: Who says Canadians are cold-blooded? We’re looking for the hottest salsa dancers in Calgary.

  • Brenda Liz Ginés

    I am a Puerto Rican salsa lover, I can suggest:

    a) Have a tv with salsa dance video so people can watch it from the street
    b) Or a monitor showing a class in progress
    c) Do an exhibition once a month in a public area
    d) If you have talented children dancers or a grandpa and grandma, an exhibition with them will be terrific!
    e) Host competitions for amateurs and give the opportunity to the people to vote and select the winner(s)
    f)What about giving free lessons to a recognized person from the city (like the mayor) and “do the show/dance” during a main event sponsored by the municipality… Of course, keep the music and the latin flavor ON ALWAYS! for everybody!!

  • margaret vos

    Salsa – the food, not the dance – is a favourite with me. I use it in recipes all the time, it is good for more than just having with chips! So how about a Salsa Dance Recipe Card – the kind of mixing and matching you can do with salsa dances, and how they can affect your life outside of the dance (fitness, fun, social life, etc). Sounds like so much fun I wish both my left feet could join in. Oh there’s another idea – 2 Left Feet Salsa classses. Best wishes for you! Cheers, Margaret