Getting good
The eternal question: "-When will I get good?"
Answer: "-TIME is the key!"
All teachers will at some point in time get THE question from a student: "-When will I get good?"
This is a very difficult to answer... you can't really tell anyone that you will become a good salsa dancer within a specific time frame. It really depends on each individuals ability to learn, understand, apply techniques and stay consious of all this, plus a little more, until it becomes second nature.
Some of us will learn and pick up the details (which is really what separates a good dancer from an average dancer) very quickly and some of us not. As you may have noticed most girls seem to just breeze through salsa dancing and the guys are left behind still trying to figure out what direction left is...!!
A piece of advice for the guys: Trust me, I have been there too and it's very frustrating. Everybody was a beginner at some point. Well guys, it's not easy being THE leader in the dance. Just like in any other situation, when you are the leader you are supposed to call the shots, guide and make decisions, just like a manager or director. Now to get to this manager/director position you are expected to know your field pretty good - right?! However, it took some time didn't it? I mean, you didn't just land a managers position with absolutely no experience. If we apply the same concept to dance - ANY partner dance - salsa, tango, cha cha, mambo, whatever. You have to practice, be out there and get experienced with it and most importantly, give it TIME to sink in and get it in your muscle memory correctly – only then will you be able to start making sense of it and you can take charge.
As the leader in the dance you have to tell your follower (your dance partner), when, where and how. You need to be clear with your lead, think about your timing AND your partners timing + be creative and think a few steps ahead so you know what to do at the correct time. Now, keeping your chosen timing, leading correctly and getting your basics in your muscle memory do not come over night. Just because you are doing a salsa course, doesn't magically turn you into a salsa dancer. Once again, TIME is the key to succeed with your dancing, you really have to put in the time and practice religiously – that's the answer to "-When will I get good?".
A piece of advice for the girls: Be patient with your male dance partners. It is a very, very challenging job to be the leader. Imagine how it was when you took your first driving lesson... 3 pedals, but 2 legs...(!), 3 mirrors - but you can only look at one at a time. Then you have the gear box, cars coming from left, right, front, back, check your speed etc... It was a nightmare trying to keep track of everything the first few times - wasn't it? But with practice and time... you can now change the radio station, put on make-up, have a drink AND even talk on the phone while driving to work! A piece of advice when you dance, don't try to anticipate or figure out what move he is about to do - you simply can't get into his mind. All you need to know as the follower is stick, to your basics and let him "direct" you and change your direction when needed. Let him lead you, let give him the time he needs to figure out his thing and you will have a very happy dance partner. As the follower in the dance, whoever is leading you has to be clear, precise and correct in order for you to achieve your dance goals. So yes, the guys do have a responsibility when it comes to how you look on the dance floor.
A piece of advice to all salsa dancers: Today, most Salsa styles have a structure. Your teacher should be able to break down the most intricate turnpattern/combination to simple beginner basics both from the leaders and followers point of view. If you follow the structure, then EVERY move and/or combination will make perfect sense and you will enjoy your dancing on a whole new level!!
Another thing to think about is, what is your goal, what is your perception of "good" salsa dancing, who is your role model, what do you want to look like when dancing, what do you want to achieve? All these questions must be clear in your head - you must have a mental picture of your end result in order to become "good" or succeed with what ever you want to achieve!