Cuban Salsa classes in Essen – Dance4Water
Learn Cuban Salsa in a young, fun and international community in Essen.
Why join our Cuban Salsa classes?
No registration! Just come to class and dance, that´s it.
No dress code! You just need clean indoor shoes or dance on socks.
Join us anytime! Free beginner classes starting every Monday at 19:00 in Essen, Ruhrgebiet.
No partner needed. Most of our students come solo.
About Dance4Water Essen
Cuban Salsa classes for a good cause
Dance4Water Essen offers classes from beginner to advanced level in Cuban Salsa (also called Salsa Cubana, Salsa Casino or Rueda de Casino). We are part of 4Water, an international non-profit organisation that has been teaching Cuban Salsa across 10 European cities since 2009. What makes us different? Every single one of our teachers is a volunteer. As a result, all proceeds go directly to good causes. So far, we have donated more than 600,000 € to Welthungerhilfe and WaterAid, funding clean water projects around the world. Find out more.
Starting with Cuban Salsa never was easier
You can find our Cuban Salsa classes at Stuntwerk, Segerothstraße 83a — just a few minutes from the University of Essen, NRW. Free beginner Salsa classes in Essen start every Monday at 19:00, so you can join anytime without registration or a dance partner. We have a modular teaching System. This means you can join anytime and you can pause anytime.
Young, fun and social
We are known for passionate teachers, a welcoming community, and a strong focus on clean technique, creativity and musicality. Beyond regular classes, we also organise our own Salsa socials and take our students to parties at other clubs. Furthermore, advanced dancers can deepen their skills through specialist workshops in Son, Timba and Rumba. Check our latest news to stay up to date.
So, no matter if you are absolute beginner or already an advanced dancer: We got the right content for you. See you on the dancefloor!
Timetable
Cuban Salsa classes in Essen, NRW
| Level | Skills | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Level 0 | Absolute beginners | Monday 19:00 – 20:00 |
| Level 1 | Improvers | Monday 20:00 – 21:00 |
| Level 2 | Intermediate | Tuesday 19:00 – 20:00 |
| Level 3 | Advanced | Tuesday 20:00 – 21:00 |
Cuban Salsa classes in Essen, Ruhrgebiet
Modular teaching system
For our Salsa Cubana classes in Essen we have a modular teaching concept. That ensures you can join at any time. Also, if you ever miss a lesson, you will get a chance to repeat it to catch up.
Level 0 – Absolute beginners
Level 0 is designed for absolute beginners. In this free weekly class, you will learn the basic step of Salsa Cubana as well as a simple turn. That´s everything you need to get started with confidence.
Level 1 – Improvers
Level 1 builds directly on that foundation. Over four lessons you will explore basic figures, technique and musicality, giving you a solid base for everything that follows.
Level 2 – Intermediate
Level 2 consist of ten lessons. Throughout these levels you will learn a wide range of figures. In addition, every single lesson includes Ladystyling for followers. Because we believe styling is an essential part of Cuban Salsa — not an afterthought.
Level 3 – Advanced
In Level 3, you will learn another 10 moves, that are even more flashy. Also, we will work on your basic technique and even go for more Ladystyling.
To find out more about the specific content of each level, check out our full curriculum here.
Prices of Cuban Salsa classes in Essen
The pricing for our Salsa Cubana classes in Essen is simple and transparent. Unlike most dance schools, we require no subscription and no upfront commitment. You pay on the spot — only when you show up. Please note that we only accept card payments. Since all of our teachers work as volunteers, every euro you pay goes directly to Welthungerhilfe.
Free beginner class
Level 0 — our beginner class — is completely free of charge. You can join as often as you like, with no commitment and no registration required.
Intermediate and advanced classes
Once you are ready to progress, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 each cost 10 € per hour.
Discounts
Students with a valid student ID benefit from a discounted rate of 7 € per hour. If you plan to attend regularly, a 10-class pass is available for 90 € — or 63 € for students.
Location – Cuban Salsa classes in Essen, Ruhrgebiet
The Salsa Cubana classes of Dance4Water Essen take place inside Stuntwerk, Segerothstraße 83a, 45141 Essen. The location is close to University of Duisburg-Essen and easy to reach from a lot of nearby cities in Ruhrgebiet / NRW.
By public transport, the venue is just 300 metres from the station “Universität Essen”. It´s served by bus lines 166, E90, NE16 and SB16 as well as subway lines U11 and U17. If you are coming by car, free parking is available at the university car park “P3”.
FAQ
There are many styles of Salsa like LA (Salsa on 1), New York (Salsa on 2) or Salsa Caleña (Columbian Salsa). These Salsa stlyes developed when Salsa was brought to south and north America and merged with the local dance culture. With respect to the origins of the dance, we teach the original Cuban Salsa, also known as Salsa Cubana or Casino or – if you dance it as a group – Rueda de Casino.
No, as most of our students come solo.
Due to our modular teaching concept you can join anytime. Also it´s no big deal if you ever miss a class. You will always get another date to learn the figure that you missed.
It is very important for us that everyone feels welcome, safe and comfortable. We pay attention to only granting access to our classes for students who share our values.
No. Certainly we don´t need your data nor a payment in advance. As you just pay with card in the very minute you join the class. No commitment needed.
No. So you can just wear comfy clothes that you like. Just make sure to wear clean indoor shoes or dance on socks.
Yes we mostly speak english in class. But its more about showing you how to dance rather then taking so your english don´t need to be perfect. Also our teachers can answer you questions in German if you didn´t unterstand anything.
More Questions? Check our full FAQ site.
Meet the team of Dance4Water Essen
Gina started learning Salsa Cubana in 2022 and became a Volunteer in 2025. She loves the sense of community at Dance4Water Essen and teaching not for profit but for the love of the dance. When it comes to teaching Salsa Cubana she likes the students also to know about the origins and the culture. Many teachers show their students a lot of complicated figures quickly, resulting in a poor technique and people not being able to enjoy the dance. Gina thinks it´s more important to teach good basics and have students understand the values of a good dancer: don´t try to show off but truly connect with your dance partner and the music.
Before getting into Salsa Cubana, Gina danced Hip-hop and Cha Cha and was part of a synchronized swimming team. So basically… like a Rueda, just in the water. 😁
Originally Gina comes from Portugal and lived in Poland before moving to Germany to work as a Biochemist.
Jan grew up right here in Essen and is the only local on the Dance4Water Essen teaching team. He had an on-and-off relationship with dancing for years until 2024, when his roommates dragged him along to a Dance4Water class. He never left.
Compared to the stiffness of regular dance schools, he immediately enjoyed the fun atmosphere and community vibe of the classes. He got addicted to dancing Rueda de Casino, never missed a class for an entire year, and became a teacher in 2025.
Beyond teaching, Jan enjoys switching between leader and follower roles — and is quietly feared for his Ladystyling. He pays special attention to teaching leaders how to be clear, respectful dance partners on socials, with a focus on clean technique and good musicality. For Jan, watching students improve and discover their own joy for Cuban Salsa is what makes teaching worthwhile.
If you ever say the word “Rueda” its most likely that Jan will materialize somewhere near you and offer to be your cantante.
Karthik embarked on his Salsa Cubana journey in 2022 and became a volunteer at Dance4Water Essen in 2024. He cherishes the community spirit and teaches dance not for profit, but out of pure love for the art. Prior to discovering Salsa Cubana, Karthik was passionate about Salsa Linear and Bachata. He started with Jazz initially and stepped in Salsa in 2019.
Originally from India, he moved to Germany to pursue a career as an energy engineer.
Fun fact: Despite his current engagement, he prefers the Linear style over Cubana.
Mareike found her way to Salsa Cubana through Dance4Water almost three years ago, adding a new chapter to a lifelong passion for dance. Before discovering Salsa Cubana, she trained and competed in Jazz & Modern, and Contemporary dance for many years. And after countless “one day I’ll learn Salsa” moments, Dance4Water finally turned that idea into a genuine enthusiasm for Cuban Salsa.
Mareike loves the dynamic and playful nature of Cuban Salsa and that is exactly the atmosphere she tries to create in the classes. She is always excited to keep learning herself and to pass new ideas on to the students. She enjoys teaching energetic lessons where learning and laughing go hand in hand. For her, one of the best parts of teaching is seeing people gain confidence, improve their dancing, and leave class with a smile on their face.
Born in Málaga, Spain, Mamen started dancing Salsa (New York Style) in her 20s. After a break she started again dancing Casino at Dance4Water Essen in 2025 and instantly fell in love. It´s always fun to dance with her as she is one big smile on the dancefloor giving you the shoulder shimmy whenever she gets a chance.
She is the newbie in the teacher team but it feels like she has always been there. That´s why she wants to ensure new students feel welcome the same way. Being a native Spanish speaker, she is also a great help when it comes to understanding song text or names of figures.
Recently Mamen started learning Son Cubano. Also, she is a passionate simmer, reader and proud mommy of a future musician.
Toufi is a software engineer who discovered Cuban salsa in 2022 and began teaching in 2024. He loves that Dance4Water brings together such a diverse mix of students and teachers, and enjoys meeting Dance4Water volunteers from across Europe and collaborating with them. Within the team, Toufi is known for his strong men’s styling and musicality as he prefers improvising a fitting solo for a fast Timba track over just repeating set patterns.
Toufi is an active member of the Strategy and Operating Team (SOT), helping strengthen collaboration across 4Water projects, shape global strategy and communications, and liaise with partners like WaterAid and Welthungerhilfe.