Summer 2025 Offer for the Salsa Rapido 1-Day Intensive for Beginners
Enjoy this great offer!
‘Couples’ bookings £79 saving £51!
‘Singles’ bookings £49 saving £16!
This includes gift voucher purchases too (no offer-code required)
Use the offer-code "2025" when you book.
Only available for course dates before end June 2025.

Mambalsa® Dance Workshop

In Brief:

Are you still dance curious? I hope so because I'd like to invite you to a very special full day event on:

Sunday 20th July 2025
Held at Salsa Soho, London.
10:30 - 4:45pm
Book Now!



I'm looking for up to 30 people for a full day Mambalsa® workshop aimed at those who are interested in the intersection of Dance, Well-Being and Self-Development.
Using Mambalsa® as a platform, there'll be lots of dancing, moves, grooves, laughs and discussion, all wrapped around a heap of psychology.
I'm looking for up to 30 people for a full day workshop aimed at those who are interested in the intersection of Dance, Well-Being and Self-Development.
There'll be lots of dancing, moves, grooves, laughs and discussion, all wrapped around a heap of psychology.


Who's coming:

• Anyone who wishes to explore social dance through this exciting lens and wish to connect with other like minded people.
• Professional Dance, Fitness and Well-being practitioners who wish to enhance their practice.
• Those who are interested in supporting the Mambalsa project and interested in the opportunities it will offer.

Aims:
No doubt we're all aware that dance is fun and great for physiological health, but dance can also be viewed as a well-being / self-development practice.
Whether you wish to nudge your dancing towards well-being / self-development or use the day to boost your dance or therapeutic practice, this unique day is just for you.

Content:
This event will explore four aspects of social partner dance psychology:

• Fun and the psychological systems of pleasure.
• Well-Being: The lifelong benefits of dance. (our primary focus is mental not physiological)
• Self-Development: Building awareness, agency and control of emotional process, and developing empathetic communication.
• 
  Cultural exploration: Through the semantic experience of dance through world music.
• Why is the Psychology Important?

Just by dancing we can achieve much of the well-being benefits of dance, but understanding of the psychology makes change more achievable.

A great example of this is fun. Understanding the psychological systems of fun allows us to have more fun, more intensely and more often! Uncomfortable aspects of learning become more tolerable and motivation is boosted. Fun is just one of several elements of long term well-being. We'll explore how we can bring more fun into dance, busting stress, building mental resilience and developing self-confidence.

The day is led by myself, Alastair Sadler MBACP(Accred). For the past thirty years I've taught and innovated within the UK salsa scene as my full time profession. More recently I've achieved accreditation as a psychotherapist working in private practice.

I’ve spent much of the past few years researching the psychology of social dance and I’m the first to admit we’re only beginning to scratch the surface. What I’ve learnt has profoundly changed the way I teach and I would like to share that research and experience with you.

Together we can connect as a group of like minded people, start a conversation and nudge dance towards being a well-being practice that maintains all the fun, social benefits; plus the physiological benefits (fitness and physical health) and the well-being / self-Development benefits (Confidence, Mental Resilience and Empathetic Communication Skills).

About Mambalsa®:
How many people start to dance only to drop out after a short while? To explore this we need to re-experience dance as a beginner. To put us all on a level playing field I’ll be introducing you to Mambalsa.
Mambalsa is the newest partner dance of the 21st century designed with a host of U.S.P.s.
Mambalsa® is danced as a partner dance (like salsa, tango, jive etc.) but can also be danced in a grid (line dancing), a circle (La Rueda) or as a solo dance. Everyone learns to lead and follow and it’s danced to almost any music. At its heart is an ethos of Fun, Empathetic Communication, Emotional Intelligence and Respect. It’s easy to learn, but full of possibilities to explore!

Outcomes:

• A useful insight into the psychology of social dance plus
• The ‘why’ of social partner dance, it’s social uses and structure.
• The ‘How’ of Mambalsa® (an additional string to your bow)
• A fun day socialising with others of the Dance Curious tribe.

Opportunities:
To start a group conversation about Dance, Well-being and Self Development.
To join the Mambalsa® Project and use Mambalsa® to enhance your dance objectives.
To network others of a similar mindset.

Itinerary:
10:30 - 11:00 Check-in Meet and Greet
11:00 - 1:30 Mambalsa® outline and basics
1:30 - 2:30 lunch (Offer: All main courses half price!)

2:30 - 4:45 Mambalsa® Dynamic Potential

4.45 - onward Socialise (bar open with happy hour)

Location:
Salsa Soho (bar Salsa!), 96 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0JG map link

Cost:

£30 I believe in keeping the price down so it's cheeper than all of my regular Salsa Rapido courses (at the moment!) ... and no, there won't be a sales pitch!




Book Now!

Tickets are now on sale for the Summer Thames Salsa Cruise on Sunday 17th August
It seems only 5 mins ago since our sell out Spring Thames Salsa Cruise, but summer is here and tickets are now available for the summer Thames Salsa Cruise on Sunday Aug 17th!
This year is the 27th anniversary of the Thames Salsa Cruise! and we’re celebrating 30 years of Streetbeat so it's gonna be a goodie and hot on the dance floor, don't miss out!
Book online at streetbeat.co.uk/tsc
To give you an idea here's a video clip of the Spring Cruise


For a lazy August evening, the cruise is simply perfect :-) Dance, chat, chill, whatever you wish...
It's on Sunday 17th August and tickets are already available from this website. Get them early because we will probably sell out.
Groups (5+) cost £18 and the regular advanced price is £20. (£25 cash on the day)
Groups text me to set up a discount code ASAP Alastair 07939 012231

Come and salsa the River as we cruise from the Festival Pier Southbank to the Barrier and back. Watch the sunset as you sip a drink on the back deck, then see the River sparkle as the city lights up; all the while listening to some great salsa music to entice you back on the dance floor.
Four hours of dancing and fun; what a great way to spend an evening!
Departs Festival Pier by the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank at 6.45pm, returning at 10.50pm

A recent article showed that monkeys drum rhythmically on tree roots using sticks.
I've taken this as a starting point to explore how we view monkeys, apes and dance within our culture and of course the implications of rhythmic apes.
Possessing rhythm is an essential building block of music and dance. The implication is profound: rhythm and, by extension, dance may have deep evolutionary roots shared by humans and other primates.
Culturally we tend to see dance and primates as a child like expression but there are darker themes hidden within.
I hopefully offer this as serious content, but with a sprinkling of humour. Enjoy :)

............ Continue to blog

This April 2025, I clock up 30 years as a salsa teacher. It’s something I’m proud of and as part of that celebration, I wish to offer some personal reflections on my life in salsa starting with the birth of The Streetbeat Salsa Co. ........ Continued

In my latest blog post "Me and Bar Salsa!" I write about why this long standing venue is very special to me on the eve of my thirtieth wedding anniversary.
There's also a potted history of London's salsa scene.
Me and Bar Salsa!

It was 8am and Fliss and I were in bed watching the winter solstice sunrise over Stonehenge live streamed onto my phone and I thought wow! For some reason unknown to me, I found myself making a connection to the traditional and probably ancient wedding saying of: Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.....
An end of year blog that includes many themes from 2024
............ Continued

In this blog I highlight The Chinese New Year Dragon Dance, it's origin and connect it to my life lived in London teaching Salsa.

2/2/2025 Spring is coming and about bloody time!
I'm sitting in Cafe Nero watching crowds of people walk by towards Leicester Square to see the Dragon Dance of Chinese new year.
I first saw this by change when I was 18 and travelled up to London to visit my then .......
The story goes that a lady from the village of Lotus, named for a pond full of lotus flowers, that presumably was next to a village called Duckweed! ...........
Link to blog post

In this blog I reflect on the late Jack Vettriano's most famous painting:
The Singing Butler 1992
and his position within the art world as a mirror to Salsa's position within the dance world.

7/3/2025
A few days ago on March 1st 2025 the painter Jack Vettriano died aged 73. I’m sure to a younger generation, his name won’t mean much, but to those who’s ‘back in the day’ was the nineteen nineties, Jack’s paintings were ubiquitous. It seemed that every coffee shop had a print of his hanging somewhere.........
Link to blog post

I’ve just finished another six week Mambalsa course at the Nightingale Cancer Support Centre in Enfield and what a lovely group it was.
I was aiming for a gentle introduction to Mambalsa without too much emphasis on the well-being aspects of Psych. Ed. but they came up anyway.
Often the classes would end in a group discussion about recovering from cancer and I have to admit it was great to share those stories and feel a paid up member of that club.
Every group teaches me something about dance and life. This group showed me that like a hummingbird, beauty has no relationship to size. We took the lid off our creativity and relaxed and moved freely within the ethos of Mambalsa dance. I’m being deliberately cryptic but confidentiality prevents me from sharing any detail.
I will take the chance to share the last two tracks we danced as a way to illustrate that Mambalsa is danced to any 4:4 time music:
- Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen - complete with head banging and Zimbabwean Wellington Boot dance! (I’ll just leave that to your imagination)
- Would You Be Loved by Bob Marley - A perfect song to end on.
I’m already missing all my Mambalsa Dancers from the Nightingale and can’t wait for the next group.
Alastair

Yesterday I received an email from TripAdvisor informing me that I had been awarded a Certificate of Excellence.
I had no idea that there was such a thing but now I've got one I'm a big fan.
It's the chance to thanks to everyone who's taken the time and trouble to say some kind words about my Salsa Rapido 1-Day Intensive course.


Click the image to visit TridAdvisor


Reflection: (You may prefer to read this on the Salsa Rapido Blog)
When I embedded TripAdvisor into my site I was hoping for praise but open to the possibility of harsh and unfair criticism, and in fairness I've received a one star review from someone who wasn't on the course and a two star review from someone who enjoyed the class but didn't enjoy the fajitas at lunch! May I just add that fajitas are not compulsory and anyone can eat wherever they wish. Lunch isn't even part of the deal so bring a packet of crisps in if you wish but don't blame my course if they didn't have your favourite flavour! (I'm so over it now)
Anyway, I overcame my fears and gave it a go, realising that feedback is good and TripAdivsor offers a third party review that's useful for the pubic when booking.
Many months later and I've received mainly five star reviews.
This tells me that:
My presentation is engaging and entertaining.
People are way nicer than I deserve.
Salsa Rapido is a mature enough method to stand comparison to traditional classes.
I'm really good at asking for five star reviews.

On the last point my hobby of stand up comedy led to five shows at the Edinburgh Fringe where at the end of a show we would have a 'bucket speech' to encourage the audience to give a tip (our only source of income)
Cliched line like "Take some change, fold it and put it in the bucket" were common.
One time I got a waif-like act to kneel down holding the bucket while looking as mournful as a Dickensian child.
Another time a showed the audience picture of my cats on my phone and asked "which one should I 'economise' first?" Well it works for charities!
The result was seldom any different. It was the show that counted.

Dance school says ballet is racially problematic and too gender binary!
I saw this article in the news and throught I'd offer a few thoughts so here's my latest Mambalsa blog blog posts titled: Dance school says ballet is racially problematic and too gender binary

I've decided to share my recent experience of cancer in a personal blog.
This may be upsetting for many people and I advise caution as to whether you read on.
First I need to address the question: why blog about cancer on a salsa dance website?
Like so many brands on the salsa scene, behind the Streetbeat/ Rapido/ Mambalsa brand is an individual person, who made the jump from dancer to dance teacher. My treatment will affect every aspect of my life including the Salsa Rapido courses and Mambalsa Project. I may physically change as a result of chemotherapy and when someone asks a question about these changes I'd like to answer in a brief and polite way with an invitation to read my blog to get my personal insight if they wish. In other words cancer affects me but it doesn't define me!

Follow this blog: Use this link to add you email to my blog following list:

The blog is a continuation of my 2022 Brighton Marathon blog hosted on Blogger.

24/01/2024 The Last Post

05/11/2023 Round Five Biddy Beep

18/10/2023 Round Four Round Up

01/10/2023 Round 3/4 Review

30/09/2023 Happy birthday Homewood School

05/08/2023 Round Two Update

26/07/2023 Would You A&E it!

26/07/2023 Labels, Trauma, PTSD and Self-diagnosis

21/07/2023 Sepsis vs Sadler A Week in Hospital

06/07/2023 Icky

02/07/2023 Day Three Sitrep (Situation Report)

26/06/2023 Three days to Chemo C-3

24/06/23 Capitano Chemo
In the run up to treatment starting I find myself getting silly to offset the anxiety.

07/06/2023 Scanaxiety
When the prospect of chemo becomes a reality.

24/03/2023 Who's Lynne and what's she FOMO about?
A catch up post from 2019 to 2023. Probably the best place to start :)

Summer's a great time for a wedding and this wedding was a wonderful fusion of dance styles.

Here's my latest Mambalsa blog blog posts titled: mambalsa-wedding