Santo Domingo

• Spanish and Dances courses in the Dominican Republic •

Spanish and Dances courses in the Dominican Republic

A cultural and immersive stay,

For lovers of the Spanish language and Dominican dances!

Combine Spanish Language course with Dance classes for a complete immersion in the Dominican culture.

Santo Domingo

Dates

All year round

Duration

1 week

Tariff

620,00 €

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Detailed programme

Latin-American music and Afro-Caribbean dances like Merengue, Bachata, and Salsa have attracted many enthusiastic followers during the last few years in Europe and North America. The music and its dances express the positive attitude of the people towards life, towards their culture, their vitality, and their joy in life.
Dominicans love to dance. Music is always around them, if it is at home, on the bus, in the little colmado (food store) near-by, or on the street.
Of all the rhythms that enriched the cultural heritage of the Dominicans, the Merengue is the most collective expression of the people’s soul. As a popular musical form, it is very dynamic and varies from one generation to the next.
This programme is for all those who want to discover the Dominican attitude towards life not only through the foreign language but also through the people’s dances and music. In the mornings, the students tackle Spanish vocabularies, and in the afternoons, native dance instructors teach them the steps and passionate body language of the “Latin movement“.

The language course consists of twenty 45-minute lessons per week (4 lessons/day), in mini-groups of maximum 7 participants. Classes are usually from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am till 12:30 pm

Dance classes consist of three private 60-minute hours per week.
You will dance Merengue, Bachata, or Salsa Dominican style; other Salsa styles may be offered as well. You can always enter a course, no matter which dancing level you have.

Salsa:
Salsa is similar to Mambo in that both have a pattern of six steps danced over eight counts of music. The dances share many of the same moves. In Salsa, turns have become an important feature, so the overall look and feel are quite different form those of Mambo. Mambo moves generally forward and backward, whereas, Salsa has more of a side to side feel.

Bachata:
Bachata is a form of music and dance that originated in the countryside and rural marginal neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic. Its subjects are usually romantic; especially prevalent are tales of heartbreak and sadness.

Merengue:
Merengue is a type of lively, joyful dance that comes from the Dominican Republic, characterized by a sliding step and by far the easiest to learn!

Dates

All year round (courses start on Monday)
There is no course on the 27th of February, 25th of March, 1rst of May, the 24th of September. School is closed for Christmas and New Year.

Location

This programme is offered in the capital Santo Domingo.
The capital of the Dominican Republic is the cultural and economic centre of the country. One encounters the historical face of the city in its colonial
district, the Zona Colonial, which has been declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990. Museums like the Museum of Modern Art or the many art galleries in town show the modernity of Santo Domingo. At day the city is one of the grand shopping bazars of the Caribbean with such items as hand-wrapped cigars or jewelry made of Larimar or Amber. At night it is filled with Merengue and Bachata rhythms. Dance enthusiasts can choose between numerous clubs or go to typical dance places, often with live music played there. Sunday nights the locals like to meet in the Old Town at “Ruinas de San Francisco“, the remains of the first monastery of the New World.

Duration

1 week (5 days/6 nights)

Accommodation

You can choose your accommodation from:
Host family: Accommodation with Dominican middle-class families; single room, students’ bathroom; half-board (breakfast & dinner); up to 30 min by public transport to school.

School Apartment: Single room, TV, fan; shared bathroom, living room, kitchen; self-catering. Free internet access (WIFI). 2 min walking to school.

Tariff

620,00 €

Spanish and dance - Room in a shared apartment
820 €: Spanish and dance - Host-family half board accommodation

These prices include:
- 15 hours collective Spanish course
- 3 hours private Dance course
- 6 nights accommodation
- Membership fees