Salsa Matei Dance School

Went here with a group of friends. Most dropped out after the first class, but a friend and I kept it going for the entire session and I’m glad I did. After two months, I learned the basics of salsa.
The studio was a fun and welcoming place and Matei is a great instructor. He makes the classes enjoyable and irreverent.
The classes start with a warmup, followed by basic salsa steps done individually, and then into dancing with (rotating) partners. There tends to be a dearth of guys, so if you are one you’ll get plenty of practice.
They also allow you to pay per class which is ideal for those who don’t like commitments.

Great teachers and instruction! The classes are fun and it’s great to be in a space that is so beautiful.

I’ve been taking Salsa Level 1 and so far it’s been an AMAZING experience. I have absolutely no complaints. Sam and Eva are the best instructors! Sam in particular is so fun and entertaining. He has a great way of using humor in his teaching and makes everyone feel comfortable. During class, you are always rotating so you are never stuck in the back and you get to dance with different partners. In addition to the 90 minute lessons, they give you opportunities to practice your new skills with the students from other levels after class. I am definitely going to keep taking lessons at Salsa Matei.

hey, i’m not one to just give out 5 stars to anything, but with salsa matei, it wasn’t just begrudging, giving them 5 stars was an absolute no brainer.
i’m a beginner salsa person but i’ve done a few other classes. they completely blew away any other lessons i’ve ever had. sam and angela, the instructors, first make it super fun and entertaining. but second, the instruction itself was really first class, much better than other classes i had taken before. they don’t talk just about the moves, but about technique — the stuff that makes you look extra good!
they completely exceeded my expectations of what i was looking for. way more fun than i had thought, way more instructive. also, if you’re single, it’s not a bad place to hang out! having fun and learning is a major aphrodisiac i think.
don’t hesitate to sign on! you won’t find anything better. it’s a very low price too! and they’re not even paying me to say this!

When one is born with two left feet, but has a passion for dance it can be very very sad. But with just one lesson with Mattei and Hirlley, that left foot starts to tingle, wiggle, spin around and actually believe it can change it’s ways to dance SALSA!
How lucky I am to have met two talented, kind and patient instructors who are teaching me the basics. Their method is working and I am rapidly improving. I am having so much fun and am now also taking bachata lessons! When possible, I am out dancing salsa three nights a week!
Everyone in the class is having a great time and learning to dance Salsa. I can not recommend Salsa Matei enough!

Find someone who is passionate about what they do, and ask them to teach you. This should be in page 1 of life’s instruction book. I have realized that the folks at Salsa Matei are passionate about their love for Salsa and dancing, and are gifted enough to be able to share that passion with their students.
I really can not recommend Salsa Matei and the instructors more highly to anyone who is interested in learning Salsa, or any other type or latin dancing, whether it is a one time deal, a hobby you are trying to pursue, or if you are an advanced dancer and want to learn new techniques and connect to the Boston Salsa community.
One thing that you will quickly realize is that Salsa Matei does not simply teach you ‘moves’. Yes, it is nice to be on the dance floor and do the cool moves, but without the proper foundation on good musicality, technique, etc, you will probably not be able to progress very far. I can honestly say that building a good strong foundation has been an integral part of my experience here.
Drop ins: Learning Salsa is a fun activity that I would recommend to a group of friends as something fun to do on a weeknight, people are always welcome to drop into the beginner classes and the instructors are very flexible and adapt quickly to the number of students and the ratio of students. I have seen Matei and his staff successfully run classes of all sizes and male/​female ratios and I can say that the classes are always a lot of fun. They also teach 1 hour classes at Enigma Salsa on Fridays before the social dancing starts and this is a good foundation and a good refresher for those who are experienced.
Group classes: The group classes are structured and build on the material from class to class, and this is the way I would recommend for anyone learning Salsa for the first time to go. The classes are super affordable and by the end of a complete cycle of beginner level one classes you will have a solid foundation to build on. Other classes are offered as well for Bachata, Merengue and also Salsa Techniques.
In short, whether you want to learn Salsa for fun and social dancing, or if you wish to pursue this art form further and become a performer I would not hesitate to take classes from Salsa Matei.

Being an absolute beginner to both Salsa and dancing in general, I’m so glad I’ve found Matei and his team! I’m currently taking the Salsa I offered by the school, it’s an amazing experience. The classes are excellent and a lot of fun. There is no awkwardness at all for a complete beginner and going there alone. The 90-​minute class passes by awfully fast and packed with material. Since the partners rotate every few minutes, you get to dance with different people and learn how to adapt to different partners’ leading styles. The same dance moves are practiced and reviewed over and over again so you’ll definitely remember them by heart.
I’ll definitely be taking Salsa II!

Matei is a wonderful teacher who also makes classes so much fun. I first saw him teaching a class of absolute beginners. He was able to break down each movement so that even the people that looked as though they’d never moved their hips before were dancing Salsa! I was so impressed but couldn’t make his Tuesday night Green St class. Luckily, my friends and I were able to set up regular semi-​private lessons with Matei and his partner. His routines are gorgeous. If you are shy about going out to clubs, he has regular «field trips» with his students to Ryles. Definitely two thumbs up!

When I called Salsa Matei, I was on a mission to get my salsa chops up to snuff for a family reunion in Costa Rica. I opted for the private lessons cause I was short on time and high on motivation– it was a matter of enjoyment and pride! I ended up doing three private lessons in less than one week. It made a HUGE difference to be able to get the one-​on-​one feedback and really solidify the basics. Matei has a great professional, easy-​going and very attentive teaching style. His lovely assistant, Hirley (sorry if I spelled her name wrong!), is an incredible samba dancer too, and was a great addition to my lessons so as a student I could see the male and female side of the dance done right. They are both smooth and sharp– just like the dance itself. I highly recommend two or three private lessons in addition to the group classes. The difference is that Matei will be able to really break it down to you and teach you everything the RIGHT way, including listening for the music and the subtleties of the lead cues, and correct your missteps. Then you get in class and learn how to deal with different partners’ styles and, well, varying aptitudes. Come here to learn the technicalities and that the most important thing is to have fun!