David Nieto – Salsa Dance Instructor

First of all; I like to say that I do not enjoy leaving bad reviews for anyone and it takes a lot too make me feel that I need to write a review to advise others based on my experience.
I attended David’s class on and off for about 2 months because I started in November and then the holidays approached. After I returned back in January I gave David One hundred dollars for a private lesson. I had taken a private lesson from David before so I did not think there would be any problems. But a week went by and David did not contact me to let me know what days he would be available for the private lesson I had prepaid for. Then the following Wednesday David showed up to his Salsa class with a female partner. David mentioned to the class that he was injured and has a fill in until he heals. I expected that David knew I paid in advance and once he returns from his injury we could meet up for the lesson in the near future so there is not point of mentioning the $ 100. I noticed that David did not limp or show any signs that he was actually hurt as he would randomly step in for his substitute and demonstrate a quick salsa move or pattern.
Here is what really agitated me. The following week David continued to mention to the class that he was still healing and brought his substitute. Before the beginner salsa class started he mentioned that he was available for private lessons. What the heck! I felt disappointed because David had no decency to let me know when he would be available for a private lesson and I was just standing there like an idiot who got ripped off and taken advantage of. I knew that if I complained to David that he took my money without a private lesson he would just use an excuse that he dos not remember. I decided to just not show up to his classes any more for group lessons. David continued to text me me through his generic all contact messages to his students of the times and days his group classes were available as if nothing bad happened. After a few weeks I text David that I would never take a Salsa class form him again because he took my money and never speaking about a private lesson. As I mentioned earlier David replied back that he does not remember taking any money from me for a private lesson. I knew that this would be his excuse but I do not understand how he can have an additional hundred dollars in his pocket and not know where it came from. David explained that he would still meet up with me for a private lesson even though he dos not recall me paying for a private lesson.
David does not understand that the last thing I want is to be around and take salsa lessons from a thief. I noticed David has some positive reviews for Google but he literally brings his compute notebook to the class and before the and after the group lessons he asks if anyone can leave him a positive review. He often times has his students do salsa patterns in front of the mirror as he briefly walks by to check on their footwork. I feel a student is better off saving money by just watching a salsa patterns on YouTube and dance in front of a mirror in their own home. The only lesson that I learned from David is just accepting that taking classes from him was a bad experience and move on to other instructors that will not steal my money.

I heard about David’s class through
. He offered a $ 5 first time special so I decided to give it a try.
He was holding his class at VIP Dance Studio in Santa Ana. I got lost and arrived late but joined the class through group movement. He then separated the class into two groups, one group for people who have never done salsa before and those who have had some previous experience. As someone who has had two years ballroom experience (and when I say ballroom I mean Foxtrot, Cha-​cha-​cha, Salsa, Ballroom tango, Viennese Waltz, etc) I joined the latter group.
He taught us this move where we sweep our feet and turn, he left us ladies to teach the gentlemen their part. So I quietly practiced my move when he turned around saying that some of us are doing it wrong (looking straight at me) and that we need to point our foot down. Yes, I totally know I was doing it wrong so I tried again to get it right. He then mocked the move I we were doing to «demonstrate» how we were doing it wrong. Nothing wrong with that, I knew I got the move wrong and he was being a funny teacher. So I practiced again and this time pointed my foot down.
Then the gentlemen came back and partnered with us. The instructor partnered with me, I accidentally grazed his leg, he mocked me, I apologized, I tried again, I didn’t get any better, he left. The other dancers around me noticed that I wasn’t doing a very good job. I got partnered with a guy who witnessed my flub, I tried again, he laughed, I apologized and laughed at myself because I clearly wasn’t doing a good job. The instructor hollered at me to get my attention as did one of the women next to me, I found that rather rude. He then demonstrated how to do the move with a partner since «the ladies» (aka me) wasn’t getting it right.
My partner moved on and complimented his new partner, the woman who also hollered at me, because clearly I wasn’t a very good partner. The woman to my other side gave me a dirty look as I smiled at her when we were both without partners. After digesting the past ten minutes I decided to leave because I realized that I wasn’t receiving very kind treatment.
Overall I did not have a good time, I think walking out of the class early clearly shows that. David seemed very kind and enthusiastic from the get go but during the short time I was there I didn’t feel like he was invested in me. I haven’t done ballroom in quite some time and needed some help getting back into it again, the rude treatment that I received from the others around me didn’t help either. Perhaps I should’ve joined the group who have never done salsa before in their life, I don’t know, but what I do know is that I will be taking my salsa somewhere else.