Salsa Society: Welfare and Volunteering Officer

Acting as welfare secretary would allow me to support something I deeply value: creating a space where people feel safe, respected, and able to fully enjoy dance.

I know firsthand how important respect is to making dance a safe and enjoyable space. When I first started social dancing, I struggled to call out situations I found uncomfortable either because I didn’t have the knowledge or was just simply worried. I really want to be a safe port of call for anyone feeling the same so they can continue to enjoy dance and get all of its benefits.

As part of the role, I would love being involved in event organisation and coordination. I’ve organised many charity events in the past and so know what it’s like to navigate all of the logistics and decisions. I would help ensure events run smoothly and inclusively.

Volunteering is already an important part of my salsa life and I’ve really valued the programme this year. I’ve found it incredibly rewarding and found it provides a meaningful outlet for all you learn in class. As Welfare Secretary, I would advocate for the programme even more, bringing attention to it and helping people feel confident enough to get involved. I want to promote more themes, colours, and identity to make us truly recognisable.

Salsa society has entirely transformed my uni experience. It has given me a space to express myself and meet so many lovely people. This role would be a way to give back to the community that has already done so much for me.

Hi everyone! I’m Emilia and I’m a second-year Anthropology student.

I’ve been dancing with the society for a term, but salsa has actually been part of my life for much longer. I’m from Latin America, where salsa isn’t something you “start learning”,  it’s just always there. I grew up dancing at home, at family gatherings, and basically anywhere music was playing. So joining this society has felt a bit like bringing a piece of home with me to UCL.

For me, dancing is about more than getting the steps right, it’s about energy, laughter, and the feeling that everyone belongs on the dance floor, whether you’re nailing every spin or accidentally inventing a new move.

I want to help keep the society a space where people feel comfortable, supported, and excited to show up each week. It’s really important to me that everyone feels safe and respected in an inclusive environment, where people of all backgrounds, identities, and dance abilities feel welcome. Starting to dance can be intimidating, but the best dance floors are the ones where everyone feels comfortable being themselves.

This role is also about looking after each other beyond the dance floor. I’d love to expand the volunteering side of the society, from charity dance events to opportunities where we can share some salsa/bachata joy with the wider community and use what we love doing to make a positive impact.

Let’s keep our dance floor a place where everyone feels welcome, safe, and full of great energy.💃

Hi, I’m Natasha and I started salsa in my first year :) I dance bachata, Cuban and crossbody (I may be slightly biased to Cuban!). I had the privilege of being part of the salsa volunteering team in my first year and I made some of my favourite memories from teaching and working with such a wonderful team. It’s also where I met some of my closest salsa friends! It is really special and hard to put into words the experience of learning to teach and getting to know the charities and people we worked with and taught but I do genuinely believe that I learnt as much from them as I taught them. It did take me out of my comfort zone, especially learning crossbody leads(!), but it has improved my communication skills, teamwork, teaching, confidence and salsa. I would love to run the team next year and expand the work we are currently doing so more people of all ages and abilities can access it and its benefits! 

When I started off social dancing I was very shy and didn’t fully understand how to follow nor how to ensure both I and my dance partner felt comfortable. Saying no was particularly hard for me, even if I was exhausted. I would love to create a beginner-focussed social dancing space in which people can learn how to make the most of social dancing, ask questions and practice, as well as run supported external social trips for those nervous to start or go on their own. I have experience in safeguarding and welfare from previous jobs and would be love to work with all of you!