About Latin Roots

Built to help adults become dancers — with structure, warmth and belonging.

Latin Roots Dance Academy was created to give adults in Edinburgh a clearer, warmer and more structured way to learn Salsa and Bachata — from first steps to confident social dancing.

We are not built around casual drop-ins or random classes. Latin Roots is an academy environment: guided teaching, progressive training, familiar faces and a community where people can grow into dancing with confidence.

Start as a Beginner Already Dancing?
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Our Approach Instructors How to Start
Our Approach

How we help adults become confident social dancers.

Latin Roots is built around a simple idea: adults learn best when the training is structured, the guidance is clear, and the atmosphere feels warm enough to keep showing up.

Latin Roots students training Salsa and Bachata together in class
A guided academy method — foundations, progression and social confidence

We teach for the dance floor, not just for the class.

The aim is not to collect endless combinations. The aim is to understand timing, rhythm, movement, connection and how to feel comfortable dancing with real people, to real music, in real social settings.

1

Foundations before complexity

We focus on the basics that make dancing feel better: timing, leading, following, body movement, partner connection and confidence before rushing into complicated patterns.

2

Clear progression

Students are guided through a pathway instead of being left to guess where they belong. Each level builds on the previous one so progress feels steady and earned.

3

Salsa and Bachata together

We train both styles side by side so students develop a fuller Latin dance foundation, more musical awareness and more confidence across the dance floor.

4

Social dancing as the goal

Classes are designed to help students use what they learn outside the lesson — with better rhythm, clearer connection and more confidence dancing socially.

Instructors

The people behind the training.

Latin Roots is led by instructors who care about clear teaching, strong foundations, social confidence and the way students feel inside the room.

Wellington Black, founder and director of Latin Roots Dance Academy
Founder Director Lead Instructor

Wellington Black

Founder, Director & Lead Instructor

Wellington is the founder, director and lead instructor of Latin Roots Dance Academy. He leads the academy’s teaching direction and is responsible for the syllabus, structure and progression pathway students follow through Salsa and Bachata.

Born in the Dominican Republic, the birthplace of Bachata, Wellington grew up surrounded by the music, rhythm and feeling of the dance. Later, after moving to Cádiz in Spain, he was introduced to Sensual Bachata while the style was still growing, giving him a natural connection to both the roots and evolution of Bachata.

Alongside that personal connection to Bachata, Wellington has studied extensively with recognised international artists and teachers across different disciplines of Salsa and Bachata, including Dominican Bachata, Sensual Bachata, modern Bachata, Salsa partnerwork, musicality and social dance technique.

Roots, structure and social dancing. His work brings together Bachata roots, international training influences and a clear academy method designed to help adults become confident social dancers.
✓ Founder and director of the Latin Roots academy pathway.
✓ Responsible for the academy syllabus, class structure and progression system.
✓ Warm, direct and structured teaching style.
Eleanna, Salsa and Bachata instructor at Latin Roots Dance Academy
Instructor Salsa & Bachata Styling

Eleanna Podara

Salsa & Bachata Instructor

Eleanna teaches Salsa and Bachata at Latin Roots alongside Wellington across the academy levels. She brings technical depth, warmth and a strong focus on confidence, expression and connection on the dance floor.

Her dance journey began at the age of five in Greece with traditional Greek dancing, later alongside ballroom training. In 2016, she discovered Salsa and Bachata and began her Latin dance training.

During her university years in Aberdeen, Eleanna spent two years voluntarily teaching Bachata. Since 2022, she has been teaching at Latin Roots, trained in the academy’s methodology and philosophy.

Confidence, expression and adaptable following. Eleanna helps students become versatile social dancers who can listen, respond and express themselves confidently with any partner.
✓ Teaches Salsa and Bachata across the Latin Roots academy levels.
✓ Leads ladies styling sessions and supports students with confidence, expression and presence.
✓ Focuses on developing strong, adaptable followers for social dancing.
Start With the Right Path

Ready to begin with Latin Roots?

Whether you are completely new or already have Salsa or Bachata experience, we’ll guide you into the right starting point inside the academy.

Start as a Beginner Already Dancing?
Complete beginners start with the Beginners Course. Dancers with previous Salsa or Bachata experience begin with an Introductory Training Session so we can guide them to the right level.