So far, the experience has been quite intense. First was my arrival. I was super hyped about the opportunity to try to develop the Zouk community in Tenerife. I had found a place to stay in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the island, but my host entrepreneur’s dance studio was in Puerto de la Cruz, about 40 kilometers away. I quickly realized that I would spend quite a lot of time commuting.
In the days following my arrival, I met Luis Armando Rodriguez Jimenez, known as Luigi, and Yurena, a teacher and business partner at his dance studio. We agreed that I would come to the studio three to four times a week. Part of my role was to attend different classes to observe teaching methods, class dynamics, and how teachers interact with students. By arriving earlier, I could also see how students were welcomed, how payments were managed, and how the daily organization of the school worked. This gave me a very concrete understanding of the business side of a dance school.
Another important aspect of my integration was a skill exchange with Yurena. I shared my knowledge of Brazilian Zouk with her, while she helped me improve in salsa and bachata. We mainly scheduled this on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, which created a steady weekly routine and strengthened collaboration within the local dance community.
During this first period, I was also invited to participate in an “Encuentro,” organized for the anniversary of the dance school. It gathered dancers from mainland Spain and from the island for workshops, social dancing, shared meals, sightseeing, and a very warm atmosphere with around sixty to one hundred participants. Together with my dance partner Chantal — who also introduced me to the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program and with whom I shared accommodation during the first half of my stay — we performed a small Brazilian Zouk demonstration. This was a very positive and motivating moment for me.
Daily life involved a lot of commuting between Santa Cruz and Puerto de la Cruz. Although sometimes tiring, it was definitely worth it. I learned not only about teaching but also about promotion strategies, nightlife dynamics, and community building. We created flyers, worked on communication for workshops, and eventually organized Zouk classes that gathered around twenty to twenty-five participants. The atmosphere was great, even if adapting to different learning speeds sometimes required flexibility.
However, this first half of the experience also came with challenges. One difficulty was finding enough time to train consistently with my dance partner, whose schedule often didn’t match mine. This created some frustration because I wanted to continue progressing technically while focusing on teaching and business learning.
Another unexpected challenge was related to housing. A neighbor complained about noise and about people coming to the apartment for private lessons. To avoid conflict, we decided to stop the shared accommodation, which meant I had to find another place within a reasonable budget. This was stressful for a while, but it also led to honest discussions about expectations and collaboration, allowing us to reset things on healthier foundations.
Overall, this first half of my stay has been intense, full of adaptation, learning, and personal growth. Despite some challenges, I feel the objectives of the program are being met, and I am gaining valuable professional insight as well as meaningful life experience.
