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Salsa Dancing Guide
At RISE Dance, we love to perform and teach Salsa and we hope you will too. Through this guide we will explain the basics of Salsa dancing and how you can get involved in the dance yourself.
What is Salsa Dancing?
Originating in the 1910s, this form of dancing became a hit in the 1960s in New York and has been popular ever since. With its unique Latin and North American combination of dances like the Latin Mambo and the American Swing, Salsa dancing takes the form of a mostly lower body dance with lots of hip movements and leg swings involved. You may have seen the dance in movies and other popular media.
Salsa dancing can be broken down into 2 main camps of circular and linear. These forms of the dance can be further broken down into various styles. We will explain each style to give you an idea of what you can expect in a Salsa dancing class and hopefully pique your interest in attending RISE Dance.
Circular Style Salsa Dancing
A more traditional style of Salsa dancing is known as the circular style. With this form of Salsa dancing, as the name suggests, performers and their partners dance around each other in a circular motion. This gives the dance a particularly fiery energy and is a joy to watch and perform, especially in a social setting. The Cuban and Colombian style of salsa fit into the circular form of the dance.
Cuban Salsa Dancing
Cuban Salsa is more commonly referred to as Casino Dancing in Cuba and other parts of Latin America. It is thought to have originated in the 1950s and hit popularity in the 1970s along with other forms of Salsa dancing. Cuban Salsa is mostly performed as a partner dance which is unique among the other Salsa styles as it involves 3 steps instead of 2. Partners face each other as they circle each other throughout the steps of the dance. There is heavy emphasis on the masculine partner performing in a macho manor and the other partner performing more feminine moves. This adds to the performance aspect of the dance and makes it exciting and exhilarating to watch. The other aspect of the Cuban style of Salsa dancing is the less common solo performance. Solo performers need to be energetic to make up for the lack of a partner but it can be equally as exciting to watch and perform.
Colombian Salsa Dancing
Another latin based Salsa style is Colombian Salsa Dancing. This form of Salsa dancing is unique in that the top half of the performer's body remains rigid so the focus is completely on the movement of the lower half of the body. As a result the leg and hip movements are even more energetic and speedy than other Salsa techniques. Thai makes it a slightly more complicated dance to perform but is a great exercise for body movement, coordination and concentration. Like the Cuban style, Colombian Salsa dancing is performed with partners moving around each other in a circular pattern. This style is extremely popular in Columbia where it is performed competitively as much as any other national sport.
Linear Salsa Dancing
The other camp of Salsa dancing is the Linear style of the dance. This mostly involves each couple having an area that they stick to with partners swapping positions within the area. Thai makes the performance a static display and is a joy to watch the dancers coordinate their position within their assigned area.The styles which follow the linear pattern mostly originate in North America although they still retain their Latin influence.
New York Style Salsa Dancing
A lot of Salsa dancing’s popularity originated in New York City where the dance was performed and evolved into what it is today. As such, the New York style is one of the most common salsa styles out there. This style of Salsa dancing can often be slower and smoother than the more fiery latin styles or the LA style of Salsa dancing. The dance differs from other styles with the step being taken on the second beat of the music whereas most other styles will take the step on the first beat. The New York Style of Salsa is made up of smooth leg motion and slight hip movements making it a great starting place for beginners of Salsa. Beginner dancers can then move on to the more energetic and highly coordinated requirements of other styles.
LA Style Salsa Dancing
Where couples perform within their set slot and switch places within the one area. The LA Style involves a lot more flamboyant and flashier leg and hip movements than the New York Salsa style. This more fiery and energetic style makes for some exciting watching and is exhilarating to perform.
It is great exercise as the routine will definitely get your body moving along with your partner. The faster movement makes it slightly more complicated than the New York style but at RISE Dance we can guide you through the steps to get your LA style flair on in no time and perfect your Salsa technique.
How can I get started?
Now that you know the basics of Salsa dancing and the various styles that come along with it, you will hopefully be interested in getting involved with the dance yourself.
Here at RISE Dance we have a variety of classes to suit your level of experience and teach you the moves and routines required to get you in the Salsa spirit.
One of our most popular couples classes is our Salsa & Bachata class. Our expert instructors will help you to learn at your own pace in a fun and social environment with the other couples learning with you. With this class you will also learn the joy of Bachata.
If you prefer to go alone or don’t have a partner to bring along, why not try out our Solo Latino class? This class takes all of the moves and motions but we have converted the routines into a solo style of dance. You can enjoy the Salsa flow yourself and improve your coordination and movement while having a great time with our instructors and the other dancers. This class also includes Bachata, Merengue and Mambo.
If classes are not for you, you can still get involved through private tuition. Private classes with our expert tutors will give you the expertise and knowledge of Salsa to bring you all the way from beginner to expert. With private tuition we will fit your exact needs and level at a time that is convenient to you.
What else do i need to know
If you are as keen to start Salsa dancing as we are, you may be wondering what you need to bring along with you for your first session?
You may have seen the flashy and beautiful dresses and suits of the expert Salsa dancers. Don’t worry, you don’t need to splash out on a Salsa outfit just yet. In your beginners class, you are best to bring suitable comfortable shoes such as trainers and make sure to wear light breathable clothes.
As the dance class will be a fairly energetic exercise, make sure to wear light breathable clothes as if you were going to a gym class. In a competition, performers will often wear beautiful sequined dresses and outfits. You don’t need that for our classes but by learning and advancing with us at RISE Dance you will be on track for competitive and professional dancing in no time!