| Before you start mastering your Salsa steps it can be | | | | paces. Even the beat you want to dance on is often |
| useful to get an overview of the Salsa dance. In this | | | | negotiated, especially between Latin American dance |
| article I will describe Salsa from a birds-eye | | | | partners. This flexibility leads to a big number of varied |
| perspective, so you get the bigger picture, while | | | | styles and diverse Salsa steps, that are often quite |
| learning the different Salsa steps. | | | | significantly different from each other. This diversity |
| Salsa is danced in 4 beats and 3 steps. Now that | | | | can make it difficult for partners with different Salsa |
| obviously means that there is one beat left and you | | | | backgrounds to dance with each other, although after |
| can choose what to do with it. You can either tag it | | | | a bit of adaptation it is often possible to dance at least |
| onto the last step, effectively executing the last of the | | | | on a basic level. The style you will learn depends on |
| 3 Salsa steps slower, which leads to a | | | | where you learn it and how you learn it. North |
| quick-quick-slow structure. Alternatively, you can add | | | | American Salsa for example is based on the Latin |
| an adorning movement that is not a step on that last | | | | basic, whereas British Salsa is based on the back |
| beat. A lot of the styling in Salsa is done on that last | | | | basic. Turns in British Salsa are usually executed on |
| beat. For instance you can execute that last step as a | | | | the second beat after a "wind-up" movement. |
| kick or a tap. The difference between a tap and a | | | | Salsa in the Caribbean and Latin American region is |
| step is the weight transfer - you put your food down | | | | very distinct from the British and North-American |
| on both, but you only transfer your weight onto that | | | | Salsa. It's more like a series of walks, which result in a |
| foot on a step. | | | | circular movement and slower turns. This is due to the |
| Because of its simplicity and flexibility, Salsa has | | | | fact that students in the Latin American culture learn |
| absorbed influences from many different dances. | | | | Salsa through immersion in a passive learning process. |
| There are elements of Cumbia and Merengue, but | | | | Everybody else has to consciously learn Salsa and |
| there are also similarities with lindy-hop, swing and | | | | because of that Salsa is often taught as a series of |
| hustle. Salsa even managed to incorporate elements | | | | Salsa steps and moves, because they are more |
| from Latin Ballroom dancing and Argentine Tango. | | | | meaningful to the beginning students. However, once |
| Salsa in general is a very flexible dance. There are so | | | | the student reaches a more advanced level, the Latin |
| many variations of Salsa steps. You can walk in any | | | | American way should be introduced to enable the |
| direction you like, dance on the spot or dance in turning | | | | student to see Salsa with the eyes of a native dancer. |
