The Art of Salsa Dancing

As delicious as it sounds, salsa dancing is all about moving into the beat with all those juicy emotions. It’s a toss of all those dances and moves over the years and generations from different cultures. It’s a surefire way to express yourselves on the dance floor.

Salsa dancing is very popular back then in the 1940’s. It has its beginnings in Cuba were Africans who were reluctantly converted to Christianity started using dancing as a means of communication. When Europeans began shipping blacks as slaves to the U.S., the original Afro dance mixed with all the other dances found there. This is how salsa dancing was born.

“Salsa” is a Spanish term used to describe a combination of different herbs and spices that will result in a delicious sauce. The term is very apt considering that the Latino’s in America mainly enjoyed this dance than the rest of the country. They added swings and steps to it to their taste. It was made into a dance form such that it is now used for competitions and taught in schools as an academic course.

The costumes used in salsa dancing are as tasty as its movements. The clothes are either made of red, silver or blue fabric that would surely catch your attention. Women wear pin-sharp high heels for control while men use tap shoes. Women would usually wear dresses that reveal and emphases their legs and work on the hips. The men’s tops generally have low v-necklines that complement their tight pants. Both clothes are usually as revealing as of their possible emotions for the night. Though of course, this is a kind of dance where everyone has her eyes on the woman so expect ruffles, flowers and embroidery.

Salsa dancing is well-known for its beat. They move through the dance floor with the man leading and the woman evenly following. The music is mostly danced to a 4-beat pattern with the last one as a silent step. The man is supposed to lead the woman with subdued tugs, pulls or pushes that will lead her to move in a certain way. Intense and passionate, they move through the music with consistent eye contact.

It’s supposed to be a fun dance to watch while the performers strut their way on the dance floor. To get you started, you can do simple sidestepping to boot. It’s something like a “side-step sidestep” movement where you move your left foot to the side, followed by your right where you suddenly shift your weight on and close it. You do this for three beats, and you clap your hands once for the fourth. This would be the basic step.

If you want to start doing crafty moves like the Spot turn, you can have the guy prep this up for you. He would hold your right hand with his left on top and move you sideways. He would turn on his right foot, turn to face you again and then switch hands. He would do the same with your left hand and so on.