The 8 step 3 minute guide to learning Salsa

This post might be met by anger from various of the people who make a living in the world of teaching salsa dancing. However please bear with me for a minute or so to avoid being laughed at on a real latin american dance floor and at the same time save some money.

1. Salsa is not about steps

Forget about the steps, any teacher who tries to teach you fancy steps is trying to con you. It is very simple. This scam was invented as a way of fooling gullible people into paying for salsa classes. Salsa is about the feeling you have when you dance it. End of story.

2. Listen to the music

Buy some CD’s and listen to the music. Listen to it a lot. This is the only way to learn to dance salsa. You need to feel the music. You need to listen to it a lot and tap your finger, feet and what have you until the rhythm becomes natural to you.

On a side note, if you don’t like the music then I’m afraid it’s impossible to learn to dance to it.

3. Listen to the lyrics

Even if you don’t understand Spanish try to mime or sing along. If you don’t know Spanish this is an ideal way to build up a vocabulary of romantic Spanish. Latinos never understand how someone can listen to Salsa and not the words. The words help you keep the rhythm and after a while help you move intuitively.

4. Start with Merengue

Merengue the national music of the Dominican Republic is probably much more common in Latin America nowadays than salsa is. It is also a lot easier to both listen to and dance to.

The rhythm is as simple as can be and the lyrics are often hilarious. Merengue is by far the easiest Latin American dance to pick up on the fly on the dance floor, but again it helps to get a good feel for the music by listening to it for hours. Once you can dance merengue it is pretty easy to move into salsa or other dances.

5. Forget the spin and the turn

Some parts of the world has a lot of spins and turns etc. But generally speaking don’t worry about them until you feel it’s right. In Europe you often hear Latinos talk between themselves complaining of all the people doing vuelta, vuelta, vuelta on the dance floor.

6. Dance alone

It is much easier to pick up the rhythm of salsa when you aren’t worrying about tripping on your newfound amigas feet. Start in your house and move back and forth from one foot to another.

7. Keep control of your movements

Unless you are on a stage don’t try an emulate all the big fancy movements that you think might be salsa. Keep it cool and controlled. Remember it is all about feeling the music and the rhythm and not about some ridiculous steps you once saw on tv.

8. Drink Rum

If you are all rigid and nervous listen some more to the music and order a Ron Abuelo on the rocks from the bar tender. It really does help loosen up a little bit.

Above all enjoy. If you are coming to Panama or another Latin country remember that the music is much more mixed in the clubs than you might be used to in a Latin club back home. Also Latin Clubs in Europe and the US are filled with people who know steps but not salsa, so don’t try and emulate them in Panama. Panamanians are patient, but will laugh out loud.

This entry was posted in the following Categories: Music

Comments:

I can attest to this.

In USA people learning salsa think they are supposed to dance like the people in the crazy hollywood m*vies. Spinning, flipping, exagerated hip movements at every step, etc. Don't pay attention to hollywood, you should already know that :-p

Although hispanics are not against fancy salsa moves, they are done sporadically, and are usually ignored. Just enjoy yourself, it is not a competition.

Posted by: Ramses Morales at October 3, 2006 12:54 PM