Learning to dance salsa is a process that takes time. The salsa requires the mastery of different dance skills, rhythm and a lot of eagerness to enjoy the music.
LookOut Magazine wants to help you in your learning process with some basic tips to help you focus your training on three essential basics of salsa.
- Focus on learning the basic steps
The first step to dance salsa is learning the basic steps. The basic steps of salsa are similar in all styles, with some variations. The main step is a sequence of three steps. These three steps are executed in the 4/4 rhythm of salsa. These three basic steps of salsa almost always start with the first beat of the meter, forward or backward, or sideways. On four, you pause. The same sequence is then repeated, but in the opposite direction. In some styles of salsa, such as Salsa on 2, the first step is executed on the second beat of the rhythm. The pause is made on the first beat. On the basic level, the most important thing is to learn to make the weight change these steps require and execute the change in direction fluently.
- Study the pace and timing of salsa music
To learn how to dance salsa, it is essential that you understand the rhythm of music. The salsa has a meter of 4/4. But all combinations of steps and movements are done in a sequence of two meters, eight beats.
On the basic level, the priority is to learn to follow the rhythm so you can dance in sync with your partner. Connect the pace with your feet, recognizing on which beat each step falls.
- Learn the art of partner dancing
Fluency in partner dancing is the key foundation in salsa dancing. To achieve fluency, it is essential that you learn the art of leading and following your partner. It’s not about dominating the couple or assuming a submissive role in the dance. In salsa dancing, both dancers function as one organism. The leader and the person following are in constant communication and communion to dance in harmony.
The leader of the couple communicates with his partner using his body to make a change in distance, direction or movement. The person that follows in the couple receives these signals and responds instantly following the leader in dance.
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