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Salsa is a popular Latin American dance danced to the music of the same name. The possibility of dancing salsa in pairs or solo causes a lot of attendance in dance classes and great interest in this sensual dance style. After mastering the basic technique, further learning is relatively simple, and anyone who likes exotic and hot Latino rhythms can try the adventure with salsa. Find out what salsa is all about and find out about the history and characteristics of this dance.

Latin American dances, includingsalsa , are extremely popular in the world. This is mainly due to energetic music and spontaneous movements. This combination means that salsa will make even the most reluctant people dance!Salsa dance figuresare based on rhythmic steps, hips swinging and upper body work. Depending on a specific type of salsa, it is danced differently in each case, but the basics of this style remain the same.

Get to know this hot Latin American dance!

Contents:

  1. Salsa - dance history
  2. Salsa - description of the dance. Salsa dance figures
  3. Salsa - basic step
  4. Salsa music
  5. Who is salsa recommended for?

Salsa - dance history

Salsa was born with the creation of music for this dance in the 1940s. Salsa comes from the Caribbean region and has developed most in Cuba and America. Cuban Salsa was created by combining son dance with Cuban rumba. It came to America thanks to immigrants from the Caribbean region (mainly from Puerto Rico). In Puerto Rico, on the other hand, salsa developed under the influence of local exotic dances. In the 1970s, salsa was danced quickly and spectacularly (salsa caliente), while in the 1980s, its romantic and sensual varieties began to develop (salsa romantica). Today salsa is mainly divided into Cuban and New York type salsa, which can be found at tournaments - it is danced in pairs.

Worth knowing

Where does the name "salsa" come from?

This dance and music style takes its name from the Spanish name for the sauce! Initially, salsa music was a combination of many existing styles (e.g. mambo, cha-cha, guajira). Son music, popular in Cuba, which also comprised several other genres, began to joinamerican jazz. This musical syncretism was finally defined as salsa, which was supposed to reflect its exoticism and "sharpness".

It was not without controversy. The famous Cuban musician Tito Puente then said: "I play mambo, not sauce." Eventually, the name stuck to it and still exists today.

Salsa - description of the dance. Salsa dance figures

Salsa, like music, is a mixture of different styles. The most famous distinction is the division into Cuban and American salsa (varieties: New York and Los Angeles). The dance styles differ from each other in terms of the basic step, the geometry of the dance, the rhythmic location of the steps (e.g., measure to 1 or measure to 2), the way a partner is led, the existence or absence of acrobatic elements, and paired or solo dancing.

After all, salsa is a very versatile dance because it goes well with virtually any music. Once you have mastered fairly easy basics, you can perfect your technique. The largest number of dance figures is in Cuban salsa. These include arriba, abajo, al centro, beso, chica, chico, dame, enchufla, enchufla doble, giro, policia, sombrero, sombrero complicado, vacilala, vacilala pa'arriba.

Salsa is danced with legs slightly bent, keeping the back straight. All salsa dance styles have one thing in common - passion.

See a Cuban salsa show performed by Agustin Egurrola

Salsa - basic step

The basic step is the most important element of this dance. The whole salsa is based on his technique and rhythm. Find out what the basic step looks like!

Stand with your back straight and your chest slightly bent. Take a step forward with your left foot, gently tearing your right leg off the ground. Put your right leg back on the ground and bring your left leg back to the starting position (with your legs together). Then take this step backwards. Visit the right leg, lift the toes of the left leg off the ground, then put it back and come back to the starting position.

Remember that the basic salsa step is to be danced on the fingers. Movement must be smooth and soft. Once you've mastered the movement sequences, add hip twirling and hand work to your step.

See on VIDEO how to dance the basic salsa step

Worth knowing

Salsa music

Salsa is a combination of Afro-Cuban and Caribbean rhythms inspired by American jazz. This music developed both in Cuba, in New York and in other parts of the Caribbean. Salsa is a type of music characterized by a very extensive rhythm section. It consists of a clave - a rhythm played on wooden sticks, intricate phrases played on the piano and a very rich wind section. It all causesthat salsa makes you dance.

Salsa was created from the amalgamation of various musical cultures in Cuba during the colonization of the Caribbean. At that time, two musical genres exerted the greatest influence on each other - music imported by Americans (mainly jazz listened to by the upper social classes) and slave music played on drums - rumba. In later years, salsa underwent another evolution. In Cuba, a timba was created - with intricate and complicated melodic sections, and in America, a merry boogaloo and a jazz mambo.

Who is salsa recommended for?

Salsa is recommended to anyone who feels the Latin American sounds and the fiery nature of the dance. Salsa will be an excellent entertainment for couples, mutual learning of their bodies and an interesting meeting of temperaments. However, to dance a pair of salsa, you don't have to be in a relationship at all. Already during the first salsa classes, in the room, men and women are selected to dance pairs - so you can participate in the classes yourself.

If there is a person for whom dancing together is a problem, he can choose solo salsa lessons. This variety is recommended primarily to women. The dance technique is based on the Cuban salsa style. It is danced soft and the movements are very feminine and sensual. Cuban style salsa is usually danced barefoot as it helps to feel the freedom and sensuality of this dance.

During the classes, in addition to feeling great and having fun, we will burn a lot of calories, because salsa is a very lively dance. His energy will be felt mainly by the legs and hips, because the entire technique is based on their work, as well as the upper body, thanks to the numerous arm swings and hand movements that this Latin American dance style abounds in.

This will be useful to you

Meet other types of dance:

  • Viennese w altz
  • argentinian tango
  • rumba
  • samba
  • kizomba
  • bachata
  • cha-cha
  • jazz
  • salsa
  • swing
  • rock and roll
  • hip-hop
  • breakdance
  • dancehall
  • pole dance (pole dance)
  • flamenco
  • bokwa
  • belly dance

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Dance