How to get started Salsa Dancing?
We offer 2 ways to get involved.

You can learn through group classes or private lessons. As you get more comfortable you can join our dance parties or even our salsa performance teams. Yes you! But for now let’s look at the first 2 options for beginner salsa dance lessons.

Different salsa styles
A quick overview

At Dance Lousiville we primarily teach new your style salsa in our salsa dance classes as is popular and easy.

L.A. Style – This is the most popular style of salsa danced in a slot. Also known as Salsa ‘on 1’, differentiates itself from New York Style by counting the basic rhythm slightly different.

Salsa Dancing
A few more details

New York Style Salsa

New York Style – (New York Style is the style of choice for most professional dancers and performers.) In the 1970s, Eddie Torres created this style which emphasizes efficiency of movement, elegance, and body isolations. The beat on which the dance break i.e shift their weight also gives the style a more common name of On2! Additionally NY Style is sometimes labeled Mambo. This is somewhat of a misnomer as Mambo is always danced On 2 and is actually a different dance altogether.

The timing in New York Style connects well with the tumbao and clave patterns inherent in Salsa music, specifically Salsa Dura (Hard Salsa). Practitioners of New York Style place great emphasis on “shines” in which dancers drop their connection and showcase their individuality through complex footwork and body movements. As mentioned before, Salsa Dura, which is different from other salsa music, has a strong Afro-Cuban rhythm and are typically medium to fast tempo songs which allows for the dancers to explore their own creativity and musicality.

NY On2 Dancers are said to “dance with the beat. The dancers dance almost as if they were another instrument soloing throughout the song. This is the most popular style you’ll see on our salsa dance lessons in Louisville. See new york style salsa here.

L.A. Style Salsa

L.A. Style – L.A. Style is yin to the yang of NY Style. L.A. style specializes in theatricality, acrobatics, musicality, sensuality, and high energy. Having roots in Mambo, LA Style is danced On 1 such that the dancer breaks on the 1 versus breaking on2 like NY Style. Compared to their NY counterpart, those who dance LA style are said to “dance to the beat”. This means they follow the downbeats of the music.

But how do you identify LA from NY salsa?

See Frankie Martinez describe the difference between LA and NY Salsa. Well if you were watching these dancers from outside the club and couldn’t hear any music, typically you would notice the LA dancers first. They are the flashy, energetic, trick inclusive, all out dancers. That’s not to say NY isn’t like this, but traditionally NY style is smoother and more elegant.

Today this style can be seen on such popular shows as “Dancing with The Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance” due to its flashiness and commercial appeal.

Miami Style Salsa

Miami Style – Miami style salsa evolved from the Cuban style of salsa but is a more difficult and technically advanced style of Cuban salsa. Advanced Miami salsa your moves tend to be intricate and pretzel-like and require a flexible follower to execute the moves.

Many of the Miami moves are the same as Casino Rueda moves and the style is still more circular than linear. Open breaks or the Guapea basic (leader and follower break back and then push off each other) with a tap are the most common basic steps in Miami style salsa. Your cross body lead variations are common but are executed in a more circular fashion.

Casino Rueda

Casino Rueda (meaning salsa wheel) is a group dance which originated in Havana, Cuba in the 1960s. In this dance, you dance in a circle. One dancer, designated as “The Caller”, provides hand signals or calls out the moves. You perform the moves in the circle simultaneously. Many of the Casino moves involve swapping or switching partners. Rueda is a tricky dance but spectacular to watch.

Rueda is very popular in Cuba and Miami and has gained popularity all over the world. Cuban Rueda tends to be more playful with easy to follow fun moves while Miami Rueda has many complicated turn patterns and requires memorization and skill to execute.

Cumbia

Cumbia – Colombian style salsa began in Columbia and is danced to a different type of salsa music called “Cumbia.” It is rare to find a Cumbia instructional class as most people who dance this style were taught by family and friends but Dance Louisville does teach it in private lessons!

The style is still quite popular in South/Latin America and can be distinguished by a circular style of open/side breaks with a tap on the pauses of 4 and 8. Feet never move forward and backwards as in the Mambo step. Instead, the movement is a series of back to centre or side to centre footsteps. The style has very little turn patterns and is generally not a fast or “showy” style. Instead most Cumbia dancers will hold their partner very close with their entire bodies touching from head to toe. If turns are involved, they are generally very simple rock step left turns.

Bachata

Bachata – This dance is one you will find anywhere there is salsa dancing. Its basic step is easy to pick up and the music is sure to make you want to move your feet.The basic step consists of side steps and taps back and forth with a Cuban hip motion, followed by a tap including a hip movement on the 4th beat. As you continue to progress, there are plenty of turns, rotations and arm movements that add to the wide appeal of this dance.

Bachata was founded in the Dominican Republic. This dance style is growing in its popularity across the globe, and it sure to be played any time you go out salsa dancing. This is a popular style to learn alongside your salsa dance classes.