Salsa Dance Moves

Whether it was Shall We Dance or Dance With Me, the reason that these movies enjoyed the popularity that they did was the enthusiasm that most people show towards the dance form that is salsa. Dancing is an art form that allows people to let go and express themselves without any inhibitions. Salsa dance moves are extremely easy to learn, especially if you have joined a class and practice the steps on at least a weekly basis but if you are novice and have just started learning salsa, then this article on Salsa dance steps will help you get a foothold in this style of dancing.

Salsa Dancing Moves

Learning Salsa is not very difficult. What can be a little tough though is performing the steps to music that has about 130 to 180 beats per minute. Once you have mastered the basic salsa dancing movements, you can try and stylize the dance moves and also try your hands and lifts and complicated turns. Given below are the basic Salsa moves step by step.

Tap 2 3 4
Every Latin dance differs from the other primarily on the basis of their basic step. The tap 2 3 4 is the foundation step of salsa, wherein the male dancer always starts with his left leg and the female dancer mirrors her partner. To do this step, tap your left leg, then move the leg forwards. After this tap with your right leg and then bring your left leg back to its original position. Your partner, that is the female dancer, will mirror her partner and do the same step starting with her right leg. In this the step that the male dancer is performing is known as the forward basic and the step that the female dancer is performing is known as the back basic.

Side Basic
The side basic step which is also known as the la cucarachas is actually just an adaptation of the basic tap 2 3 4 with the taps being performed in a right or left movement instead of back or front movement. Therefore, to do your side basic, tap your left leg, move it to the left, then tap your right leg and bring back the left leg to its original position. The right side basic is the same step done with the right leg and in the right direction.

Hand to Hand
The hand to hand is probably one of the first basic steps that you will learn as a salsa dancer that will depend a lot on the lead that you give your partner or your partner gives you. The leader will do a forward basic and then he will have to release one hand's hold on his partner, simultaneously leading her to turn 90 degrees and turning himself at the same time in the same direction. The hand that is open should be stretched out parallel to the ground at chest height. The same step can be performed consecutively in opposite directions.

Turns Underarm (Right & Left)
In the turns in dancing the salsa, the male dancer pulls the lady inwards to do a turn in clockwise direction after she does a forward basic. This is known as the underarm turn to the right. Similarly if you want to lead the lady to do an underarm turn to the left, then give her a lead to turn in counterclockwise direction from her left side. She will start this turn also with a forward basic.

Spot Turn
In salsa dancing, a turn that is done exactly on the spot that you are standing on is called spot turn. If you are doing a spot turn, then you (and in some cases, both your partner and you) will perform a 360º turn at the spot.

Cross Body Lead and Reverse Cross Body Lead
Another salsa dancing move that depends on the lead that the partner gives you is the cross body lead. The leader or the male dancer leads his partner to his opposite side in the counterclockwise way and while doing so, he swaps his positions with his partner. If you are performing a reverse cross body lead, the same step is done in the clockwise direction with the swapping of the position.

Extension
The partners will do a forward basic or a back basic, after which the male partner releases his hold on his partner's hand and give her a lead to break out in opposite directions extending their arms completely so that there is tension that is built between the two dancers. This step is basically used as a styling technique which is also known as a salsita.

If you have always wanted to learn salsa dance steps then hopefully this article on Salsa dance has helped you understand the basic steps of the dance. So, now that you know the basic salsa dancing movements, dance the night away with your partner.