BODY

Salsa Dancing (Viva la Salsa!)

New York may have created the name “Salsa”, but it did not create the dance. Salsa has many roots and branches and is a sample of flexibility and evolution of dance. The term became popular as a nickname to refer to a fusion of informal dance styles having roots in the Caribbean (especially Cuba and Puerto Rico), Latin and North America.  There is also a strong African influence in the music and the dance.

Salsa is similar to Mambo in that both have a pattern of six steps danced over eight counts of music. The basic movement is to step quick-quick-slow over a four beat measure. Whereas Mambo tends to move more forward and backward, Salsa moves more side-to-side. Salsa may be performed solo or with a partner.

Salsa is a great workout….it’s sassy, fun, challenging and exhilarating.