How to dance salsa for beginners
Learn Basic Salsa Steps
The word 'salsa' literally means 'sauce', usually hot and spicy, and that's definitely how you would describe salsa dance – zesty, energetic, passionate and sexy.
- Basic steps
- Instructions & Diagrams
- Video
- Recommended Video Lessons »
Quick intro
Salsa is a sensual Latin dance, similar to mambo. Both have a pattern of six steps over eight counts of music and they both share many of the same moves.
The great thing about salsa is that just about anyone can learn it. That's why it gained vast popularity in the last few decades and is now danced in nightclubs all over the world. There is a well known saying that is often repeated by dance teachers - if you can walk, you can salsa.
Salsa is the result of combining many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances, a fusion of Cuban, Puerto Rican and African rhythms. The basic rhythm is quick, quick, slow; quick, quick, slow, using the 1,2,3 and 5,6,7 beats (beats 4 and 8 are skipped). The music is typically around 180 beats per minute, although it can be slower or faster than that.
Basic steps
Salsa is one of the most popular Latin American dances, the main reason being - it's easy to learn. At first glance it might seem difficult, but the truth is quite the opposite - basic salsa steps can be learned with less than 10 minutes of practice.
Only three steps are made for every four beats with one step to each beat and one beat being skipped. The skipped beat is called a tag, a tap, a kick, a flick, or the like. The steps can be from side to side or forward-backward and in circles. When dancing you must keep a straight upper body posture and move your hips as much as possible.
Salsa is danced with partners facing each other. It can be danced in closed or open position. Note that salsa steps are very small.
The faster the music, which is usually quite fast, the smaller the steps.
Instructions & Diagrams:
Because Salsa allows for a lot of creative improvisation, many different styles have developed over time. But regardless of different styles the basic steps are essentially the same. As a beginner, you should always start at the beginning.
Basic Steps For Men:
You need to start with both feet together. Remember, practice makes perfect.
- Step forward with your left foot (first beat)
- Right foot in place, weight shifts to it (second beat)
- Step backward with your left foot (third beat + pause on fourth beat)
- Step backward with your right foot (first beat)
- Left foot in place, weight shifts to it (second beat)
- Step forward with your right foot (third beat + pause on fourth beat)
Basic Steps For Ladies:
- Step backward with your right foot (first beat)
- Left foot in place, weight shifts to it (second beat)
- Step forward with your right foot (third beat + pause on fourth beat)
- Step forward with your left foot (first beat)
- Right foot in place, weight shifts to it (second beat)
- Step backward with your left foot (third beat + pause on fourth beat)
Video
OK, let's see how this is done.
In the following video Leon and Kim will show you the fundamental forward & back basic step from all angles. You will also learn the side basic step. Be sure to master this before moving on.
more videos »
Take your time to master these steps and when you're ready for more, check out the recommended video lessons »
10 Ways to Practice Salsa Without a Partner and Get Damn Good Doing It!
There is no reason you can’t practice salsa without a partner. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to get better at salsa dancing. Yes, salsa is a partner dance, but you absolutely must be able to hold your own if you want to have fun, free your mind and be in the moment.
To prove anyone can benefit from some good old fashioned solo practice, I present you with…
10 Things You Should Practice Without a Salsa Partner
- Developing Your Timing & Awareness of Music
- Your Basic Steps
- Shines
- Body Movement
- Turn Technique
- Layering Your Skills Together
- Film Yourself Regularly
- Practice Partner Shadowing
- Memorize Your Steps
- Watch Great Dancers Do Their Thing
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#1 Developing Timing & Awareness of Music
At a basic level, this is your ability to dance on beat so you can communicate with your partner and execute movements on time. As you improve your ability to recognize rhythms, instruments, and song structure you’ll find yourself able to start reflecting that expression in your dancing and be more playful. In essence, timing is a foundational element of being able dance with a partner and musicality is what brings that dance to life.
If you struggle with finding the beat and dancing on time, I’ve created a really helpful resource just for you. Check out this mini YouTube video course on “Finding the Beat”. it’s a four-part series and it will radically help you improve your ability to find and dance on beat within 30 days, so go check it out.
#2 Mastering Your Basic Steps
This is like learning to walk. These are the foundational steps to everything in salsa. You can never practice your basics enough. So get crackin’ and make sure you evaluate yourself along the way. make sure you can…
- Do your salsa basics on time
- Do you basics in all directions (front/back, side to side, diagnolly, crossing over to the front and the back)
- Switch between each basic step without hesitation
- Stylize your basics with taps and touches
#3 Shines
Shines are the footwork that you use beyond just your basic steps. And practicing footwork will help you refine your timing, stepping, and pivoting techniques.
Since there are only so many ways you can move your feet, the same steps you learn solo will often appear in your partner work. That means the more shines you know and get comfortable with, the more you’ll start feeling better both dancing solo and with a partner. Through working on shines, you’ll also learn how to step to different rhythms beyond the basic timing. This helps expand your awareness and understanding of the dance and your skills overall
#4 Body Movement
This is really where the magic happens. Let’s take a look at some basics. (Refering to 2:58 in the above video) So here’s a basic with no body movement. Now here’s a basic with some body movement and now here’s a basic with serious body movement. There’s not much else to say. Body movement is that wow factor, that secret sauce, that flavor that makes dance so amazing to watch. When I started to improve my body movement, I really started having so much more fun. I felt way more connected to the music because I was able to express myself to it.
Now, body movement is still one of my greatest weaknesses but it’s definitely my focus right now because I realized it doesn’t only make you look better, it feels so much better. It’s what brings everything to life. It makes you look good, it makes you feel good, and not just to you but to your partner as well. That’s because body movement is actually technique. And when you move correctly, you’re leading and following will feel much more smooth, connected, and impressive.
#5 Turn Technique
Turn technique is what holds most beginner follows back from being able to execute smooth and controlled turns. And it’s what holds most leads back from being able to lead the turns smoothly because they’re leading them on the incorrect timing. Dial your turns in because it’s the fastest way to improve both as a experienced beginner lead and follow. It’s going to make your dances so much more enjoyable too
#6 Layering Your Skills Together
So you’re going to want to practice all the individual concepts I’ve already mentioned on their own before getting into layering.
But once you have your timing, your basics, some simple shines, some body movement, and some turn technique, you want to start layering them on top of each other to bring the package together and make your dancing more complete.
To start layering these techniques and skills together, begin with your basics. Once you have your basics down, start trying to add your body movements in. Once you can do that, take some simple shines and then try and add body movement into those shines. Now, the important thing to remember here is that you shouldn’t do complex footwork at this point because it’s going to complicate things too much. As you’re trying to add this layer of body movement on top it’s going to be much harder to even do the simplest of shines.
Next up, once you’re comfortable adding body movement to some simple shines, add a turn or two in there and then see if you can add body movement on top of that. Once your execution improves, you can focus on doing each of these things and connect deeper to music.
Try playing a song. As it plays, think about and feel how the energy of the song changes from the intro through the verse and into the next section. How does it make you feel, and how are you going to express those changes in the song with your movement? Now remember: Layering these skills on top of each other is a very step by step progressive process. Some days you might feel like you’re a few steps ahead and otherdays you might feel like you’re taking a few steps back. But if you focus on all these individual elements and then layer them on top of each other one by one being very compassionate with yourself and starting very simple, you’re going to see results over time
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What’s Next?
Alright, so you’ve mastered a few of the basics and started layering some of these skills on top of each other. What’s the next progression in your journey, you ask?
More Ways to Progress Your Solo Salsa Practice
#7 Film Yourself Regularly
When practicing alone, the camera is your best friend and you are your biggest critic.
Before getting started, try and have at least one video clip of yourself dancing with a partner so you can analyze what you need to work on.
How to approach critiquing your dancing:
- Watch the video all the way through without thinking. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.
- Watch the video a second time and identify the parts of the dance that don’t quite look right. Maybe you fumbled your steps, your partner didn’t respond well to your lead, or you had an otherwise awkward moment. Figure out what caused that awkwardness and write it down.
- Keep a list of your “mess ups” and find out what your biggest weakness is. Some examples could be stumbling in your footwork, unclear lead/follow technique, poor timing etc.
- Choose one of the skills from your list of ‘mess ups’ and focus on it during your upcoming practice sessions. Every now and then, re-film yourself and see how you’re improving on your skill of choice.
- Repeat the process of weakness identification, analysis and practice until you are happy with the progress you’ve made.
- Celebrate when you see improvement!
#8 Practice Partner Shadowing
Shadowing is basically running through a move or pattern from start to finish while pretending to dance with a partner. It might feel a little lonely, but it’s a great way to drill your technique without the distraction of a partner. Quite often, when you’re learning something new, you’ll pay too much attention to what your partner is doing and forget what you should be concentrating on. When shadowing, you can make sure your posture, movement, lead/follow technique, and footwork are all dialed in before moving on to a partner.
Shadowing is more of an intermediate technique and will get easier and easier the more Salsa experience you have. If you’re a beginner, feel free to give it a try, but don’t get discouraged if you can’t quite visualize the hand holds and (your ghost partner’s) body positioning while starting out.
#9 Memorize Your Steps
Dancing is a language.
You have to learn your vocabulary before writing a sentence and perfect your sentence writing before crafting a letter.
In the same way, you have to master Salsa steps before combining them into a pattern and master patterns before social dancing. Everything in dance is modular. Without the vocabulary, you have no building blocks to build your masterpiece.
So what can you do to make this masterpiece more masterful? Memorize your moves! Increase your potential by having as many building blocks as you can. If you forget your moves, your social dance will crumble.
If you’re really keen to try this, create a list of all the steps you know (perhaps categorizing them by skill level or technique will help you remember them). Every once in a while, re-visit the list and see how many of the moves you can perform from memory. If you find yourself forgetting some, then that’s a good time to start jogging your memory.
The moves you have locked in your memory are your home base – your safe place.
From there, you can slowly add steps to your arsenal and expand your vocabulary.
#10 Watch Great Dancers Do Their Thing
Watching others dance is a great strategy to tie into your camera critique. You already know what skill you want to improve on, so now you need to find someone who’s great at it and study them.
Go out for a night of social dancing and take a break in between dances. Glue your eyes to the dance floor and identify someone who looks like they really know what they’re doing. How does their movement compare to yours? Try to ignore their personal style and focus on the technical movement. Pay close attention to how they connect with their partner, move their body, flow between steps and respond to the music. While watching, focus on the movement that’s related to the skill you are trying to improve. Watching everything they do is fine, but ‘everything’ can be overwhelming to think about. Having a focus will help you find the key takeaways to fast track your improvement.
After your secret spy session, remember one or two takeaways that you can try next time you practice. Rinse and repeat this process for each skill you want to improve. Remember to use your camera to keep tabs on your progress.
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SALSA for BEGINNERS (video lessons)
Salsa for Beginners course at Timestudy.ru
easy-to-learn salsa directions - Salsa on 2 (Salsa on 2), also known by the name Modern Mambo and Salsa New-York (NY, Salsa New York). It is a variation of salsa created in New York by Eddie Torres and quickly gained popularity due to the simple geometric pattern of the dance (it is almost linear), lightness, softness and beauty, as well as the almost complete absence of acrobatic elements.
Modern Mambo is not just a social Latin American dance created for verbal and non-verbal communication, but a dance for pleasure that can be danced solo, in pairs and in a large company. It has no age restrictions, does not require special physical training and is understandable to people regardless of where they live and what language they speak. Salsa for 2 is a dance for those who just want to dance for themselves, and do it with full emotional dedication.
What does the course consist of?
The course includes 13 online video lessons of varying difficulty and duration. The first six lessons are for solo study. Of course, you can go to classes as a couple or with a group, but there will be no pair dances yet. With the help of these lessons, you will master the basic elements (steps, movements, turns) and learn how to join the world of salsa. Subsequent classes are paired, you will need a partner to master new elements and comprehend the essence of the dance.
Anton Shmakov acts as a coach in all classes - this experienced dancer and teacher will guide you from the very basics of salsa to the heights of skill, and help you achieve excellent results in this exciting direction.
How to start dancing?
It's very simple: find comfortable clothes (you can use any clothes that do not restrict movement, even at home, and not necessarily sports) and a small area, turn on the first online video lesson on Timestudy.ru, and start dancing. You will see that salsa is so easy! NUMBER OF COURSES: 130004
TRAINER: ANTON SHMAKOV
Beginner Salsa
Lesson 1 | Available for viewing |
| Duration: 39 min. | In the first online video lesson of the Salsa for Beginners course, you will learn the basics of this exciting dance style under the strict guidance of coach Anton Shmakov. The focus of the lesson is on the two basic steps, the Basic step and the Side basic step, and the different ways these steps can be combined. You will learn how to perform steps correctly, transfer body weight from one foot to another, control your movements and just have fun. Take responsibility for learning the steps, as they are the foundation of salsa. It is recommended to train the basic steps regularly throughout the course, repeat them before each session and use them in all possible combinations. Please note: for the first and all subsequent classes, you do not need to specifically select clothes - any comfortable, non-restrictive clothing, including casual and home clothes, will do. |
There is also no urgent need for a mirror. Lesson 2 | Available for viewing |
| Duration: 30 min. | In the second online lesson of the "Salsa for Beginners" course, you will master a very important movement for this direction - the male part Crossbodylead (CBL), which combines steps with turns and swings. Together with a trainer you will learn how basic steps turn into CBL, how to perform this movement at a pace, how not to lose balance and stop in time when completing a turn. At the lesson, much attention is paid to body turns in various variations, since this element is one of the foundations of CBL, and therefore of the entire dance direction. After watching the lesson to the end, you will learn how to combine CBL with basic steps and perform simple combinations to music. If you have forgotten something or are uncertain about the basic steps, refer to the previous lesson, this will help you avoid mistakes in the future and enjoy the dance. |
Lesson 3 | Available for viewing |
| Duration: 47 min. | We are glad to welcome you to the next solo online lesson of the Salsa for Beginners course! This is one of the most important and intense lessons, during which you will learn several new movements and techniques. First of all, together with the trainer you will analyze another type of basic step - diagonal, or Cuban basic (Cubanbasicstep). Next, you will learn about the differences between the men's and women's CBL parts - this is extremely important for understanding how a partner moves and is necessary to achieve a high level of skill. Finally, you will learn two kinds of turns (rotations): right turn (Rightturn) and left turn (Leftturn). The trainer will share the secrets of how to keep the direction when making turns, how to avoid motion sickness, what to do with the hands, etc. In the second part of the lesson, all the movements learned in the previous lessons will be combined into a small but very interesting combination that you can perform at different tempos to the music. |
Lesson 4 | Available for viewing |
| Duration: 42 min. | Another online video lesson of the course "Salsa for beginners" will again do without a partner, as there are a few more basic movements and steps to learn. But first of all - the repetition of the combination already learned in the previous lesson and its development in a slightly modified version. This combination can be considered a warm-up before mastering new steps: the cross variants of the Basicstep and Sidebasicstep. The difference between these steps and the basic steps is that at certain stages the legs are placed crosswise, which changes the pattern of the dance, making it more interesting and varied. In the second part of the lesson, Anton Shmakov will show and teach how to correctly perform another very important movement option - Copa (copa). This movement is based on the basic step and ends with a stop and a change of direction, which fills the dance with special dynamics. The online class will conclude with a small combination of all the elements learned. Only four lessons have passed, but this is already enough for salsa - feel the rhythm, surrender to emotions and just dance! |
Lesson 5 | Available for viewing |
| Duration: 30 min. | But in the next solo online salsa class, you and your trainer will review the material already covered and learn a few new elements. In the first part of the lesson, you will remember and work out familiar elements and combinations - such training is required to achieve a high level of skill. The second part of the video tutorial is devoted to two important elements: rotation on one foot and CBLinsideturn. One-leg rotations are quite difficult elements, so approach them responsibly, pay attention not to the coach's recommendations on head and body position, etc. The CBLinsideturn, as the name suggests, combines the standard CBLinside and an additional rotation. This is one of the key (second after the basic step) elements of the direction of Salsaon 2, without it it is practically impossible to dance in pairs and the possibilities for improvisation are significantly narrowed. A great end to the lesson will be a new combination that you can perform at different tempos to the music. |
Lesson 6 | Available for viewing |
| Duration: 27 min. | Welcome to the sixth online video lesson of the Salsa for Beginners course! This lesson is special: it is the last solo (then you need a couple to complete the course), very easy and fun. You will remember everything you have learned so far, try movements in different variations and be able to put them into practice in improvisation. Much attention is paid to mistakes in the lesson. Together with a trainer, you will analyze the typical mistakes that occur when learning the Salsaon 2 direction and learn how to correct them, reaching a high level of skill. An excellent end to the online class will be new combinations and dances to rhythmic Latin American music. |
Lesson 7 | Available for viewing |
| Duration: 51 min. | We would like to bring to your attention the first paired online lesson of the Salsa for Beginners course at Timestudy.ru. In this lesson, Anton Shmakov will be joined by Elena Zhigina, who will accompany you until the end of the lesson, helping you master the intricacies of salsa. Traditionally, the lesson begins with a review of the previously covered material. The main part of the video is devoted to the basics of dancing in pairs. You will learn how to start the dance, how to hold your partner's hands and get in tune with him, and how to perform natural and sensual movements. The trainer does not forget about the technical details from which salsa grows. In the lesson, you will learn about the features of the basic step, right turn and some other elements in pair dance. Additionally, Anton Shmakov will teach you simple but extremely important exercises, tricks and movements that will help you blend into the dance and perform its elements without mistakes. Please note that in this lesson you will need to know the partner's parts that you learned in the third lesson. The lesson will end with a small but beautiful pair combination. You will see that dancing salsa is easy! |
Lesson 8 | Available for viewing |
| Duration: 42 min | This is the eighth online lesson of the Salsa for Beginners course, and we continue to dance in pairs! In this lesson, you will learn left turns and a very important element - CBLInside in the couple's version. Together with the coach, you will learn the movements, analyze the features of their implementation and the mistakes that most often occur during the dance. A lot of attention in the lesson is paid to important technical points that help to improve the quality of the dance and your confidence - maintaining the line of movement, the role of the gaze in the dance, etc. Dancing and new combinations for two will be a great end to the video lesson. |
Lesson 9 | Available for viewing |
| Duration: 51 min. | The new online video lesson of the "Salsa for Beginners" course on Timestadi.ru is dedicated to completely new movements that will help you diversify the dance, make it brighter and more sensual. The main of these movements is Openbreak, or counter steps of partners with subsequent opening. This step is more difficult, so please study it carefully. But if you have any difficulties, refer to learning the step later, when you increase your skill level. Also in the new lesson you will repeat the previously covered material, work with your hands, learn a few combinations using your hands. And by tradition, coach Anton Shmakov will share a few secrets and technical exercises - these little things will help you dance more confidently! |
In the new movement, you can use the Cubanbasicstep already known to you, or learn a new version of the basic step. Lesson 10 | Available for viewing |
| Duration: 45 min. | We are glad to welcome you to the next online lesson "Salsa for Beginners" from Timestudy.ru! This couples class is filled with new moves, workouts and dances to Latin rhythms. Together with your partner, you will learn and work on several important paired elements: CBLinsideturn, CBLoutsideturn (different types of movements with the partner's rotation), paired Copa (stopping and changing direction) and some others. Please note that these elements are somewhat more difficult than all previously learned ones, therefore they require good preliminary preparation, confident execution of basic elements and attention. During the online class, you will practice all the new moves, learn interesting pair combinations and improve your dance level. |
Lesson 11 | Available for viewing |
| Duration: 65 min | We are glad to welcome you to the next video lesson of the "Salsa for Beginners" course in the online fitness room Timestudy.ru! In this lesson, you will find several new combinations and movements that play an important role in pair dancing. The lesson opens with a simple but beautiful dance composition for a couple. Using the example of dance, the trainer will touch upon several important aspects that will help to improve the interaction of partners, maintain pace and rhythm, etc. The main part of the online lesson is devoted to new movements. One of them is Copa in pairs. You will learn the basic movement, as well as several variations of it with different hand positions and combinations with other elements. The second new movement will be the Back spot turn - several options for rotating partners face to face, which will later help you master the most difficult movements. A pleasant bonus will be the analysis of some salsa technical issues in two - we hope that Anton Shmakov's advice will help you master the movements better and avoid mistakes. |
Lesson 12 | Viewable |
| Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes | We offer you the twelfth online lesson of the Salsa for Beginners course. This is one of the most intense and difficult lessons of the course, so we recommend that you approach it responsibly and consciously. In the first part of the lesson, you and your trainer will repeat most of the previously learned movements, as they will be required to learn the new, most difficult elements of Salsa on 2. Then Anton Shmakov, together with Elena Zhigina, will demonstrate several new pair movements that will help diversify the dance, make it more lively and interesting. New movements include CBL Insight from a closed position, 360 CBL (full turn) and various variations of CBL combined with other elements such as spins, steps and more. During the lesson, you will find traditional digressions with demonstration of exercises for arms and spins - this will help you better understand complex movements and dance salsa effortlessly. |
Lesson 13 | Available for viewing |
| Duration: 56 min. | Here is the final lesson of the Salsa for Beginners course from Timestadi.ru. You have come all the way and already have everything you need to dance salsa alone or in a pair, express your emotions in the movement of the body and relax your soul.  .
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