About the Dance

Back in the 1960's, at the the Copa Cabana in New York, Mambo had risen in popularity with ballroom dancers.  Latin-Americans were worried that Mambo was losing touch of it's culture, & so they developed SALSA.  Much like the dish it's named after, salsa is a beautiful, rich blend of unique flavors with strong roots in many cultures, fusing Afro-Caribbean rythims (such as Guaguanco, Guaracha, Son  Montuno, Bomba, Plena, & Aquilnaldos) with North American Jazz.  This multi-cultural mix has something for everyone & quickly took the world by storm.  Not only can you now find Latin nights in clubs around the globe, phenomenal salsa bands have also emerged everywhere from France, Greece, & Scotland to Japan, & even Saudi Arabia!

Salsa music comes in a variety of styles.  Classic salsa & salsa dura pack a festive punch with driving rhythms & deep socially conscience lyrics, while salsa romanticas, which became popular in the 80's, are generally softer ballad-like love songs.  Salsa music of any style can be danced On1, On2, or even On3.  These are timing changes that give a different flavor.   We mainly teach On1, which is the most popular here in Florida.  Some places, like New York, primarily dance On2, while others are about 50/50 On1 & On2.  Dancing On3, originally developed to feel slower for senior citizens, is less common.  Whichever timing you start with, we recommend getting comfortable with it before attempting the others; timing changes get confusing fast when you're new, but are an easy adjustment later on.

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We also teach Rueda de Casino Salsa.  Casino (Cuban style) & Cumbia (Columbian style) are danced On1 but are much more circular, while LA & NY Styles are both very linear & maintain what's called a slot.