Ways to Learn to Salsa

Salsa is a dance style that has both African and European roots. The dance became wildly popular in the 1970s when popular artists like Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon and Celia Cruz hit the salsa scene. Salsa is an exciting and fun dance that you can learn in a variety of ways, including at salsa parties and by taking online and offline lessons.

Salsa Parties

Even if you don't know a thing about dancing to salsa music, you can learn to salsa fairly quickly if you attend a salsa party. You should not just sit down and watch-participate and accept dance invitations if you really want to learn.

You may be overwhelmed by the sight of so many people moving quickly and in coordination to the music, but there is a good chance that you will meet a Salsero (name for a salsa dancer) who is more than happy to teach you the basic steps. Hang out on the side lines of the dance floor and move around a bit to indicate that you are interested in learning, and be sure to tell your partner that you are trying to learn.

Lessons

Find salsa classes that are being conducted in your town. At these classes you can learn the beginner concepts of salsa dancing and then move up to more complicated moves in future sessions. This is one of the best ways to learn because the teacher will be able to guide you and make comments on your movements. Salsa requires complicated hip motions, turns, and foot movements that could take some time to perfect.

Find classes in your area by doing a search for "salsa lessons" along with your city name, or by looking in the "Events" section of Craigslist.org. Expect to pay about $50 to $100 for a salsa class that will last several weeks.

Salsa VideosIf you are able to pick up dance steps by watching someone else do it on your computer, there are many free learn to salsa dancing instructional videos available to help you learn online. You can find online salsa videos at Addicted2salsa.com or Youtube.com. Create a folder under "Bookmarks" on your Internet browser and save all of the videos and instructional websites that you can find into that one place. Order them by "beginner," "intermediate," and "advanced" salsa lessons. There are many different styles of Salsa, including short stride, Cuban, club style, and casino style. You can also create separate folders to help you learn each technique.