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Salsa—
4 beats/measure; 40-55 meas/min
Salsa evolved out of the mambo and other Afro-Carribean rhythms of the 1950s and 60s, such as rumba, cha, merengue, and more specialized rhythms like cumbia, guaracha, and Cuban Són and by the late 1980s and '90s was popular in the United States. Salsa is sometimes refered to as "son of mambo," but it is a little faster, a little softer and less crisp; it is more side-to-side and has lots of turns and spins. Being a fast rhythm, and the steps are small. Salsa has been called "mambo with spatial restrictions."
Dance with soft knees. Figures are timed with a quick, quick, slow, as in mambo and rumba, but the action is more like a quick, quick, quick, hold. During the hold, the dancer should introduce a little foot action or flourish. In Puerto Rico, a flick is commonly used. In Cuba, a tap, stamp, or scuff is more typical. You won't have time for any sort of a real kick. The flourish is a soft extension of the foot. Keep the upper body still while the hips and feet move. Dick Fisher said, "quiet top, busy hips." Salsa is that hot dip for your chips, and the dance is hot, spicy, and passionate.
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Figure Name, Phase Level, & Timing
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Steps and Actions That Make Up the Figure
These descriptions are primarily based on Roundalab's Standards For Round Dancing and on cue sheets written by many choreographers (see Links page). |
Here are some sequences to help you visualize the figure in context.
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NOTE: There are many technical terms and abbreviations that are widely used in round dancing. For instance, if you encounter non-standard punctuation, I am probably trying to indicate the musical timing of a figure, where a comma separates two beats of music, a semi-colon marks the end of a measure, and a slash (/) indicates a split beat, two things occuring in a single beat. Elsewhere, you can find descriptions of dance positions; basic dance steps, actions, and directions; and other dance abbreviations. WOMAN'S FOOTWORK — I try to describe what the man does and then in parenthesis what the woman does. In this way, you can read in one sentence what each partner is doing during that beat of music, rather than read about the man in one place and maybe the woman in another paragraph. I don't want to encourage the man to read only about his part and the woman only about hers.
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| Basic
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In facing position, step forward and across in front (woman back and behind), step back, and then side and back with a little flick of the trail foot side and fwd. Step back and cross behind with the trail foot, step fwd, and step side and fwd with a flick. |
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| Back Basic
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In loose closed, both step back, recover, close; bk, rec, cl, -; Don't cross behind as in a whisk. Just turn your hips and then step straight back. The heels should be in line with each other, the toes turned out. |
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| Closed Basic
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In closed position, step fwd, rec, cl, -; bk, rec cl, -; |
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| Side Basic
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Facing partner step side, rec, cl, -; sd, rec, cl, -; |
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| Double Step
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Facing sd, cl, sd, -; sd, cl, sd, -; |
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| Chase
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In facing position, step forward on left and swivel RF 1/2. The woman steps back and crosses behind. Step fwd R, and the woman will chase. On the slow, step fwd L, swivel RF, and flare the R CW to face partner. During the second measure, roles are reversed. Step back and cross behind while the woman steps forward and swivels RF. Both step fwd. Finally, step sd and fwd with a flick while the woman steps fwd L, swivels RF, and flares R CW to face partner. |
Shibata's Salsa Cafe begins part A with a basic;; chase;; to a crossbody w/ inside underarm turn twice;;;; |
| Open Break
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Facing, lead hands joined, rock apart, rising, trail arms up, recover, step side.
Given the fast tempo, we might dance half of a Back Basic, keeping our weight centered, rather than a "rocking" Open Break. Generally, we don't want to create significant momentum that must be quickly countered.
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cumbia |
| Cumbia
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In loose closed, step side R (woman sd L), cross in front, side, flick;
Sometimes, the man dances this figure with a small cross behind R, cross in front L, side R, -; a little like a Time Step. If the sequence is "Open Break woman roll to a Cumbia," he will thereby progress a little less and not get ahead of the woman's roll.
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| Promenade Cumbia with Turn
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In closed wall, turn slightly to semi, and step side, front, side. In the second measure, he hooks behind opening his right hip, and she steps fwd, fwd, fwd, turning CW 1/2. End in closed position facing center. |
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| Cross Body
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In closed position wall, step fwd L, rec R, step sd L turning LF as the woman steps fwd to an "L position." Step back continuing to turn LF while the woman steps fwd turning LF. Step fwd woman fwd turning half LF. Both step side. |
In the Cibulas' Coco Jambo, part A begins with a cross body;; new yorker twice;; cross body;; salsa box;; |
| Cross Body with Inside Underarm Turn
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In loose closed wall, step fwd, recover turning LF to face line in "L position." Raise lead hands to lead woman in a LF turn, step back R turning LF while woman steps fwd L turning. Step fwd L toward center and woman steps fwd R turning to face partner. Both step side with trail feet and flick, in closed position facing center. |
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| Coca Cola
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Begin like a cross body: step forward, recover, and close, opening the left hip and leading her to free spin LF 1 & 1/2 in three steps while he steps back, recover, close, turning LF to closed position center. Finish with a standard cross body back to wall. |
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| Man's Fans
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In loose closed, step side, recover, and cross in front, leading the woman to open out with a XIB, recover, close. During measure 2, the man fans his free foot during the "quick-quick" and steps thru on the slow. The woman again opens out with the same XIB, rec, close. Repeat for measures 3 & 4. |
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| Single Taps With Turns
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This figure consists of a series of eight "side-taps."
In facing position, no hands joined, step side L (woman sd R), touch R to L tapping toe, sd R, tap L; turn 1/4 RF (woman 1/4 LF) to a left open position nothing touching and step side L (woman side R) toward partner (lead shoulders might touch), tap R and raise trail hands, side R turning 1/4 LF (woman sd L turning 1/4 RF) to face partner again, tap L; sd L, tap R, turn 1/4 LF (woman RF) to an open position nothing touching and step side R toward partner (trail shoulders might touch), tap L and raise lead hands; side L turning 1/4 RF (woman LF) to face partner, tap R, sd R, tap L;
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| Wrap Around
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In low butterfly, rock apart L (woman apart R), recover R turning RF and raising lead hands, side and forward L completing a 1/4 RF turn and moving lead arm over woman's head to wrapped position, -; wheel 3/4 RF fwd R, L, R (woman bk L, R, L), -;
Figure makes one full RF turn for the man. It makes a 1/4 LF turn during the first measure and a 3/4 RF turn during the second measure for the woman.
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In the Shibatas' Miracle Salsa, part C begins with an Open Break and woman roll to Cumbia;; Single Taps with Turns;;;; Open Break and woman roll to Cumbia;; Wrap Around;; woman roll behind; woman roll across to shadow; |
Go beyond this manual. Good instructional books and videos, both new and used, are available at low prices at Amazon. Find other references on our Sources and Links pages.
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