Salsa Dance Steps for Beginners

Salsa dance steps are becoming more popular, as this dance form is beginning to make it big on the social dance scene. Salsa is danced by stepping on 3 consecutive beats of music and then pausing for 1 beat, then repeating. The salsa dance steps timing can be thought of as step, step, step, pause; step, step, step, pause. Dance teachers count the step timing as quick, quick, slow; quick, quick, slow. Each quick consumes one beat of music, each slow consumes two beats of music. Depending on how you hear and feel the music, you may start the dance on any beat of the measure you wish. Most beginners start the dance on the first beat of the measure.

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Though salsa is danced at approximately twice the tempo of the Rumba, the two dances share much in common. Salsa and Rumba music are both written in 4/4 time, with four beats to each measure. Two measures of music are required to complete one full basic step. In the music, the heavy beat is the one beat, the first beat of the measure. While the music tempo of rumba is typically 104 beats per minute, the music tempo of salsa is typically 180 to 210 beats per minute.

In both dances three steps are taken during each measure of music. In other words, three steps are taken to four beats of music. Recall that the step timing is counted quick, quick, slow; quick, quick, slow. Learning to count the music correctly is the first big hurdle for beginners. Students are seldom able to understand the dance fully until they are able to count the music and the step timing correctly.

Salsa dancing looks difficult, but the truth is that salsa dance steps and footwork are easy to learn. All you have to do is listen to the drums and let your body move with their rhythm. While there are a few formal salsa dance steps to learn, most of them come naturally when you follow the music.

Salsa Dance Steps – The Man’s Part

Step 1: Stand facing your partner with your feet about a shoulder’s width apart.

Step 2: Put your hands in the pistol grip position as you prepare to lead in salsa dancing. Point your index finger while you hold the rest of your fingers at a 90-degree angle to your palm.

Step 3: Bend your arms at a 90-degree angle. You should find that your elbows rest naturally at your sides when you prepare to lead in salsa dancing.

Step 4: Keep good arm tension in your arms so that you can effectively lead in salsa.

Step 5: Push or pull forward and back when you are leading in salsa dancing. Because of the tension in your arms, your partner will push against you when you push, and pull against you when you pull, thus following your lead.

Salsa Dance Steps – The Woman’s Part

Step 1: Stand before your partner with your feet about a shoulder’s width apart when you prepare to follow in salsa dancing. You should be pretty close to your partner without your feet touching.

Step 2: Place your hands over the man’s bent fingers and let them rest there, your fingers curling.

Step 3: Bend your arms so that your elbows naturally rest at your sides.

Step 4: Keep tension in your arms so that you are effectively able to follow in salsa dancing.

Salsa dance steps for Leader & Follower

Leader always starts with the left foot. Follower starts with the right. Follower generally does natural opposite or mirror image of leader’s footwork.

Rhythm Pattern (8 beats): Double, Single, Double, Single Verbal Cue for Basic Step (Leader): Rock, step, step, hold, rock, step, step, hold Count for Basic Step: 1, 2, 3, hold 4, 5, 6, 7, hold 8. Optional: tap instead of hold

Salsa Dance Steps in Table Format:

Basic Step	Leader: rock forward L, replace R, step L beside R,hold. Rock back R, replace L, step R beside L, hold. Follower: does natural opposite of leader.
Side Basic	Leader: step L, replace R, step side L, hold. Step R, replace L, step side R, hold. Follower: does mirror image of leader.
Cumbia	Leader: step side L, cross R over L, step side L, hold. Step side R, cross L over R, step side R, hold. Follower: does mirror image of leader.
Back Basic	Leader: rock back L, replace R, step side L, hold. Rock back R, replace L, step side R, hold. Follower: does mirror image of leader.
Basic With Lady’s Turn	Follower: rock back R, replace L, step R beside L, hold. Step forward L, ½ pivot turn R, another ½ turn R spinning on R foot and shifting weight to L as you step L beside R, hold. Rock back R, replace L, step R beside L, hold.
Basic With Man’s Turn	Leader: Step forward L, ½ pivot turn R, another ½ turn R spinning on R foot and shifting weight to L as you step L beside R, hold.

In today, Salsa dance steps are becoming more popular, as this dance form is beginning to make it big on the social dance scene.