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Learning to dance salsa in Orlando

Can you learn salsa by yourself?

Learning to dance salsa is all about learning to feel the rhythm as you move your body. There are specific steps and moves that characterize salsa dancing and set it aside from other genres like merengue, tango, bachata, or samba. To start learning to dance salsa we recommend you familiarize yourself first with the music and then with the dance moves. If you know the music first you'll allow your brain to first identify the beat before you attempt to follow it with your body. If you familiarize yourself with the music, the bands, and the artists first, you can, later on, learn to dance to your favorite songs and artists. If you want to learn how to dance salsa on your own you can use different online resources and find a space in your house where you can practice freely. Keep in mind that salsa is a dance that is typically danced with a partner, so as much as you learn the dance moves and know everything you need to know; you won't truly become a salsa dancer until you are able to dance with a partner. Dancing with a partner can seem easy but being able to synchronize with someone else, if you're the man you lead, and if you're the woman you follow. Learning these intricacies is difficult to do on your own. If you don't want to attend a dancing school we recommend you at least consider dancing with a private tutor. You can search for salsa dancing tutors in Orlando right here on Superprof.

How do beginners learn salsa dancing?

To start dancing salsa you first need to get out of your head. Most beginners take the steps too literally and stay stuck in their heads counting the steps, calculating the hip movement, and forgetting to move their arms. Salsa dancing is not a calculated dance form. It is a form of art that allows the body to move to an upbeat rhythm in a sensual manner. Many would argue that the first step to starting dancing salsa is knowing the different styles and knowing how to move from side to side and coordinating it with your hips with your arms and shoulders. However, this is not true, the first step is learning to get out of your head and understanding that your brain or calculations won't help you. Once you allow yourself to make mistakes, mess up, and forget the feeling of looking like a fool, you'll notice that you'll be able to catch on to the rhythm and the moves. The one thing nondancers suffer from is that they haven't been taught to step out of their heads and let their bodies do the talking. Learning to quiet down your thoughts is the first step to becoming a great dancer!

What are the different styles of salsa?

There are different salsa styles because salsa has been spread across borders through the years and each country and city has made this dancing genre its own. However, the basic styles are Cuban, New York, Colombian, and Los Angeles. Many people are surprised when they learn that salsa originated in the United States because it is a Latin American dance. However, what many don't know is that salsa first appeared in Cuba but migrants who relocated to New York ended up fully developing the genre after they left Cuba. Then it spread to other cities in America with big Latino populations like Miami and Los Angeles. As it also spread through the rest of the continent, countries like Colombia innovated and developed their own signature style. Each style is characterized by having different types of steps. For example, some styles require the dancer to move one foot backward as the other stays still, then return said foot and do the same on the other side. Other styles are moving your feet from side to side one foot at a time. Each style also comes with its different musicality and instrumentation, where the basis is the same but it has slight alterations.