salsa oklahoma dance school lessons and classes





How long does it take to learn salsa?
That depends on you. Some learn fast, others learn slow. Take into account that the more you practice, the better you get. Beginners should take every opportunity to go dancing because the more exposure and experience you gain, the better you will become. Watching others will help you to develop your own style and uniqueness. Remember that the best dance lessons in the world come from practicing and going out dancing!

What if I dont speak spanish?
Don't worry! This is where the phrase "Shut up and dance!" became popular. More than 50% of the salsa dancers in Memphis can't speak it either.

What is Salsa
Salsa is music from Cuba. It is an Afro-Cuban rhythm spread from Cuba that has spread to all parts of Latin America. Salsa has an underlying rhythmic tone comprised of 8 beats. This is usually established by "the clave", two cyndrical wooden blocks that are struck together to make a distinct sound. Dancers use this to follow the beats of the music. Whenever there is salsa music, there is salsa dancing...

What is Salsa Dancing
This is where it gets complicated.. "Salsa" means something different to everyone. It is a term that encompasses a number of different things such as Latin dancing, the music, the culture, the style and flair, etc. Salsa is very cross-cultural and one must respect that! Although all Latin American countries listen to the same salsa music, everyone dances differently. In different Latin countries, the people there interpret the music and dance salsa using their own unique blend of regional steps, styling, and turn combinations. Salsa dancing is unique because it can absorb so many steps from all other dances. A salsa dancer in Cuba will not dance the same way as a salsa dancer from Colombia or a salsa dancer from Mexico! Everyone dances to the same music, but they might not use the same steps! Different salsa dance styles developed because of this.

There is no "correct" text-book method to dance to salsa. What matters most is dancing to the rhythm of the music. Despite the differences in style, all who dance salsa obey the underlying 8-beat rhythm established by the clave.

As long as the dancers are dancing on beat, then they are dancing "S-A-L-S-A".

Thanks to Alex Labrador for sharing this salsa information!
Differences in Salsa Styles
There are so many different styles of Salsa dancing! These descriptions are some of the more popular styles that you will see in the Latin night clubs.

Los Angels Style Salsa , Dancing "On 1"
Like all things from the region of Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Southern California: Its all about flashiness, speed, power, and making the impossible look easy! L.A. style salsa is a fusion of traditional salsa with jazz, hip-hop, ballroom, swing, and ballet. On the dance floor, one would recognize an L.A. style salsa dancers first because they are eye catching and flashy! L.A. dancers emphasize the "1", or they begin dancing on the first beat of the music. It was the L.A. style that popularized the numerous salsa tricks, neck drops, and "Hollywood" style salsa performances with costumes, themes, and acting. By far, this is the most widely spread style of dance here in the United States and abroad. Here in Memphis, we dance "L.A. Style".

Pioneers of L.A. style salsa are Luis and Joby Vazquez of Salsa Brava, Francisco Vazquez, Johnny Vasquez, Edgar "Tun Tun" Mendez, Alex DaSilva, Josie Neglia, Salomon Rivera, and Edie "The Salsa-Freak".

New York Style Salsa , Dancing "On 2"
The New York style of salsa evolved from the great NY Mambo dancers and the large ballroom influence there in "the Big Apple". One would recognize the NY style salsa dancers first because of their smoothness. New Yorkers emphasize control, style, and technique. Whenever you watch a New York style salsa dancer, they never look rushed and they perform these amazing turn combinations with crisp, clean execution. New Yorkers dance on the "2", or they begin dancing on the 2nd beat of the music. New York style salsa is catching on like wildfire in large U.S. cities and abroad. This is the dominant style of salsa in the New York region and most parts of the East Coast. You will hear other other dancers refer to New York salsa by other names such as "Puerto Rican style" or "On 2" dancers.

Pioneers of New York style salsa include Angel and Addie Rodriguez, Eddie Torrez, Seon Bristol, Ismael Otero, Adie Diaz, Juan Matos, Luis Zegarra, and Nelson Flores.

Miami Style Salsa
This is often referred to as "Casino" or "Casino Rueda". This style of salsa is unique as it is largely influenced directly from salsa's Cuban roots. One will notice Miami salsa dancers because rueda is dance in groups of two or more couples interchanging partners through a series of synchronized turn patterns. I've seen entire clubs all dancing one huge rueda! Miami dancers are distinguished by the complexity of their turn combinations. Miami women are taught to loosen the tension in their arms to allow the man to lead them through complex pretzels that would otherwise be impossible to execute in New York or Los Angeles styles of salsa. Another distinct trait of Miami style salsa is their "prep" step which the dancers tap or hold the 8th beat before beginning their first step on the "1".

Pioneers of Miami style salsa are Rene Gueits of Salsa Lovers Dance Studio, Luz Pinto, Vivian Campana, Alberto Pulles, Henry Herrera, Liliana Barcía, and Carlos Tellez.

Cumbia Style Salsa
The Cumbia style salsa evolved from the north coast region of Colombia. Often referred to as "street-style", the "Cumbia" is actually a different style of tropical music than salsa. Cumbia music, like salsa, is comprised of an 8 beat underlying rhythm so technically, it can be danced to salsa. The difference is in the rhythm: the pauses inbetween the first three steps and the last three steps is so long that its not natural to dance salsa steps. One can dance Cumbia to salsa, but you cannot dance salsa to Cumbia. Cumbia is characterized by a back-step basic and because it is danced in a circular pattern with a "wind-up" motion before executing each turn. If you travel abroad in Latin America and dance with someone in the Latin nightclubs, chances are you'll dance Cumbia steps to salsa music! This is the most dominant style of dancing to salsa in Latin America. In Costa Rica, they call the Cumbia, "El Swing".

Pioneers of Cumbia: I have never found a school or a professional Cumbia instructor. All who dance Cumbia will tell you that they either learned from their parents, friends, at parties, or just from going out dancing in the Latin clubs. Because of this, many Cumbia dancers refer themselves as "street dancaers" having never taken a formal class.

Cuban Style Salsa
This is the style of salsa direct from its roots in Cuba. It is characterized by its male dominance. The Cuban basic step, often referred to as "guapea", is a distinct push-pull motion where the man and woman push off each other from an open break. The steps are similar to Merengue which emphasize the dancer's hips, often referred to as the "Cuban motion". Cuban style salsa looks unstructured, but hidden in this style are the roots of our modern-day salsa dancing.