| Salsa dancing has a very distinct dance | | | | emphasis on turns, which are carefully |
| style. It has a pattern step style | | | | synchronized with the strategic side stepping |
| encompassing six steps that are danced over | | | | of the dancer. |
| eight counts in a musical beat. | | | | |
| | | | Although the countries I just mentioned have |
| Salsa is the combination of many cultural | | | | helped influence salsa dance and music, |
| genres including Afro-Caribbean and Latin | | | | several other countries have also influenced |
| sounds. | | | | it like Columbia, Puerto Rico the Dominican, |
| | | | Mexico and several other Latin American |
| Although the exact origin of salsa cannot be | | | | countries. |
| interpreted, many believe that Cubans created | | | | |
| this explosive dance style that has won the | | | | Many bands from these countries took their |
| world over. It is in this place where | | | | music to Mexico City during the famous film |
| Contra-Danze or "country dance" of England | | | | era and then later brought their musical |
| and France later known as Danzon that was | | | | style to New York where it started a movement |
| brought over by the French who had fled from | | | | through cultures that had never heard this |
| Haiti. Their experience with the French music | | | | unique style of music, or seen this magical |
| traditions and the distinctive drum beat | | | | and explosive dance style. New York picked up |
| influences of Rhumbas of Africa and partner | | | | salsa music and dance almost instantly which |
| dance style helped influence the development | | | | helped to promote the salsa movement but New |
| of the very distinctive salsa style of music | | | | York was also the city that coined it as |
| and dance that we are all familiar with | | | | "salsa". |
| today. | | | | |
| | | | If you listen to salsa music carefully, you |
| However, regardless of who originally founded | | | | will hear influences of Merengue, Cha Cha, |
| salsa, it's collaborative cultural flavor of | | | | Mambo and several other Latin American and |
| Afro-Caribbean and Latin influences have been | | | | African musical styles. You'll hear many of |
| successful in making it one of the most | | | | the classic old-styles built into the salsa |
| popular dance and music styles recognized all | | | | rhythms. |
| over the world. | | | | |
| | | | Salsa's evolution has been explosive and only |
| Salsa dance moves are very distinct. Salsa | | | | continues to evolve! |
| moves more from side to side, putting much | | | | |