Welcome! Are you ready to learn the basic steps of Salsa 💃🕺 and the figures of Salsa comfortably from your home and totally free? 😊
Here you will find the complete list of salsa step names, the list and names of the most danced salsa figures, and of course detailed instructions on how to perform them. Dress comfortably, make room in the living room and trust us. 😉
Let's start! (this is the english version)
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In this first part of the course we will learn the fundamental rules of partner dance, therefore the basic steps.
We will also become familiar with the guides and counter-guides, i.e. everything that allows the man to transmit the guides and the lady to interpret them in the most correct way.
Salsa music is music in 4/4 time; however we will do the steps on half beats, on eighth notes.
In a musical bar there are therefore 8 eighth notes which, however, will not all be associated with passages.
Mainly we will dance alternating steps right and left at each eighth, except on the 4th and 8th which for this reason are called "pauses".
In fact, many times the steps and the figures are marked by counting: 123, 567.
In the pauses, the movement of the body should not be interrupted abruptly but only slowed down; this slowing down and speeding up causes the swing typical of salsa which determines its cadence.
Example salsa music with counting.
Salsa is mainly danced in the following positions:
- closed : man and woman are very close, in an embrace position, the same typical of other couple dances, such as ballroom dancing.
- open : man and woman are farther apart and only hold each other by one or two hands; this allows a lot of freedom of movement and execution of rotations and changes of position.
Closed position and open position (with different grips).
We list the names of the basic salsa steps and instructions on how to do them.
Attention! These steps create the foundation and a common dictionary for the figures we are going to do in salsa dancing. In most cases they will not be performed in the partner dance, but will act as bricks that we will join to form the main movements of the figures.
Video tutorial on the basic salsa steps and their names:
- Demonstration on music
- Explanation in italian (so just watch the steps)
And here is a table with the 6 main names of the basic salsa steps and their brief description:
Alternate forward movement, with backward movement (man: 123 forward, 567 backward / woman: 123 backward, 567 forward).
Remember to make steps 1 and 5 short, and central steps 3 and 7 longer, not the other way around!
Basic step with lateral movements (man: 123 left, 567 right / woman: 123 right, 567 left).
It is used in many figures. The steps must be taken with the foot back, slightly rotating the whole body by 45°.
In the step of the guapo both steps, at 1 and 5, must be carried forward, diagonally.
Basic step with only backward movements; 1 and 5 are both steps backwards.
Basic step with only forward movements; 1 and 5 are both steps forward.
We have seen in the previous part the basic steps and the guides.
Now let's really start dancing, having fun with the first dance figures and sequences.
In the basic step, the woman performs a half rotation to the right on 6 using a double pivot, and then completes the rotation on 7 pivoting on the right foot and returning to the starting position.
The man leads the vuelta executing on 5 he performs the "baciamano" that is, he brings the lady's hand up to her mouth (but obviously without kissing it) pulling her back with him, then on 6 he leads the lady in the first half turn and on 7 the leads in the second half turn, immediately lowering the hand at the end of this, to communicate to the lady that the turn is over. Attention mans not to "hang the ladies", the hand that leads the round must trace an imaginary crown around the lady's head, therefore it must be kept as high as possible and wide enough to allow her to remain in an "arm wrestling" position during the tour.
Also pay attention to the time of the guides. For example, the guide to 6, the half rotation is no exception from the other guides: in beating music on time 6 the guide must be finished, not started! The queen on 6 must have already turned 180 degrees.
Last recommendation: be elegant and minimal in your movements.
Video tutorial on the Vuelta:
- How to do the step
- Women's Vuelta on Music
- Women's Vuelta Explained in italian (so just watch the steps)
In the tempo of a musical beat, the lady steps from one side to the other, with respect to the man; the man leaves the dance line slightly to let the lady pass, who will perform a small walk, and returns to the last part. It can be performed in the closed and open position.
Video tutorial on the Cross body:
- Demonstration on music
- Explanation in italian (so just watch the steps)
It is also possible to stepfrom the closed position to the open position, leaving the right arm (man); in this case the figure takes the name of...
It is a Cross body (just studied), where at the end there is an opening of the couple, i.e. the dancers move away.
This will create a rubber band effect that will kick off most Salsa figures.
Video tutorial on Dile que no:
- Music demonstration
- Explanation in italian (so just watch the steps)
Starting: closed position.
- Closed cross body
- Dile que no
- Vuelta dama
- Cross body
To be repeated in a loop.
Video tutorial on this sequence:
- Music demonstration
- Explanation in italian (so just watch the steps)
Figure in which both man and damage start going backwards; therefore an elastic effect takes place in the couple and on 3 you go back to the starting position; on 3 the man also takes the other hand of the woman.
On 5 and 6, the man and woman lean forward, one towards the other, cushioning themselves with their arms; meanwhile they perform their steps in place. Finally at 7 you turn off slightly and return to the starting position.
It is usually preceded by a Dile que no; indeed some schools call this same figure Dile que no.
Video tutorial on the Mirror .
Starting: closed position.
- Basic
- Cross body closed
- Dile que no
- Mirror
- Lady's vuelta (I come back then closed)
Repeat in loop.
Video tutorial:
- Music demonstration
- Explanation in italian (so just watch the steps)
The hands can be freely juggled during the dance, generally the hands are shown to the lady who promptly grabs them, but when it comes to letting go of one hand, to perhaps grab it with the other, a fascinating thing is exchanging hands without the woman pay more attention to it.
One method is to change hands at the beginning or end of tricks, at the same time as the leads.
Starting from closed position:
- Cross body
- Dile que no and change hand (in right grip with right)
- Woman turn in right grip with right
- Cross body in right grip with right
- At the end of the cross, change grip returning to left grip
- Lady's vuelta
Returning to the closed position at the end of the Vuelta the sequence is repeated in a loop.
Video tutorial:
- Music demonstration
- Explanation in italian (so just watch the moves)
The caricia and the razors are embellishments but at the same time methods to exchange, leave, take back the partner's hands.
The difference between the two lies in the part of the man's hand that "caresses" the partner's head (or his own):
- Caricia: palm of the hand
- Rasoiada: back of the hand
Let's practice by alternating women's gait and women's vuelta.
Start in pos. open, left cross grip above.
- Caricia left woman and vuelta woman taken right-right
- Basic mambo taking the left over
Repeat in loop.
Video tutorial on this exercise .
I put together caricias and vuelta in a very flowing exercise.
I recommend doing it backwards, first learning the final figure, then the last ones, then the last 3 and so on until you have done it all:
Start in open position.
- Cross body entering pos. closed
- Dile que no, with change of hand to go into right grip with right
- Vuelta woman right with right, with final woman load
- Man takes left with left and makes a cross
- I go back to the starting point with a man load in dile que no
Repeat in loop.
Video tutorial for this sequence:
- Music demonstration
- Explanation in italian (so just watch the steps)
OPTIONAL: Sequence not included in the program, but do it yourself if you want.
I advise you to first perform the man's razor in a separate way, with the woman's turn starting directly from the right grip.
Then perform the whole sequence.
Meanwhile: Video on the razor blade .
Starting from the open position, left grip.
- Woman Vuelta with hand change between 3 and 5
- Cross body in right with right, returning to left grip on 7
- Woman Vuelta in which between 1 and 3 the man switches to right grip
- Man and cross razor
Repeat in loop.
Video tutorial on this sequence:
- Music demonstration
- Explanation in italian (so just watch the steps)
Figure in which a position change takes place at 123.
Compared to the cross body, in the enchufla the man comes out to the left of the dance line and after making an elastic with the lady at 1, between times 2 and 3 he rotates the lady 180° to the left, while also rotating 180° to the right.
The dancers will then meet again face to face at 3, but slightly offset because the man has not yet returned from the dance line.
The most classic exit from the enchufla involves another rubber band (both away) at 5, and then a rapprochement entering the closed position at 7.
Usually it follows a Cross body.
A good alternative is the one in which the man advances to the 7 by driving the woman back:
Advice: it is good for man to "change track" already at the 7 previous to the enchufla; that is, stepping out of line a little, advancing towards the lady, forward to the left. This will make it easier for you to face each other at 3.
Enchufla video tutorial :
- Music demonstration
- Explanation in italian (so just watch the steps)
Let's immediately introduce a somewhat complicated figure, studying it in a simplified version: the Peek a boo.
We do it because, as soon as we have studied the enchufla, we want to prevent the woman from developing bad habits, by taking steps/movements automatically, without actually following the man's guides.
In particular, we want to prevent the woman from automatically going back to time 5 during the enchufla; because she otherwise then she wouldn't be able to follow the peek a boo commands.
Let's see the peek a boo..
Times 1 2 like the enchufla. Time 3 the man guides the woman in a half rotation as in the enchufla, but unlike this figure, he does not turn 180° himself, but only 90°, putting himself in the "snowboard" position at 3, perpendicular to the line, exactly like in the middle of a Cross body. And it ends just like a Cross body: at number 5 the man guides to the left, at number 67 he returns to the line.
Attention to the guides: to make the lady understand that you are doing a peek a boo and not an enchufla, it will be preferable to clearly finish the initial movement of the guide on the 3rd; at 3 therefore it must already be finished. And the man's left hand on 3 must stretch to the left: thus the lady understands that she certainly won't have to go back to 5.
Little help: the little help can be given by the right hand which blocks the lady on the back at 3; this little help is more important for cases in which you will dance with dancers who are not too expert, who do not attend our courses, who do not follow the guides very well or who go out of time. The hand on the back will be an extra help. However, if the dancer knows how to follow the guides and the man knows how to give her right hand correctly, you can even keep it in your pocket! ;-) Peekaboo simplified
video tutorial
: - Music demonstration
- Explanation in italian (so just watch the steps)
Start in closed position.
- Cross in pos. closed
- Dile que no
- Peek a boo
- Dile que no
- Enchufla
Repeat in loop.
Sequence tutorial video .
Let's see what happens when the grip fails.
This is the case of the "launched" Vuelta; we will see a similar command later in the course, when we perform the stagger, but for that you will need knowledge of the progression turns.
The launched turn is given with a low guide, in which the man between 5 and 6 delicately throws the lady's hand to the left; the woman will thus understand that she must perform a Vuelta.
PASITOS: When you are separated you perform the pasitos, which in the simplest case, can trivially be the basic steps you already know. Of course, we'll add something else later as well.
RETURN: We return as a couple when the man goes to pick up the woman and does so by inserting himself for a cross body; as soon as the woman understands her intentions, she uncovers her left side to allow the man to cross. Nothing prevents the woman from refusing the invitation and pulling it off a little, keeping her distance a little longer. Play, first.
Video tutorial on the launched Vuelta .
Start in closed position.
- Cross body closed
- Dile que no
- Mirror
- Vuelta thrown
- Pasitos
- Dile que no
- Enchufla or Peek a boo (surprise)
Repeat in loop.
Video tutorial of the sequence:
- Music demonstration
- Explanation in italian (so just watch the steps)
Start in closed position.
- Closed cross body
- Dile que no
- Launched Vuelta
- Pasitos
- We immediately resume in Cross body with right-to-right change of hands
- Women's turn and run -
Left-to-left cross body
- Left-to-right turn for woman directly in turn for man and
- Cross body
Video tutorial of the sequence:
- Music demonstration
- Explanation in italian (so just watch the steps)
Obviously the man can also turn to the right during the dance and he does so with the same steps as the lady, but obviously on other tempos: 123 (while the lady 567).
Video demonstration Men's Vuelta .
The Vuelta Uomo can be performed with various holds/positions:
..) Without any hold (during the pasitos)
1) With a left hold exchanging the hand behind the back, finishing in a right hold with a right
2) With a left hold (or even a right ) passing under the arm during the round
3) With right (or even left) grip throwing the lady's hand and taking it back at the end of the round
4) Slipping the hand on the shoulders and then taking it back
Video tutorial on the 4 modalities of the Vuelta man .
PLEASE NOTE: The Vuelta Uomo is performed on 123, while the Lady's Vuelta is performed on 567... this should make you understand that the two figures can be performed in the same musical bar!
Not recommended to perform with current skills, however it can be a good exercise to learn how to perform Vueltas with the right times.
In other words, the man must learn to finish his Vuelta at time 3, no later, and the woman at 7; in this way knowing that the man has his Vuelta at 123 and the woman at 567 we can perform them within the same musical bar , one after the other. A clean execution will not come but at least we learn to perform the vueltas in the right times.
Free improvisation with these figures:
- Woman Vuelta
- Man Vuelta
- Man + Woman Vuelta (preparatory exercise explained above)
- Cross Body
Let's see the video tutorial on this exercise .
ADVICE: In the execution of the Man + Woman Vuelta there are various holds that you can use (all the man vuelta modalities that we have studied), but above all there is one indicated for a fluid execution of this exercise; and to perform it we must anticipate a topic that we will deal with later, in the intermediate course: hand throwing.
We will perform the man vuelta in right grip with right, but throwing the handof the lady at beat 2, downwards; once back facing the woman we will resume the hand we launched, which in the meantime will have completed a circular trajectory. If you are skilled enough and correct in timing you will be able to drive immediately, at 567 a woman's vuelta; but I repeat .. take it as a preparatory exercise, a similar sequence with the current skills is too elaborate.
Another easy and very nice to see variant is the one in which, with the tray hand (as for the razor), in left grip, the man leaves the lady's hand on his left shoulder and at the end of the turn takes it back , with the right hand or with the same left hand.
OPTIONAL SEUQUENCY: You can try it yourself if you want.
Start in closed position.
- Closed cross body
- Dile que no and change hands (right with right)
- Throw of the hand and man turn, then woman turn right with right
- Woman charge and cross grappling left with left
- Man charge and closed Cross body
Repeat in loop .
OPTIONAL SEUQUENCY: You can try it yourself if you want.
Start in closed position.
- Dile que no
- Vuelta man letting the hand slide over the shoulder, catching it with the right, then immediately Lady's vuelta
- Cross body right with right and hand change (left grip)
- Going "on the fly" in right grip vuelta dama and razorada male
- Cross body
Repeat in loop.
Unlike the Dile que no, with the Dile que yes, you stepfrom the open to the closed position.
The Dile que yes starts with an elastic band in an open position, at 3 you are in opposite directions, each to the right of the other; therefore at 567 there is a rotation of 360°.
Attention, in this case the man will not completely complete the rotation but will remain perpendicular to the line, in an L-shaped position, with respect to the woman.
This Dile que yes will always be followed by any Cross body, even the Dile que no itself, precisely because the man does not find himself in the end in front of the woman, but at her side.
Video tutorial on the Dile que sì:
- Full video tutorial
- Variant with embellishment (man twist)
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