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Beginner's Guide to Salsa Dancing

Rachel ShanghaiWOWeng 2018-11-30

Salsa dancing is an incredibly fun and sensual way to burn off a few extra calories. It’s danced all around the world, so no matter where you can go, you’re almost sure to find a community of fellow dancers no matter where you go. Here’s what you should know about salsa dancing, and where you can try it in Shanghai. 


Photo credit: stardanceschool


What Is Salsa Dancing? 


Salsa is a popular form of social dance that originated in the Caribbean. Although Cuba and Puerto Rico often argue about who started it first, what matters most is that it’s awesome. The key is to shift your hips from side to side as well as incorporating arm and shoulder movements when you’re stepping forward, backward or sideways.



The basic dance rhythm consists of taking three steps per every four beats of music – meaning you count like ‘one two three, five six seven’. ‘Four’ and ‘eight’ are still there but serve as slight pauses and let the music loop around again in 8 full counts. Pairs are usually made up of a man and a woman since salsa is still very heteronormative. If you really want to learn the opposite gender’s moves, you definitely can. 

 


There are a few different styles of salsa that you should know about. The first is Cuban style (salsa Cubana) which is widely danced in Latin America. It begins with the first beat; it’s very creative and flowy and incorporates a lot of spinning. A key feature of Cuban-style salsa is the Rueda, or the big circle where many pairs dance together and switch partners after every move. What makes this dancing style creative is the fact that dancers often add rumba and other afro-influenced steps, which calls for movements different from those used in other types of salsa. 



The second is LA style, which is similar to Cuban as it also starts on the first beat, but in this style you’ll be ‘walking the line’ more. What this means is that when you do turns and moves you’ll mostly be moving forward and backward while staying on an imaginary line, and your posture will be more upright and similar to ballroom dancing. This style is widely danced around the world including in Shanghai. 


The third style worth mentioning is the New York style. This style starts on the second beat, which can mess with your mind if you’ve already learned the other styles. This is similar to LA style in that you’ll be dancing on ‘the line’ a lot and your posture will also be upright when holding a frame. This particular style, however, is seen as posher and uppity, so just know that going in. This style is danced quite a lot in Shanghai, but not so much in Latin America. 


Photo credit: Stardanceschool


And yes, while there are other styles like Puerto Rican and Colombian, these three are the major styles danced around the world and taught in studios in Shanghai. With all this in mind, which style should you choose? It obviously depends on what you like. I personally love Cuban style because I like that I can be more creative and feel the ‘flow’ while adding in aspects of rumba and reggaeton dancing if I want. LA style is widely practiced, so that might be your best choice as a starting point. If you want to be really fancy, try NYC style but do know that it will be difficult to switch over to the other styles of salsa later on since they start on a different beat. 


Benefits of Salsa Dancing 



In addition to feeling and looking really sexy, salsa comes with some serious benefits. You’ll learn how to be more coordinated and more in tune with your body while learning how to read cues from your partner. Plus, you’ll gain the confidence that comes with adding new skills and will have a blast dancing to the music. Anyone can learn with some time and practice, and you could tone up a bit from all the movement. You might even learn a little Spanish while you’re at it!

 

Why You Should Try Salsa Dancing 


Photo credit: godanceknox


I can’t express enough how fun it is. Yes, it takes time to learn and can be intimidating at first, but it is SO cool to be able to go into a bar in a new city and just dance with a stranger. For guys, it can help boost your confidence when approaching the ladies. Being able to sweep across the dance floor and lead your partner through the moves is incredibly empowering. And for the gals, knowing the cues and how to respond to the moves will also give you the confidence to show off your skills and make you feel sexy as hell. 

 

What to Expect 



In a typical class, you’ll go through a warm-up of small moves to get your body all fired up – think rolling your head and shoulders, moving your hips from side to side, that sort of thing. You don’t really need to wear anything special so long as you feel comfortable to move around in whatever you do wear. As for footwear, it depends on the style you’re dancing –some ladies prefer to wear special dancing heels to help them turn, but simple shoes like TOMS also work well. Guys can wear sneakers or whatever they’re comfortable dancing around in.


Once the warm-up is taken care of, you’ll be paired up with other dancers and the instructor will show you a move which you can practice with your partner. Pairs usually rotate so you have a chance to dance with everyone. 


Where to Try Salsa in Shanghai


Lucky for you, Shanghai has a pretty awesome salsa scene with some great studios to choose from. 


LimeDance Studio


Photo credit: LimeDance


Address: 8 Ruijin Yi Lu, near Julu Lu

Number: 139 1767 9949

Hours: Monday to Thursday, 11:30am-10pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am-5:30pm

WeChat: LimeDanceStudio

Prices: Call to inquire


LimeDance studio has some Cuban salsa classes to get you to a basic level. Add them on WeChat to see if they offer other styles. Here you can learn from their Instructor Maykol, whose energy seems to make the world itself turn faster and faster. Having learned salsa from his father, Maykol was a front line dancer in Brazil and taught in Mexico, Bolivia, Bolivia and France.


Shanghai Latin Dance Studio


Photo: Shanghai Latin Dance 


Address: Main Studio: 495 Jiangjing Road, 14F, room 15A04; DingXi Studio: 1310 Dingxi Road, Alley #6, Room 103; Kangding Studio: 151 Kangding Road, 7th Floor 

WeChat: ShanghaiLatinDance

Prices: RMB 150 drop-in, 10 class package RMB 1,000, 20 class package RMB 1,800


Shanghai Latin Dance teaches LA style, Cuban style, and also has classes on styling to improve your hand and footwork. Definitely, our pick if you’re serious about salsa and want to improve fast. The owner/instructor Ricardo, who comes from Venezuela, is full of passion for what he does and built a great community of dancers in Shanghai as a result. 


SoulDancing


Photo credit: SoulDancing Studio


Address: 4/F, 1199 Fuxing Zhong Lu 

Number: 6256 4400

WeChat: SoulDancing studio

Prices: Call to inquire


SoulDancing teaches NYC style with several classes scheduled every week. Their levels range from early beginner to advanced dancer, and they also host workshops with different styles. 

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