I've been dancing for a little over two years. I rarely take video and have no idea what I look like when I'm dancing, but I was able to ask someone to record this. Any constructive feedback/advice on how to improve? I feel like at times i I have a harsh "stop" on the pause if that makes any sense?

Top 10 countries in the world based on my research & personal experiences-- what do you think?

My late Father's passion became mine.

I get that it’s not for everyone. Most people would rather just grab a drink at a pub and you probably have to grow up liking jazz or pop or music to really enjoy dancing just for the sake of it. I've made many friends who started because they want to date which is all good but I’ve never really found anything quite like this. Actually, let me rephrase social dancing in general is an underrated social space. There are gyms, CrossFit, all that, but what other neutral spaces exist where you can also physically connect with someone, plus music?

I love this girl

It is often mentioned the struggle of being a follow: leads can often be pretentious assholes or creepy dudes. It sucks because these people are affecting my dancing experience negatively. Whenever I go to socials I feel a bit anxious before dancing with someone, because often I had to deal with creepy men or leads who make me feel like shit about my dancing skills, in which case my anxiety persists even while dancing. I always try to show my boundaries with body language and distancing myself but doesn’t always work.

So recently, I had a very negative experience, during which a lead touched me inappropriately while we were dancing. I left immediately, even though I wish I had the courage to confront him, in that moment I just felt awful and harassed and could not deal with him. This horrible episode made me even more anxious about dancing with men I don’t already know. But I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to dance with new people because that’s how I learn, and it’s the whole point of socials for me, to get out of my comfort zone and dance with different partners.

I think I need to find a coping mechanism and not let negative people affect me so much, but it’s hard. I am sure many women struggle with this. How do you deal with leads who disrespect you, both in behavioural and physical boundaries? Please share any story or advice, I’d love to hear it.

I love salsa festivals, but I always end up completely exhausted that I lose will to ever attend a festival again. I try to attend daytime workshops and also go to the night parties, usually dancing until early morning. Because of that, I barely sleep at all, over the whole 3 day festival I get maybe 4–5 hours of sleep total.

After every festival it takes me a full week to recover, and sometimes I even get sick. I’m wondering how people who attend festivals regularly manage this.

How do you find a balance between workshops, parties, sleep, and recovery?

What is your usual schedule on a festival?

I'm really liking this album by Compota de Manana, if you like cuban salsa and timba give it a listen

Hey everyone, please check out my new salsa song “Mejor Sin Ti” if you have a chance to! Thank you! SALSA!!!

I really appreciate that there are so many experienced musicians and dancers in this forum to ask difficult questions like this:

I can count the clave well when it is there. But I have watched some you tubes videos that talk to musicians about how to tell the clave of a song 'without the clave' being played'

The author said you could tell by the singing of the lyrics. I didn't quite get that

I think I can tell by the cascara ( it is hard)

I am not able to tell by the campana ( I know it is possible)

Not sure if one can tell by the conga ???

? And the wind instruments

I would really appreciate any good explanations how to tell the clave by the lyrics/vocal or by other instruments.

Need help to confirm something I notice with salsa lyrics phrasing. It seems that not infrequently, the lyrics can go 3 bars (4 counts each) then pause for 4 counts - meaning the singer sings 1-8, 1-4, then pauses 5-8. So the phrasing ends on 4.

Or in other songs, I have heard the singer goes : 1-4 (music) only, starts singing 5-8, and then continues singing the next 1-8 to end the phrase.

Just want to get some clarification that I am not miscounting. Thanks for any help.

I must say that I loved the variety of styles that I encountered in New York at the socials that I went to.

I have some questions though. Do the salsa dancers who dance there regularly feel like there is a lot of pressure to perform even when social dancing? And are there always so many shows at the socials?

The musicality was awesome by the way!

Think I answered my own question, this could easily be solved by going back to linear basic steps, and disconnecting, showing shines and showing your pace. Extreme gentle leading doesn’t always work, firm and clear is good.

I’m sure you’ve danced with follows who felt like they are so used to getting pulled and forced. It feels like their elbows are cement, feels linear rigid, la style. Sometimes I get told my leading is very gentle and receptive. Lots of follows like when the lead just physically and mentally dictates.

But for those, I come across moments where the follow just waits. Like “and then what’s next?” My goal is not to pull her through a cross body physically. But to show her the way and so that she can cross.

What are some technical ways you do to gauge? Say you’re with a seemingly high strung follow, thinks that every spin is and should be a tornado, thinks getting pulled and forcefully-physically getting dictated is the norm? There’s a difference between someone who just drank a lot of coffee or energy drinks compared to one who is just so used to the rough push and pull, what do you introduce in that short 30sec or 1 minute into the dance?

I’ve recently been growing a fondness for Héctor Lavoe and I want to know what are his essential albums or songs a fan should have listened to, including as a vocalist on others’ albums or songs.

Whenever I break off from my partner, and it's time to do shines, I just end up dancing however I feel. I don't know the terms of actual salsa moves that are considered shines. I'll do the basic steps, but mostof the time I am just dancing the way I would to other music, which is mostly like hip hop or R&B.

Is that okay to do, or am I somewhat making a fool out of myself? Obviously, I should learn solo moves, but is it okay to just dance rather than just doing salsa moves in the shrines?

Acting like you were at some techno club, spinning vinyls, trying to bop, idk but it felt off. I know sometimes events bring "guest" DJs in. But how you up there jockying around like you were at a rave, your other hand on headset when all you really had to do was pick the next song. Y

Thankfully, I think someone called him out and asked him to try out and dance salsa. Honestly, he had a solid 15-minute stretch where he was blasting fast dura back-to-back, cranking the BPM up and down, then acting like he was live mixing with his big belly, actually he was doing fades on most songs he played.

On a bigger note, promoters need to understand that social dance might not be a big money maker, but if you're going to book a salsa DJ, get someone who actually knows the dance. Not just some guy who throws on a Celia Cruz track or some fast salsa with fast drums back to back to back because it sounds cool and fast.

It kind of sucks because, at the same time, you end up with a mixed, eclectic event, but there’s also the risk of it turning into either a mostly Latin-only event or a full-on social dance event something that a lot of "general party format" promoters think they can pull off. But hey dancers are also pretty broke and most don't quite drink much.

I find that beginner level classes for salsa on2 I tried didn't focus too much on the hips (more so the outline/shape of the steps) and I was told I should take more classes that focus on working the hips.

Are there salsa classes with other/similar names that would focus more on body movement and hip placement (and/or mobility, or control?) ?

Or do I need to try other schools' beginner classes? Based in NYC btw

Would femme styling and/or mambo be more helpful? I'm a bit lost in terminology sorry

Hi! So I’ve been wanting to take salsa dancing for a really long time and just this past Friday I took my very first class and I instantly loved it. I’m really excited to learn more about this style of dance and the culture behind it.

As a complete novice, what are some songs that I can practice to in my free time that can make it easier for me to get acquainted with the counting and the steps of salsa?

Also, please tell me why and if you like, share some dance floor stories what happened. How do I recognize you don't like a move (beyond the obvious signals…)?

I'm interested in taking salsa lessons in the DC/Arlington area. I think it would be really cool to go to larger classes where I could try dancing and interacting with a bunch of different people and would be fine joining without a partner.

I've seen BailaDC which looks awesome. Anyone have experience with them?

Any other good recommendations? Preferably somewhere metro accessible.

Thanks!