The world of social dancing is full of terms that mean different things in different contexts. In the simplest and most direct meaning, “salsa dancing” is just dancing a social style called Salsa, or even more simplistic, dancing however you like to Salsa music.
However, the concept of “salsa dancing,” as it actually plays out at socials around town, means more than just Salsa. It happens frequently that one specific term in dancing ends up as a sort of “umbrella” concept, encompassing more than just its literal meaning. I discuss the same concept for a different social dance community in my article: “What is ballroom dancing?”
In the case of salsa dancing, it’s a little bit literal and a little bit conceptual. Salsa dancing events do, predominantly, plays songs for a dance style called Salsa. Depending on the specific event and its DJs, a social billed as “Salsa Dancing” or “Salsa Night” will feature approximately 60% to 90% Salsa songs. When “Salsa” is in the title, you can expect that salsa dancing will occupy a majority of the night.
But “salsa dancing” usually also implies a collection of Latin club dances. Wherever Salsa goes, an “entourage” of other dances usually accompany it. Many Salsa events will feature a heavy dose of Bachata songs on their playlists. Bachata is especially popular locally at salsa socials in Pittsburgh, so if you show up to a Salsa Night, expect to hear and dance to a lot of Bachata. Another one of Salsa’s fast friends is Merengue. In Pittsburgh, I typically hear a handful of Merengue songs throughout the night. A lot of dancers locally favor Bachata so strongly that sometimes it squeezes out the competition, leaving only a few Merengue tracks. The Bachata-bias locally is so strong that many people even dance Bachata to Merengue songs. When I have been to salsa nights in other cities, the Bachata/Merengue distribution is a bit more balanced. These three dances—Salsa, Bachata and Merengue—are such bosom buddies, that they tend to form the default playlist for most salsa dancing events.
Some salsa events will branch out even a little further on the Latin dance tree, including additional dances in the mix. Typically the inclusion of dances beyond Salsa, Bachata and Merengue is very DJ-dependent and does not exceed one or two songs dedicated to these other varieties. At salsa nights in Pittsburgh, currently, it is not uncommon to hear songs for Cha Cha, Kizomba, Zouk or Latin Hustle. Socials that feature these dances more prominently also exist in Pittsburgh (e.g. Zouk-chata, Kizomba vs. Bachata, Un Poquito de Todo, Rueda Y Kizomba, etc), and you will find a higher concentration of these “extra” Latin dances at socials where they get higher billing, but even under the heading of “Salsa Night” you may run into one or two of these dances during one evening. Conversely, these other types of Latin dance nights feature a generous amount of Salsa in addition to the featured dances, as Salsa is by far the most popular dance on the local Latin scene.
The broader concept of “salsa dancing” includes—not only this group of friendly Latin dances—but other styles of Salsa. The dominant, or default, style of Salsa that shows up locally in Pittsburgh (and many other cities in the Eastern USA) is what’s commonly called “linear salsa,” a style of salsa rooted in Mambo that emphasizes a linear progressive basic and a heavy reliance on cross-body lead actions, keeping most actions within a linear “slot” (not unlike West Coast Swing, but more compact). However, that dominant style has a lot of up-and-coming rivals, many of which are actually more authentic to the roots of the dance and its music. Intermixed with linear Salsa dancers, you will find many people who prefer Salsa styles such as Cumbia, Son Cubano, Salsa Caleña, “On2” Salsa, and Casino. The Casino style has a particularly strong sub-culture in the Pittsburgh area. It features a much “rounder” rotational quality than the dominant linear Salsa; it is also frequently danced as a Rueda. Casino Rueda is a group dance where leaders and followers partner-up to dance Casino Salsa in a large circle. One of the participating dancers orchestrates the movements of all the dancers by taking on the role of caller. As the song progresses, the caller announces the next pattern, which is executed by the leaders of the group in unison. Frequently, these moves include a partner switching element; continual partner switching is an integral part of the evolving Rueda. Even if you don’t know Casino-style or the moves called in a Rueda, plenty of dancers do their favored styles with individual partners outside the circle to the same music. You can attend a Casino Rueda social without ever participating in the Rueda, but if you’re interested to learn, Pittsburgh currently has a burgeoning Casino Rueda culture with plenty of opportunities for socials and classes.
On the one hand, salsa dancing is much more conceptually complex and nuanced than it might first appear, incorporating a variety of “friendly” dances and different styles of salsa dancing itself… but on the other hand, salsa dancing also boils down to a very simple fact: if you know how to dance Salsa, you will have lots of opportunities to use it. If you’re feeling brave, many salsa events include an introductory group lesson at the beginning of the social, though, a more effective way to get started on your journey to salsa dancing is to find a personal lesson teacher who can get you started with the basics of Salsa, Bachata and Merengue—probably in reverse order, if you’re a total beginner. Merengue may be the single MOST beginner-friendly dance on Planet Earth! However many of the Latin social dances you learn, the sooner you get started, the more opportunities you’ll have to enjoy salsa dancing.
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