How to dance salsa for beginners

Start with two things: counting the music, and the basic step. Everything else in salsa is built on those, so get them solid before you learn any turns. Here's the order I teach beginners, with the videos for each part.

Step 1: Learn to count the music

Salsa music is counted in groups of 8. You step on 1, 2, 3, pause on 4, step on 5, 6, 7, and pause on 8.

Before you even step, listen to the song and count it out loud. If you can't hear where the 1 is yet, start with my guide on how to find the salsa beat. It has a practice song with the numbers on screen.

Step 2: Learn the basic step

This is the most important step in salsa. Every move you'll learn later starts from it and goes back to it. The leader and the follower do the same step, but as a mirror image.

Leaders

1. 1: Step in place with your left foot.
2. 2: Step back with your right foot. Keep it small.
3. 3: Step in place with your left foot.
4. 4: Pause.
5. 5: Bring your right foot back together.
6. 6: Step forward with your left foot.
7. 7: Step in place with your right foot.
8. 8: Pause, and start over.

Followers

1. 1: Step in place with your right foot.
2. 2: Step forward with your left foot.
3. 3: Step in place with your right foot.
4. 4: Pause.
5. 5: Bring your left foot back together.
6. 6: Step back with your right foot.
7. 7: Step in place with your left foot.
8. 8: Pause, and start over.

If counting numbers gets confusing, say the steps instead: "together, back, in place, together, forward, in place." Or the rhythm: "quick, quick, slow, quick, quick, slow." It's the same step, just a different way to keep track.

For a full breakdown with more angles, see the salsa basic step guide.

Step 3: Keep your steps small

Watch the video from the side and look at how short the steps are. Big steps feel like dancing, but when the music gets fast you won't have time to get your foot back. Small steps let you keep up with any song.

Leaders, one more detail: on the back step, your heel stays up. Step back on the ball of your foot, then step in place on 3.

Step 4: Hold your partner

Once you both have the basic step, try it together. The leader does the leader's part, the follower does the follower's part, facing each other.

• Hold hands with your four fingers, palm facing a little bit up.
• Your free hand shouldn't dangle down. Keep it up, by your side.
• Let your arms move a little with the step. Not a lot, just enough that it looks natural.

Step 5: Practice the basic until it's automatic

This is the part people want to skip. Don't. If you're still thinking about your feet, you won't have room to think about turns, your partner, or the music.

Practice the basic step a lot, until you can do it while talking. Once that foundation is there, everything else gets much easier. If you're struggling with the basic step, you'll make very little progress on anything built on top of it.

Step 6: Then add turns and moves

Now you're ready for your first turns. If you want to get better at spinning, these spinning exercises help a lot.

What about hips and body movement? Leave them for later. At the beginning you've got enough to think about. When you're ready, here's how to move your hips in salsa.

Common mistakes

• Taking big steps. They feel good slowly and fall apart when the music speeds up.
• Stepping on every beat. You pause on 4 and 8. Three steps, pause, three steps, pause.
• Skipping the count. If you learn the steps without the music, you'll have to relearn them on the count later.
• Moving on too early. Turns are hard when the basic step still needs your full attention.
• Worrying about looking stiff. Everyone looks stiff at the start. Body movement comes after the basics, not before.

Questions people ask

Can I learn salsa at home?

Yes. The basic step, the count, and your first moves can all be learned at home with video. You need a few square feet of floor and a way to play music. A partner helps for partner moves, but you can learn the footwork alone.

Do I need a partner to learn salsa?

Not to start. The count and the basic step are learned on your own. You'll want a partner once you get to turns and partner moves.

How long does it take to learn salsa?

It depends on how often you practice. The basic step is the part that takes the most repetition. Once it feels automatic, new moves come much faster, because every move is built on it.

What's the easiest salsa style for beginners?

Any style is fine to start with, because they all use the same 8-count. I teach New York style On2, where you break on 2, and street style, the way it's danced in Colombia and Venezuela. Pick one and stick with it until the basic step is automatic.