salsa dance

Salsa is usually a partner dance form that corresponds to salsa music. In some forms, it can also appear as a performance dance.

"Basic step" normally refers to a forward-backward motion. On counts 1, 2, and 3, the leader steps forward, replaces, and steps backward. On count 5, 6, and 7, they step backwards, replace, and step forward again. The follower does the same, but with forward and backward reversed, so that the couple goes back and forth as a unit. This basic step is part of many other patterns. For example, the leader may dance the basic step while leading the follower to do an underarm turn.

Other common steps:

• Underarm Turn (or Outside Turn) – similar to the "arch turn" in swing and many other dances, follower turns clockwise
• Inside Turn – follower turns counterclockwise (to her left)
• Leader Turn – lead turns right, often the partners separate
• Spot Turn – either, or often both, partners turn 360° CCW remaining in the same spot
• Open Break – a variant of the "side break" basic, similar to "promenade breaks" in Rumba, etc.
• Cross Body Lead – follower is led to opposite side of lead, exists in other Latin dances such as Cha-cha-cha
• Cross Body Lead (Casino Rueda) – couple in embrace essentially rotates 180° CCW as a whole, swapping positions
• Enchufla – a kind of arch turn where the couple rotates CW as a whole, often followed by a cross-body lead