Salsa Etitquettes

Hey Friends,
Hope you all are doing good and having fun in your life.
Well i thought to compile few of the salsa etiquettes for you all just to have a look, I have compiled it from different websites so yes i havent wrote the entire thing but yes compiled it for our own benefit and reference and added few comments too :)
Most of them who all are dancing might already know this and can very well ignore it, but few who are beginners do care to go through it :)
So as it always go.....Ladies first :)
Ladies ...
A successful salsa strategy toward dancing all night, apart from knowing how to dance, is to be seen dancing. Guys are generally a shy lot, but if they know you can and will dance, you'll be dancing all night.

So...Select a good dance club or studio. A place with a wide range of ages works best. Some of those older guys can really dance! Live music is rarely good dance music - most bands seem oblivious to what a good salsa tempo might be.

Wear something bright and colorful, and/or slinky and sexy - just be sure, whatever it is, it's noticeable! Dance places can be dim as dusk, so make sure you don't blend into the shadows. Arrive early and position yourself as close to the dance floor as possible. Sit or stand near the dance floor, preferably where guys coming off the floor will see you first. And, oh yeh, don't congregate with a group of women. No guy is going to walk up to several women hanging together and risk that kind of rejection.

Smile till it hurts! If you don't look like you're enjoying yourself, you probably won't be! Don't be afraid to make eye contact. Say, "Yes!" to the first dance offer, no matter who it is, and keep on saying it. This is the most important rule! Being picky is counter-productive, so lose the attitude! If you're seen saying no, you'll be left with only the blind and the bold - a small, and not necessarily cute, minority. The point of saying yes every time is to increase your chances of meeting talented, interesting dance partners. If you do this right, good dancers will soon monopolize your time anyway. Ask good dancers to teach you something new! They'll usually be happy to oblige and will seek you out in the future.

Oh, and don't chew gum - or if you have to, do it with your mouth closed.

Guys ...
Some of the above and then...

Find a smiling gal who's near the dance floor and ask her to dance. But for godsake, learn how to, first, and remember - smooth is as good or better than fancy! A couple of basic steps done correctly and on tempo is more fun for your partner than a dozen pretzel turns done badly with the timing all screwed up.

Avoid dancing roughly - like pulling your partner's arm out of its socket. It's bad form. Remember, you want to look good, and you can look really good if you make your partner look good. Make eye contact - dancing is about communication.

Dance with all sorts of partners, it'll make you a better dancer, not to mention, it'll make you seem like a nice guy.

ALSO, if you haven't showered, shaved, or brushed your teeth for a while, it might be a good idea to do that first! You don't want women to be pointing you out for the wrong reasons!

Dance Floor Etiquette ...
Yes, there are rules about dance floor rights and wrongs. Here are some of them...

It's not cool to stand right ON the dance floor to socialize. Even experienced dancers, who should know better, sometimes stand right on the dance floor talking, drinking, smoking. Do what you like, but do it AWAY from the dance floor!
Speaking of which... be nice to fellow dancers and avoid bumping into them. If it's crowded on the floor - and these days most floors are crowded, dance small. Most important, try to remember, your partner is not disposable - don't toss her around like a bowling ball.
A hardwood dance floor should be treated with care. Drinks and cigarettes on the dance floor are a NO NO! When you spill liquid on a hardwood floor, it becomes a hazardous wet spot. Even when it dries, this spot is pretty much ruined for dancers the rest of the night because it becomes "tacky" and you can't slide across it.
If you are a beginner dancer, remember that everyone out there has probably experienced that same sweaty palm, stiff-as-a-board, jittery feeling. It will pass.
If you or your partner screw up a step, get past the urge to argue about who's screwing up. Remember - there are no mistakes! It's ONLY dancing, and everyone's there to have fun.

If you're a woman who's not being asked to dance, try standing near the edge of the dance floor; smile, tap your foot, and look like you really NEED to dance to this song. Make eye contact. Dance with the first person who asks. Once you get out there a couple of times with different partners, other potential partners will know you won't turn them down. ALSO, don't be afraid to ask guys to dance. It's cool!
If you are asked to dance, you should politely accept. If you do not want to dance when asked, you should politely say no, but should not ignore the person or walk away (manners, manners, manners!!). This is a mature minded environment and everybody is expected to treat each other with respect.

If you say no when asked for a dance, you should ‘generally’ not dance with anyone until the next song. ....remember this ladies :)

If a lady says ‘no’ do not pester her, be polite and ask somebody else. If a guy says 'no', don't take it personally or be put off - guys can sometimes dance 5 - 7 songs continuously and may need a breather. Salsa welcomes everybody, the etiquette ensures everybody feels comfortable and relaxed in the environment and, therefore, have a great time.

Most people dance 1 song, then change dance partners or take a rest. However, if you like dancing with the person, then you can ask them to carry on dancing but remember do not monolpolise a partner, other people may want a turn. Both dance partners are expected to say thank you at the end of a dance.

Be considerate to others when you are dancing. On a busy dance floor you need dance to a smaller space, don't go wild dancing like you just been released from the middle of the earth and keep bumping into others (and kindly say sorry, if you do).

Salsa is a close dance, so personal hygiene is very important. We don’t want anyone suffocating when you raise your arms (ok that is a joking …but really we don’t want that happening!!!).

A chewing gum or mint is also a very good idea. You should also carry a small face towel or something to dry yourself if you get a bit sweaty.Which i generally do :)

One point that bears repeating, and can't be made strongly enough is: DON'T dance in a way that's going to invite a problem or result in collisions with nearby couples. All too often, I've seen dancers on a crowded floor with no consideration whatever for other dancers. I think the problem is more of an "ego" thing than a lack of dance etiquette. I've seen otherwise excellent dancers, who should know better, do stuff they shouldn't be doing simply because they get into their "performance" mode and suddenly they're leading with their elbows and their butts - their brains totally turned off. They bump nearby dancers and swing their partners around to clear more space for themselves. Short of physical confrontation, and sometimes it comes to that, there isn't a lot that can be done. You can either bump back, or move. The choice depends on the state of your own ego and the size of the offending dancer.

Lead with your brain, not your butt, and make the effort to be more aware and considerate of your dance environment. Otherwise, some of us will need to sign up for karate classes to go with our salsa classes. ...

So Keep on dancing :)

Its been a while now that i am hooked to salsa dancing.
I feel it’s the most romantic and fun dance form ever as it involves a partner with you also it’s an advantage and disadvantage , if you don’t have a partner and in the class you don’t get a good partner then you had it. But if you have a permanent partner or may be you are married and havea spouse with you then nothing like it to brighten up or spice up your life.

I always wanted to learn this dance form but due to projectwork and working onsite I was not able to join any class so this time when I had bit of a breather space I took advantage and joined a class near my home inpune.

For anyone who enjoys dancing and having a great time with, then they need to try Salsa Dancing.
Salsa is perhaps the most popular of the Latin dances and there are now more places than ever they will teach salsa. If you are interested in learning how to dance salsa then you need to check out phone directory or on the internet. A quick search for salsa dancing on a search engine will give you thousands of links to places that teach salsa.

If you are nervous about going out to take classes then youcan also learn in the comfort of your own home. You can order CD’s for yourcomputer or DVD’s that will teach you how to dance salsa without leaving home.There are lessons available all the way from beginners to experts. The purposeof salsa dancing though is just to have fun and enjoy the rhythm of the music.If you have ever danced or have seen someone dance salsa then you know what Imean.

Dancers aren’t concerned with making sure to follow the correct dance steps, but more concerned with enjoying dancing. Salsa is not easily defined. Who invented salsa? The Cubans, Puerto Ricans?

Salsa is a fusion of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances. Each played a large part in its evolution.It originated in the ports of Cuba during the colonization of the Spaniards, who imported slaves from Africa. Bringing with them their culture, the Africans introduced their rhythmic dance st yles to the Caribbean, giving birth toAfro-Latin dance hybrids like Son, Cha Cha, Danza, Mambo and Rumba.

Salsa is similar to Mambo in that both have a pattern of six steps danced over eight counts of music.There are many styles of salsa.I am learning mambo-salsa. There are other types like New york style,cuban salsa and etc..
The dances share many of the same moves. In Salsa, turns have become an important feature, so the overall look and feel is quite different from those of Mambo. Mambo moves generally forward and backward, whereas, Salsa has more of a side to side feel.

If you listen to salsa music carefully, you will hear influences of Merengue, Cha Cha, Mambo and several other Latin American andAfrican musical styles.
Starting to salsa dance is very basic and it all starts with a tap left on the first beat then stepping forward on the same foot. You thenrock back onto the right foot and finish the steps by stepping back left toclose. These steps comprise the forward basic movement, which is then followed by the back basic movement. The back basic movement is comprised of a tapright, step back to the right; rock forward left and close right.

The steps might not make sense until you actually get out and try them. Salsa dancing is about more than just following a pattern - it’sabout feeling the music and having fun with your partner.

As rightly said by JLO in movie shall we dance “It’s a vertical expression of a horizontal wish” ...Hahaha...just for fun.No offence meant ... none take

So put on your dancing shoes and spice up your life with salsa!!


P.S.: Do watch some of the movies like “Shall we dance”,”Dance withme”,”Take the lead”,”Salsa” (bit old movie) nice one.