VP of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Marguerite partnered with member Natalia to host a salsa dancing class!
Salsa is a Latin dance, associated with salsa music, which was first popularized in the United States during the 1960s in New York City. Salsa is a mixture of Cuban dances, such as mambo, pachanga, and rumba, as well as American dances such a as swing and tap. Salsa is one of the most popular types Latin dances that is practiced worldwide. The term “salsa” was coined by Johnny Pacheco in the 1960s in New York, as an umbrella term for Cuban dance music being played in the city at the time. Salsa as a dance emerged soon after, being a combination of mambo (which was popular in New York in the 1950s) as well as Latin dances such as Son and Rumba as well as American dances such as swing, hustle, and tap. Like many other forms of Latin dances, salsa may trace its roots back to Cuba, where it is widely accepted that early radio is responsible for American artists to begin incorporating elements of Latin American rhythms into their own music and eventually into their own styles of dance.
Salsa dance steps can be done individually, but Salsa is most popularly known as a partnered dance where the lead takes the follower through a series of spins and turn patterns to music. Salsa’s tempo ranges from about 150bpm (beats per minute) to around 250bpm, although most dancing is done to music somewhere between 160 and 220bpm.The basic Salsa dance rhythm consists of taking three steps for every four beats of music. Salsa dancers can also break apart to dance solo, known as “shines”.
The two main styles of partnered salsa dancing are linear and circular. In linear salsa, dance couples remain in their “slot,” with each dancer switching places from one side of the slot to the other. The second style of partnered salsa dancing is circular salsa. Here, dancers circle around each other, reminiscent of East Coast Swing. Both Cuban and Colombian salsa follow this circular pattern.
The event was a wonderful time, and the perfect way to learn something new while taking a break from the end of the semester grind!
FSU Alpha Chi Omega 