How to Dance the New York Salsa

New York salsa builds on the Puerto Rican and Afro-Caribbean roots of the dance, adding in the influences of the Latin hustle and mambo to create a unique style found most often on the East Coast of the United States. The result is a rhythmic, sensual and precise dance performed with a number of basic steps that are simple to learn.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Work with 4/4 time, which is four beats per measure. Since New York salsa is danced in two measures, it is considered dancing to an eight-beat measure or bar, so it is counted one, two, three, four and five, six, seven, eight. You will step on the one, two, three and the five, six, seven, pausing on the fourth and eighth beats.

2. Face your partner. You should assume the standard partner position for a closed dance, meaning the leader has the right hand behind the back of the follower and the follower's left hand rests on the right shoulder of the leader. The leader holds the right hand of the follower.

3. Wait until the sixth beat of the measure, which means you stay in the standard position through beats one to five. On the sixth beat, the man (or lead) steps forward, while the woman steps back at the same time.

4. Change direction on the seventh beat, with the leader rocking back on his right foot and the follower rocking forward on her left foot.

5. Start dancing on the first beat of the next measure by performing a basic step: the leader moves his left foot back, while the follower goes forward with her right foot.

6. Break forward on the second beat of the measure. The lead steps back on his right foot, and then rocks forward with his body. The follower should step forward with her left foot before rocking back with her body. This is called breaking back on two.

7. Step in place with your left foot on the third beat, while the follower steps in place with her right. The body should still be leaning or rocking in the same direction as the previous beat.

8. Pause on the fourth beat.

9. Move your feet in the opposite directions of the last complete step on the fifth beat of the measure. This means the leader steps forward with his right foot, slightly in front of his left foot. The follower steps back with her left foot, moving it slightly behind her right foot.

10. Break back on six if you are the leader. The follower should break forward on this beat.

11. Continue leaning your body back while you step in place on the seventh beat. The follower continues the rocking or leaning forward while stepping in place.

12. Pause on the eighth beat.

13. Move away from your partner occasionally and dance a solo, called a shine. A shine lets you show off intricate footwork and more advanced skills.

Tips & Warnings

• Many New Yorkers freely interchange the names mambo and salsa, but early mambo did not feature as many turns and moves as present-day salsa.
• Stay in line or in your slot. Circular motions and traveling far mean you aren't dancing in the New York style even if you are dancing "on two."