In recent years, within the world of Cuban Salsa – and more specifically in the realm of social dancing – a perception has emerged of a general decline in the overall level of dancing. The phenomenon affects dancers of all skill levels. Many enthusiasts argue that dance classes are becoming increasingly less rigorous, and that up-and-coming dancers want “everything immediately, with minimal effort”, thus failing to develop a solid technical foundation as dancers once did. Is this just a perception, or is there some truth to it? Let’s try to dive into it!
The idea that the general dance level is decreasing year after year is not just a feeling. There is solid evidence supporting this view, leaving little room for doubt. However, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions! The approach to dance has changed significantly in recent years, and this has also brought some interesting new developments.
I’ve written on this blog several times about how dance evolves over time in response to changes in society. At this point, one might wonder what the spirit of dancing was like in the past, and how it compares to the present.
A brief recent history of Salsa in Europe
At the dawn of Salsa’s arrival in Europe, people primarily studied it with the aim of dancing it as it was done in its place of origin. It was indeed a hobby, but it was practiced with deep dedication and a spirit of sacrifice. Dancers were willing to spend considerable time on the fundamentals, not eager to learn a wide array of figures. Most importantly, what mattered was the dialogue between partners on the dance floor. That was what dancers sought during social dance evenings.
These were the golden years of Salsa. Dancers frequently traveled to the source – mostly Cuba – to engage in long periods of training (even for years) and to study directly at Cuban academies. They learned the history of the dance and contextualized each step according to the era in which it was born or invented, and how it evolved. They studied rhythmic and musical structure by listening to the music and learning to play key instruments used in Salsa. Cuban dance was learned directly from the root.
Salsa was growing in popularity, and many dancers eventually became teachers, turning a passion into a profession.
Around the 2000s – at different times in different countries – the word began to spread that Salsa was a fun dance, thus capturing the interest of the broader public. Teaching methods opened the dance up to everyone, attracting many new people who were more intrigued by the recreational aspect than by the technical rigor that had previously dominated the scene.
Dance schools began sprouting like mushrooms in all major cities. Salsa had become a mass phenomenon, and from that moment on, dance courses aimed primarily at being accessible to as many people as possible.
The myth of the demanding, rigorous dance experience began to fade. The idea of dancing as it was done in the places of origin gradually lost importance. Dance instructors drastically shifted their approach, and the notion took hold that anyone could teach Salsa – even without any formal training rooted in the dance’s origins.
Over time, many instructors (including some Cubans without academic training) embraced a less rigorous approach – most not out of artistic conviction, but rather to mask their difficulty in adhering to the strict, demanding standards of Cuban style.
A large number of these instructors came from different backgrounds. They already had experience in other disciplines (Zumba, “linear” Salsa, etc.), and the growing popularity of Cuban Salsa was simply too good an opportunity to miss.
Salsa had now changed its face! At that time, traditionalists spoke of “contamination” due to outside influences indifferent to its Cuban roots. In a sense, Europe had “appropriated” the dance.
Unfortunately, things didn’t always go smoothly. Students from different schools often struggled to dance together, precisely because of differences in the teaching content. In many cases, these divergences were pushed to extremes, with “wars” between schools – each claiming their own style was the “true” one – leading to longstanding rivalries that poisoned the atmosphere.
How people dance today
The pandemic put a halt to this climate of fierce competition between schools and brought with it something entirely new: online classes. The idea of learning to dance by watching videos on YouTube or TikTok wasn’t new, but the lockdowns imposed by various governments sped up this trend.
Today, many people turn to online videos to learn new steps or figures. And there are still some who learn exclusively through video lessons. However, this method is on the decline, while in-person classes have resumed at full speed – classes where dancers get to know one another and form real friendships, offering a warmth that technology cannot (yet) replicate.
So yes, people still dance – a lot. They dance primarily for fun, for the joy of the movement itself, for the pleasure of a fun night out, and to meet new people. This approach, already in place for some years, became dominant when we realized how fragile the balance is between individual freedom and collective safety – and how our freedom should never be taken for granted.
More than that, there’s still a great hunger to dance and learn. I have reason to believe we are slowly returning to a place where technical skills are once again being valued. More and more people believe in hard work as the path to mastering movement, and more dancers are understanding that real results require time and dedication.
We’re not witnessing a rupture that splits two opposing schools of thought – those who dance only for fun and those who dance with discipline – but rather two ways of experiencing Salsa that coexist peacefully and even support one another.
Female empowerment
And so we come to a phenomenon that has radically changed the way we dance: female empowerment and the achievement of gender equality.
Salsa in the early 2000s was characterized by a dominant male role and a very passive female one. Society at large was still imbalanced at that time, not just in Cuba and North America – where Salsa came from to us – but also in Europe (though with significant differences from country to country).
That worldview is now widely considered discriminatory and at odds with the values of equality that are now deeply woven into the social fabric.
Female empowerment has profoundly influenced the way we dance. Women, who once played a passive role, are now much more central1.
Entire repertoires of movement – lady style – have been created to celebrate and enhance femininity.
The approach of placing women at the center led to an entirely unexpected consequence at the time: the birth and rapid rise of a new dance style, Bachata Sensual.
Its arrival attracted countless young people – especially women – bringing a fresh, modern feel to the dance scene. Salsa, on the other hand, hesitated to adapt, clinging to a more conservative approach, which in turn led to a significant drop in interest among younger generations and difficulty attracting new talents.
And I believe this is the key point in understanding the heart of the matter.
Dance as a temporary experience
For most people, dancing is a temporary experience – something they pursue before moving on to other activities. New beginners tend to be over thirty. The later one begins to dance, the slower the learning process.
Add to that a wide range of options that weren’t available in the past. In Salsa’s early days in Europe, dancers focused on a single style, investing all their energy into it. Today, the more common mentality is to explore a variety of dances – Cuban Salsa, New York Style, Dominican Bachata, Bachata Sensual, Kizomba, and so on – because all are, in one way or another, danced at social events.
Professional instructors, for their part, have been on the scene for a long time. For them, adapting to a new trend could be a matter of professional survival. The rising popularity of a new dance – Kizomba first, then Bachata Fusion and Sensual – has dictated their teaching agendas. These instructors developed broad skill sets, but rarely mastered any of them as deeply as those who specialized in a single discipline, as was customary during the golden years2.
This is one reason why the benchmarks for measuring dance levels have changed: what is now called an “advanced course” corresponds – both in content and difficulty – to what used to be a “level 2 beginner” or at most an “early intermediate” class. Rhythmic elements have largely disappeared from courses – sadly! – and body movement is no longer the central focus of lessons, which now emphasize learning as many figures as possible.
What has changed is not just the way people dance, but more so the way people teach dancing.
Cuban instructors, for their part, did not take kindly to the contamination of Salsa by other styles. To them, the dance is a matter of identity, and they are reluctant to accept that other cultures might appropriate it. These instructors have attempted – sometimes successfully, sometimes not – to uphold high teaching standards. But in the end, most had to give in to the “many figures” model, though still maintaining some key movements from their root.
For everyone else – especially newer dancers – it is not a matter of contamination, a term with a negative connotation, but rather one of fusion between different styles. This phenomenon is now part of everyday reality: we can either resist it or accept it.
This applies to me too
I belong to the generation that came just after Salsa’s golden years: I didn’t study in Cuban academies in person, but I followed a similar curriculum at a Cuban academy based in Italy. I learned to dance in the “old-school” way, with a deep dive into Cuban folk and popular dances. I studied the roots of the dance – from Afro-Cuban traditions, through Son and Rumba, to Casino (today’s Cuban Salsa).
I’m grateful to have followed that path, which I still consider one of the most important experiences of my life.
I would never have developed a passion for dance through the current offerings on the market, and for this reason, I always encourage dancers to look beyond fleeting trends and give traditional styles a chance – styles that, though more demanding, reward you with immense satisfaction.
Conclusion
The overall level of dancing – at least when it comes to Cuban Salsa – has undeniably declined over the years. Salsa first became a mass phenomenon, and therefore increasingly more accessible. As such, it now attracts many people interested primarily in having fun rather than in technique.
However, the popularity of Salsa hasn’t just lowered the average level—it has also increased the range of opportunities, opening up many new possibilities. There are still many passionate dancers who, thanks to the abundance of classes, workshops, and festivals, have significantly improved their dance abilities.
What we see at social dance events is essentially a reflection of this approach to dancing.
Today, people mostly dance for enjoyment, and the advantages of a relaxed social environment are many. For this reason, I believe the phenomenon should be embraced and supported.
As I see it, this outlook does not take anything away from the traditionalist approach. It’s true that the fusion of Afro-Cuban dance, Rumba, and Son into Salsa has lost appeal among new dancers; I believe this lost appeal is the cause, not the result, of the popularity of other styles and ways of dancing.
Change is inevitable, and by nature, temporary. But its impact can be significant. Experienced dancers who have invested time and effort in mastering a specific style may struggle with the idea of having less space in the scene.
People tend to get defensive when they feel something important is being taken away from them. That’s why it’s crucial for the dance community to remain open—to both the new and the old.
As long as that happens, the community stays healthy. That way, social dancing becomes a win-win for everyone involved. And to me, that is the ultimate goal and the only thing truly worth defending.
1. In some styles of dance, there has even been a sort of role reversal, where women now take the lead and men serve primarily as support.
2. In fact, it’s not uncommon to meet dance instructors who started in one discipline and shifted multiple times as trends evolved.