The world of Salsa is incredibly diverse, and some styles dominate the European scene more than others. Among the most popular styles are Puertorican, New York, and Cuban – which is the focus of this post. Each is recognized by unique peculiarities that characterize it. If you want to dive deeper into a specific style, it’s beneficial to understand the nature of its movements and their essence. As you gain confidence in dancing, you’ll be able to express yourself more freely within the boundaries of your favorite style.
Characteristics of the Cuban style
When it comes to Cuban Salsa – whose original name, let’s remember, is (Baile de) Casino – I have identified five key elements that I share with you here. My suggestion is to explore each of them as much as possible. Why? Because by doing so, with time and practice, your movements will become more elegant and visually captivating—much like mine 😉
Remember, we all dance for the intrinsic joy of it and for fun, so I also recommend taking all this with a pinch of common sense. Contextualize what you read: don’t treat these as dogmas, but don’t dismiss them either – you never know if someday you might take dancing beyond mere entertainment and embrace it as a serious hobby.
- Rotation/Progression/Circular Development
- The Pause
- Contraposition
- The “8” Chest Movement
- The “Feeling”
Rotation/Progression/Circular development
Cuban Salsa develops in all directions. However, even to an untrained eye, it’s clear that the dancers continuously move around each other in an ongoing rotation. Virtually all steps and figures follow this dynamic, “drawing” a circle with their movements. This already highlights a difference from the styles mentioned earlier, which tend to develop linearly – that’s why they’re often referred to as “linear dances”.
A special mention goes to the execution of figures. These are highly emphasized in dance schools because they make lessons enjoyable, and we learn to “rotate” precisely while practicing and mastering the various figures.
Let’s not forget, though, that Cuban Salsa offers great freedom, allowing you to use all the available space without confining yourself strictly to circular movements.
The Pause
Cuban Salsa is danced to both melody and rhythm. Feet and legs, in particular, accentuate the steps by following and creating rhythm. Rhythm consists of accents—movements emphasized more than others—and these occur in conjunction with the Pause.
The Cuban style places great importance on the Pause, creating a strong accent with the preceding step and then bending the knees with the following step. In schools where steps are counted, the 7 and the 3 accentuate the movement, while the 1 and the 5 involve bending the knees. Note that I’ve highlighted the 7 as the first accent because it precedes and prepares the movement. If this seems unclear, just remember that for Cuban Salsa dancers, the most important steps are those that precede the Pause (7 and 3), not those that follow it.
This peculiarity is undoubtedly a legacy of Salsa’s fundamental roots in Son, passed down through ChaChaCha and into Casino – Cuban Salsa.
Contraposition
Perhaps the most crucial and fundamental element: the opposition of the ribcage to the foot bearing the weight. This characteristic is what makes a dancer’s movements elegant and harmonious, as it completes the lower body’s movement with the upper body’s involvement. If you’re looking for an effective way to improve your style, I recommend thoroughly understanding the concept of opposition and finding exercises to develop it until it becomes natural and integral to your dancing.
The “8” Chest Movement
One of Cuban Salsa’s “secrets” lies in torso movement. Technically, the torso movement is lateral. As a consequence, when the chest moves off-axis, a slight torsion occurs. Dancers emphasize this motion, creating a pattern that recalls the shape of an “8” when viewed from above.
It’s essential to note that this movement comes from the ribcage, not the shoulders, which in case merely accentuate it.
From a technical standpoint, the movement originates in the chest and flows fluidly through the upper body, becoming more pronounced and emphasized in the lower body. This is another influence from Afro-Cuban dances, whose fundamental movement undulates from the spine to the fingertips. This is why, even today, Cuban-style movements begin in the upper body.
In general, all rib cage movements require a relaxed, centered posture with the torso slightly leaning forward. This is the “Afrocuban” posture inherited from Afro dances, which is present in Salsa although in a less pronounced form.
Learning this movement, making it your own, and incorporating it into your dancing takes time. However, once you’ve mastered it, you can consider yourself a dragon!
The Feeling
Finally, it’s essential to acknowledge that the Cubans way of dancing reflects their culture and worldview. They grow up immersed in that environment, which is evident in their music, song lyrics, and the way they dance. Unlike Europeans, who often dance mechanically or focus on technical patterns, Cubans “feel” and move in harmony with the emotions conveyed by the music.
This approach has deep roots in Afro-Cuban traditions, Rumba, and Son, and many song lyrics explicitly reference these origins. While Europeans may struggle to truly grasp this feeling, those who have studied Cuban folk dances know how deeply these roots are embedded in Cuban dance movements.
My advice? Learn to play an instrument like the Clave or Conga reasonably well (from a dancer’s perspective), and practice with Cuban music. Only then will your ear begin to perceive that unique expression – the Cadence – that will be reflected in your dancing.
Conclusion
Cuban dance is incredibly rich, and it’s truly unfortunate to see this richness fade away. However, many instructors haven’t explored deeply into the Cuban roots of the dance and limit themselves to teaching circular figures. As a result, many dancers misunderstand the essence of the Cuban style, believing it’s solely about performing figures in a circular pattern. This is exacerbated by the fact that dancing increasingly prioritizes fun, with little interest in getting into Salsa beyond figures.
For those interested, there is a way to immerse yourself in this world and learn the dance in all its forms: by studying Cuban dances chronologically, from Afro-Cuban roots to today’s Casino (Cuban-style Salsa). I understand that not everyone has the desire – or the possibility – to undertake this journey. Thankfully, Salsa is very adaptable and can be danced even with minimal knowledge. Nonetheless, out of curiosity or just for the sake of knowledge, it’s fascinating to understand that Salsa goes far beyond figures, no matter how intricate or acrobatic they may be.
Cuban Salsa is a dance with infinite nuances and an immense artistic and cultural heritage. For this, we all owe a huge thanks to the Cuban people for sharing it with the world.
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