Salsa Patterns

I have taken Salsa classes at the Gilruth Center, with Salsa Eddy, and at The Palladium, but I consider myself very much a beginner. Nearly all salsa classes and social dances take place in Houston, so my unwillingness to regularly drive to Houston has slowed down my progress.

An acquaintance named Billy showed me some Cali (Colombian) salsa patterns, and I was blown away by them. The patterns seemed mostly like basic salsa patterns, but contained shuffle-dance elements sprinkled throughout.

Luckily, I was able to find some video tutorials online for Cali salsa.

General Salsa knowledge #

Salsa is danced to music written in 4/4 time and salsa patterns are danced to 8-count phrases because they span 8 beats.

Time breakdown #

Since there are 8 beats of music for each pattern, there are different ways to emphasize the beats in the music.

The same song can be danced with a combination of patterns at regular speed, half speed, and full speed even if the beat itself never changes speed. This makes the dance look expressive and dynamic.

Regular time

Steps 1, 2, and 3 are danced to the beat, step 4 is a pause, steps 5, 6, and 7 are danced to the beat, and step 8 is a pause. Regular time is counted as 1, 2, 3, –, 5, 6, 7, –. In other words, the numbers 4 and 8 are not pronounced because they are replaced by pauses. This means the rhythm is quick, quick, slow, quick, quick slow.

Half time

Steps 1, 3, 5, and 7 are danced every other beat. Half time is counted as 1, –, 3, –, 5, –, 7, –. In other words, the numbers 2, 4, 6 and 8 are not pronounced because they are replaced by pauses. The rhythm is slow, slow, slow, slow.

Full time

Steps 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are danced to the beat. There are no pauses. Full time is counted as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. This means the rhythm is quick, quick, quick, quick, quick, quick, quick, quick.