Ay ay ay! Folks, as a died in the wool NY salsero I am chagrined to hear all this mush about how to dance properly. FYI, salsa -- the dance and the music -- is derived from the mambo craze of the fifties. Salsa itself has roots in Cuban musical forms but it is in fact a creation of the PR diaspora in NYC. It is a NY thing. So, as to the proper way to dance (as with all dance steps, I believe), the man starts with his LEFT foot forward on the SECOND beat. Got it? THIS is THE salsa step -- why? Because of the contrapuntal beat contained in the underlying "clave." If you pay attention to the beat (listen to the wooden sticks being struck in the background and you will hear it), you will see that the dance is much more elegant and just makes more sense when you "break on two" as they say. Just take time to listen a bit and you will understand.
Course, you can put your left forward on the first beat if you like -- but NOT the right foot, my god where is that coming from? That is either a misconception or the dancers are just klutzes. NO dance begins with the right foot forward, ever! Not merengue, not bachata, not the waltz, not rumba. none. period.
many people who didnt grow up during the salsa era of the 60s and 70s instinctively begin with the left foot forward on the first beat when they dance it, and that is accepted. Plenty of clubs will have dancers who break on one and others who break on two, and a good dancer can do both. But all the old salseros know that breaking on two is the mark of the true dancer.
Btw, there are some great Dominican salsa dancers here -- and son as well (go to the Monumento del Son in Villa Mella,and there is a small club over on Hostos, or used to be, where all the old soneros used to gather). But it is true that salsa does not appear as often as bachata (which is now becoming a more complex dance form) and merengue. Most of the women can dance salsa in some form, but fewer men, so you see some unusual interpretations of the dance -- but that too is acceptable. After all, we are not talking about Ballroom competitions, we are talking about a live dance form.
I myself dont like too much "shine" -- the elaborations and fancy moves/turns that were mentioned earlier, but this is the ballroom influence. I like the synchrony that happens when two dancers dance well. salsa is sensuous, elegant, fluid, it is sexy and courtly at the same time. And the best salsa builds to a climax, it is like a narrative, it has different stages, and that influences the steps or moves you make. marvelous to watch as well as dance. Merengue and bachata too can be wonderful if done with style. Merengue is often taught at dance schools as the first latin dance, the merengue "walk" being considered a basic step that most people can learn and build on.
