Una guía visual · LA & Cuban styles

Salsa,
step by step.

Thirty-two moves, drawn foot by foot. Beginner basics to advanced Rueda patterns — every step shows you exactly where the foot lands.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

quick-quick-slow · 1·2·3 — 5·6·7

12
Beginner
12
Intermediate
8
Advanced

Read the diagrams

L = left foot · R = right foot
FRONTBACKLRLForward step
FRONTBACKRLRBack step
FRONTBACKLRLSide step
FRONTBACKRLRCross in front
FRONTBACKRLRPivot turn
FRONTBACKLRLTap (no weight)

Dashed feet show the previous position. Solid feet are where weight lands. Salsa pauses on counts 4 and 8 — no step.

Technique

Body & weight

8 fundamentals

The foot diagrams show where to step. These eight rules govern how you step — the invisible layer that separates beginners from dancers.

Weight on the ball

Heels stay light, never planted. Pivots, turns, and quick weight changes only work when your weight rides the ball of the foot.

Cuban motion

As you step, straighten the knee of the standing leg. The hip on that side lifts on its own — that is real Cuban motion, not a shake.

Hips follow knees

Never force the hips. Bend one knee, straighten the other, and the pelvis tilts naturally. Hip motion is a result, never a cause.

Compact frame

Elbows down and forward of the ribs, shoulders relaxed, core lightly engaged. The frame is the wire the lead travels through.

Counterbalance

Leaders settle slightly back in turns to give the follower a post. Followers stay vertical, stacked over the spinning foot — no leaning.

Spot your turns

Lock your eyes on a point — usually partner — and whip the head around last. Eliminates dizziness and keeps multi-spins clean.

Settle on 3 and 7

Counts 3 and 7 are the 'slow'. Transfer full weight, breathe, then explode into the next bar. This pause is what makes salsa feel like salsa.

Quiet upper body

Chest and shoulders stay calm so your partner can read the lead. All the styling — shines, body rolls, isolations — lives below the ribs.

Beginner

12 moves

Intermediate

12 moves

Advanced

8 moves

Roadmap

Road to expert

6 milestones

A realistic path from first basic to performance floor. Hours are rough — consistency beats binge practice every time.

  1. Find the beat

    ~10 h

    Hear the '1' in any salsa song without thinking.

    • Clap the clave (3-2 and 2-3) along to ten different tracks.
    • Tap the conga tumbao — slap on 2, open tones on 4-and.
    • Walk basic in place to a song you have never heard before.

  2. Own the basic

    ~30 h

    Forward, back, side basic on time, eyes up, breathing.

    • Five full minutes of basic without losing the 1.
    • Slow song (160 bpm) → fast song (200 bpm), same step.
    • Mirror practice: shoulders still, weight changes only.

  3. Lead & follow

    ~60 h

    Connect through the frame; stop staring at the feet.

    • Closed-position basic with eyes closed (follower).
    • Lead a cross-body with finger-tip pressure only.
    • Switch partners every two songs at social practice.

  4. Turn library

    ~120 h

    Clean inside / outside turns and CBL combinations.

    • 20 right turns each side, spotting every rep.
    • Cross-body lead with inside turn, no telegraphing.
    • Hammerlock → enchufla → exit, drilled until automatic.

  5. Musicality

    ~250 h

    Hit breaks, match song sections, improvise styling.

    • Listen 10 min daily — name the instrument carrying the melody.
    • Freeze on every horn break for one full song.
    • Choose one shine and place it on the montuno section.

  6. Performance polish

    500 h +

    Lines, timing, multi-spins, choreography work.

    • Triple and quadruple spins from a prepped CBL.
    • Film yourself weekly; fix one thing per session.
    • Take a performance team audition or social showcase.

Daily 40-minute routine

Show up every day

The single biggest accelerator. Forty focused minutes daily beats a three-hour weekend session every time.

Block 1
5 min
Warm-up: ankles, knees, hips, shoulders
Block 2
10 min
Basic step to three different tempos
Block 3
15 min
Turn drills — right, left, CBL with turn
Block 4
10 min
Freestyle to a full song, no stopping