In Spanish the word "salsa" means sauce, an apt word for this saucy and spicy Latin dance. Salsa is similar to Mambo, and in fact, both dances do share many of the same moves. Both are dances that have a pattern of six steps danced to eight counts of music (two bars of four beats). Typically in Salsa patterns you will see three steps to 4 beats of music, with the forth beat being a "hold" or sometimes a kick or flick.
The word Salsa is also used to refer to the upbeat Latin music the dance is done to, often heavy on percussion and containing the Clave beat, a rhythmic pattern with it's roots in African and Cuban music. Salsa is a "spot" dance, meaning it is done in one spot the floor and does not travel across the floor, making it ideal in a crowded club setting. Here you'll learn the basic Salsa step for both the gentleman and the lady, and see the dance done to music.