How To Salsa Dance: Salsa Timing

Pair of soft-soled shoes

Step 1: Basic Timing

The basic movement timing of salsa dancing across most salsa styles, is a step quick-quick-slow over a 4 beat measure. The quick steps are on the beats one and two, with the slow on the three beat. The four is a pause, or a tap. So you would step left, right, left, pause/tap then right, left, right/tap. Dance instructors will often call out the beats as, "One, two, three. Five, six, seven. One, two, three. Five, six, seven." The four and the eight still being there, except the beats are not called out.