Salsa Dancing NYC

Here are a few tips to consider when at a salsa social or salsa dancing NYC .  1)Standing on the dance floor:  Please do not stand in the middle of the dance floor if you’re not dancing.  This is inconsiderate.   You wouldn’t stand in the middle of a basket ball court or baseball diamond while a game is going on, so why do dancers do this on a dance floor? If you’d like to talk  or rest, do it off the floor.

Salsa dancing NYC

Latin couple dancing salsa in NYC club.

2)Making your way onto the dance floor:  Do it without disturbing the current salsa dancers.   If you are the one making your way onto the floor, it’s your job to avoid bumping into dancers and not the other way around.  Try to find the space that is least crowded.  Elbowing your way into a packed area is inconsiderate.  If the floor is too crowded, consider sitting one out.

3)Ladies attire: Ladies, of course wear a great outfit that turns heads, but make sure you can dance in it.  You don’t want to spend the night pulling down a skirt that keeps riding up, or not be able to spin because your dress comes up too high.  Wear something that allows you to move, but compliments your beautiful dance curves.

4)Getting asked to dance: A smile goes a long way.  With a smile,  you will definitely attract gentlemen.  Stay by the edge of the dance floor.  Alone is better than with a group of friends.  Sitting away from the dance floor chatting with your girls,  you most likely will not be asked to dance.

5)Asking a woman to dance: Be respectful gentlemen.  Offer your hand and ask; “Would you like to dance?”  The way you ask a woman does matter.  Don’t ask like she’s the last resort, and perhaps you don’t really want to dance with her.

6)Leading: Please be smooth.  Good followers don’t like rough leaders. We don’t want our hands crushed or our arms pulled out of the socket.  Build the dance.  Start with easy salsa patterns.  Once you see the woman can follow these easy salsa patterns, you may move onto more difficult ones.

Salsa Dance Schools vs Salsa Clubs

 Salsa dance schools in Brooklyn. Miguel and salsera dancing at Dance Fever Studios' Party.

Salsa Social in Brooklyn

Where’s the  best place for dancing salsa and Latin music?

I have recently heard many complaints from students who have gone out to salsa clubs and didn’t have the type of experience they thought they would have.  The club was advertised as a salsa/Latin club, but played mostly pop music. There was salsa dancing, but only in a small room in the back.   No one was really dancing salsa.  They were just there to pick up.  Or, they were just standing on the floor with drinks in hand.  The club was too crowded to dance or move.  There were too many thugs or hoodlum types.  The floor was not good for dancing.  It was too sticky from spilt beer or other drinks.  Or, it was a tile floor that a woman’s heels easily get caught up in.  Not good for dancing.   In order to get a seat,  you needed to buy a drink.   What it you don’t drink and don’t like paying $3 for a bottle of water.  They advertised, dancing begins at 9, but no one was there at 9.  It didn’t get going til 12.  The list can go on, but you get the idea.  There are good clubs that have salsa and Latin dancing, with a good clean wood floor, real dancers and reasonable pricing;  but they are few and far between.

My recommendation is next time you want to go salsa dancing, go to a dance school social.  You will find friendly people who are there to dance and not drink.  The music will be what you want, with no club attitude, and at a reasonable start time.   You can usually leave your purse unattended and not worry.  Many dance schools socials also include food and drinks in the price.  A dance school will usually tell you in their ad,  or on their calendar, exactly what music they will be playing.  If it’s advertised as a salsa/Latin mix, that’s what you’ll get.  Lots of salsa, with some bachata, cha cha and merengue.  No Rihanna or Lady Gaga.  So, the winner is dance schools.