Salsa dancing is intimidating. My early association of the dance would probably be witnessing it in rom-coms, used as a way to court and whoo a potential love interest. I know people will take classes to understand the dance. One person leads and another follows from my understanding. So, a conversation must be had in the moment. Who is going to lead? Who is going to follow?

And musically, what does the ear follow to direct the body on how to move? Reading up on salsa, the body should take three steps for every four beats of the music played. The resulting syncopation isn’t easy for everyone to grasp and move fluidly. Like many other styles of Latin music, I’d advise following the auxiliary percussion, such as the guiro in this clip or the clave, which appears regularly in salsa too. This methodology of listening is different to Western pop/rock beats which are usually dictated by the kicks and snares on strong beats. So there are rules to follow and cues to listen to all while trying to not look like a fool in front of others. This was where my head was the first time I went to a Salsa club in Mexico in 2018.

Despite forming from Puerto Rican and Cuban rhythms and music like mambo and merengue, like many things in the Latin diaspora, there’s intermingling of cultures which has resulted in there being an affluence of salsa bars in Mexico City. The bar I went to was described to me as “bandito”, not in the best neighborhood and certainly no other foreigners inside the club, but a proper Salsa club. I felt more compelled to sit and watch versus step onto the floor with that in mind. Surrounded by tables of patrons quietly drinking their buckets of beer, at the end of each song, the dance floor would clear and as the band started a new tune, new dancers would knowingly step onto the floor to begin their dance. The formality was fascinating to watch, no words exchanged yet, first time encounters occurred with simple flashes of the eye and nods into coupled formation.

On my recent visit back to Mexico City, I watched my soon-to-be dance partner do the same studying I had years before. This time in a different bar, with foreigners noticeably present (both due to the area we were in and a probable indicator of the recent surge of foreign interest in Mexico City), and us surrounded by friends, some foreigners and others chilangos, the slang term used for people living in Mexico City. The seriousness of some patrons was present but also there were people dancing who clearly didn't know the salsa rulebook back to front. Our chilango friends would go and dance, exuding a carefree causality of people who understood the rules and rhythms of the room but also weren’t reduced to a rigidity of those trying to follow too closely.

This time I was eager to engage, having had time to better understand and also clocking the mood of the room which allowed for someone like me, a confident non-choreographed dancer, to try my hand at following the steps. With hesitancy remaining in some at our table, it took us going as a group to encourage everyone to proceed. There in the middle of the floor, was the thought of external observation but the jumble of friendly bodies moving made it easier focus on my dancing and my partner.

Not knowing what you’re doing can feel less vulnerable when surrounded and supported by your friends. While I certainly felt like I was keeping my own, I know the examination I would’ve felt if my partner and I were up there on our own. The space given to fumble along to the salsa rhythm and find our feet is a gift I cherish in friendships groups and communities. Looking out at life, this tends to work the same way too. Isolating yourself and trying to learn on your own certainly may allow for some "‘Wow moments” when you’re finally able to share newfound skills and insights but learning in a nurturing environment removes that pressure and allows you to be present with the music and moment that’s making your body move in the first place.

Revisit our last WYWH about our June celebration here, before some event updates coming real soon ;)

Recording by Spurge Carter
June 25, 2021. In Mexico City, Mexico