SALSA classes in medellin
Salsa dancing has long been popular in Medellin, Colombia. Before 2012, the majority of salsa dancing was done at local salsa bars. And, at crossover bars, viejotecas and social gatherings, salsa was one of the genres that would be heard and danced to. And, the 2 primary Medellin salsa radio stations were and still are Latina Stereo 100.9 FM (salsa brava and salsa classics) and El Sol 107.9 FM (mainstream salsa). People who enjoyed salsa dancing had generally not taken classes at a salsa school.
And, the most predominant style of salsa dancing was Colombian or Cali style salsa, which like Cuban style salsa, is a more circular style of salsa dancing than is danced in most other parts of the world. There were already various salsa schools in Medellin that offered private classes and some group classes. And, there were companies that focused on the formation of professional dancers for shows and competitions. Colombia was ranked among the top in the world at salsa competitions for soloist, couple and group salsa, and known for its elaborate footwork and acrobatics. Other than local salsa bars, there wasn’t yet a social dancing scene in the city for those who had formally learned to dance salsa at dance schools and/or were familiar with international salsa dancing styles, such salsa on1 and salsa on2.
What is Salsa?
Salsa is a dynamic musical genre based on Afro-Cuban rhythms, heavily shaped by Puerto Rican musical traditions and American jazz elements. The root of the word comes from the Spanish word for "sauce," symbolizing a spicy, energetic mixture of different cultural influences. The distinctive sound is driven by a structured rhythm section featuring the piano, bass, and brass instruments like trumpets and trombones, all built around a core percussion ensemble of congas, timbales, bongos, cowbells, and the güiro.
The genre fundamentally came to life in New York City during the 1960s and 1970s. It evolved as a cultural movement spearheaded by Puerto Rican immigrants and Latin American musicians who fused traditional Caribbean rhythms like Cuban son, mambo, and guaracha with the urban energy of New York. While early albums like Tito Puente's Salsa y Sabor highlighted the word flavor in the early 1960s, it was this distinct New York melting pot and labels like Fania Records that standardized and popularized the music globally under the name "salsa."
Here is some basic information about salsa, to get you started:
The 8-Beat Cycle: Each salsa dance basic uses 8 beats organized into two 4-beat measures. Dancers often count these as 1-2-3-4 and 5-6-7-8, while musicians typically organize the structure as repeating 4-beat measures counted 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4. This shared 8-beat cycle forms the rhythmic foundation that organizes timing between dancers and music.
Weight Changes & Timing: The majority of salsa dancing basics include 6 weight changes on the beats 1-2-3 and 5-6-7. On the beats 4 and 8, there is a shift of the hips from one side to the other, which straightens the leg that you most recently used and bends the knee of the other leg so that you can then use the leg with the bent knee.
Foundational Vocabulary: The leader generally begins with the left foot and the follower generally begins with the right foot. Some of the most common salsa basics include the in-line basic (front and back), the lateral basic (side to side), fifth position or “quintas” in Spanish (the basic of Colombian style salsa), and double or “doble” in Spanish (the basic used for romantic salsa).
Salsa Dance Styles: There are many styles of salsa dancing. Among them are LA or Los Angeles style (also known as salsa on1 because it is danced beginning on the first beat), New York and Puerto Rico Style (also known as salsa on2 because it is danced beginning on the second beat), mambo, Colombian style salsa, Cali style salsa, salsa callejera (not formally a salsa style, this is a variation of Colombian style salsa, generally learned informally/empirically), and Cuban style salsa (commonly known as salsa casino).
Advanced Concepts: Once you have more experience, you can begin to learn about new concepts, such as how to better understand your own weight on the floor, how to better understand the rhythm/music, how to isolate your individual body parts (knees, hips, shoulders, chest, rib cage, etc.), cross body leads, how to turn yourself and your partner, spinning, illusions, launching of an arm (“lanzada” in Spanish), shines, dissociation, footwork and legwork (points, kicks, lijas, cha-cha-chas, etc.), and how to give subtle, clear indications to your dance partner (if you are the leader) and how to feel and follow (if you are the follower).
Top Salsa Artists: Some of the top salsa artists include Celia Cruz, Joe Arroyo, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades, Willie Colón, Oscar D’Leon, Eddie Santiago, Eddie Palmieri, Ismael Rivera, Cheo Feliciano, Johnny Pacheco, Larry Harlow, and Ray Barretto.
Medellin’s Historical Connection to Salsa
In 2012, DANCEFREE began offering free group salsa and bachata dance classes, followed by social dancing. For its first 2 years, DANCEFREE offered free dance classes only. Then, DANCEFREE began offering paid private classes, group classes and socials, too. While private classes covered many rhythms, DANCEFREE became one of the primary schools in Medellin to strongly promote internationally recognized in-line salsa styles, especially salsa on1 (LA style salsa). The salsa curriculum focused heavily on in-line fundamentals, cross body leads, partnerwork, spinning, musicality and social dancing concepts commonly associated with LA style salsa.
DANCEFREE's first social was every Thursday, becoming the first and most popular social focused primarily on salsa on1, bachata and international social dancing culture in Medellin. The schedule eventually grew to include group salsa classes 6 nights a week, salsa practices 3 nights a week, and socials 3 nights a week running until as late as 4:00am. DANCEFREE became the place to be for students, teachers, and anyone else who wanted to learn, teach and dance salsa, and the social dancing scene, and number of students and instructors in Medellin grew exponentially.
Class Schedule & Pricing in Medellin
DANCEFREE offers private salsa classes, in person in Medellin, Colombia, and online via Zoom and Google Meet. Our in-person classes are 7 days a week and our online classes are on weekdays only, subject to availability. We have more than 25 salsa instructors and teach students of all levels, from new (no experience) to expert.
If you would like to take private salsa classes, click here to view the steps for beginning private classes. If you would like to view our calendar for salsa socials and more, click here..