Salsa Origins
On the island of Cuba started an extra ordinary big variety of rhythms and kinds of music. The Spaniards had a strong musical tradition, which they took with them to the New World. They let the slaves free to practice their own utterance of music and dance. Central into the music from the slaves of Africa was the drum and the rhythm.
Salsa Movements
Salsa dancing is done on eight-beat music, with dancers moving on three beats, pausing for one beat, dancing for three beats, and pausing for one beat. The movement style is left-right-left-pause, then right-left-right-pause. During the pause in most salsa dancing some sort of flourish is utilized, be it a stomp of the foot, casting out the hand or kicking the lower leg.