The one thing I really like about salsa is that there are so many different ways to dance it and no one way is necessarily any better or worse than another. Where the goal of learning ballroom dances is often to achieve a certain ideal form of body movement and expression of the music, salsa celebrates and thrives with its many different forms of expressions with a goal often to find and create your own personal unique form of expression. learn to dance salsa uniquely. Here is how.

Insider Tip # 1 To Creating Your Own Style – Understanding Your Dance Background

The first step to creating your own salsa style is to understand your dance background.
For example, do you have background in other dances? If you do, don’t try to inhibit your body from bringing those dance expressions in to salsa also. Rather integrate them to it.

Salsa dancers probably have some of the most varied dance (and non-dance) backgrounds there are. Some salsa dancers come from ballroom, others come with ballet, jazz, or tap background, some come from the hip-hop and breakdance world, while yet others come from dances like west-coast swing or hustle.

And then there are dancers like myself that come from no dance background at all. But don’t let a lack of dance background be a excuse for developing your own style. Some of the most sought after salsa dancers in the world come from no dance backgrounds at all. Often there is nothing cooler than seeing ordinary guys (and gals) with no dance background dancing with passion.

Insider Tip # 2 To Creating Your Own Style – Understanding Your Personality

Let your salsa dancing reflect your personality. Are you more eccentric, funky, introverted, dramatic, sexy, classy, crazy, funny, sophisticated, or a combination of many things.

Don’t be afraid to bring your personality through. Rather build your dance style around it. If you are funky and more eccentric person, you might want to go take a contemporary dance class rather than a ballroom dance class to augment your salsa dancing.

Let your own unique personality build your dancing and your dancing to be an expression of it. Learn to dance and shine your personality through it!

Insider Tip # 3 To Creating Your Own Style – Understanding Your Body

The truth is that certain moves will look better than others on you depending on your body type. Finding out what moves and movements feels good and most natural to your body type takes time. Injuries and other limitations may also make it more sense to emphasis certain movements in your dancing versus others.

Observe the dancers your resonate the most with and emulate them. Pick their moves, style, personality, and flair and incorporate it to your own. As you learn from great dancers and become a better dancer with time you begin to develop your own unique self expression on the dance floor.

Insider Tip # 4 To Creating Your Own Style – Your Clothing Style

As you get more and more into expressing yourself in the dance floor, let your clothing style augment it as well. If you like hip-hop style salsa, let it show with your cap and some baggier pants, for example. Dance is about expression and your clothing is part of that expression.

If you want to feel sexy, who says you should not wear a little shorter skirt, other than maybe your Grandma, of course. What is so beautiful about salsa dancing is that individual expression, rather than being inhibited, is being celebrated on the dance floor. Live to dance and dance to live someone famous once said.

Insider Tip # 5 To Creating Your Own Style – Respecting The Styles Of Others

What will really make you stand out is when you not only have created your own unique dance style and expression, but when you also respect and honor the styles and expressions of others. There is no one better or worse style than another. We are all different and our differences should be respected, honored, celebrated, and understood. Just because someone is different from us does not mean that they are not just as equal and should be valued the same.

Sure, some have been able to create unique art and style that is valued more than other in terms of its monetary value, but in the eyes of God we are all equal. So make sure to appreciate and find something good in all expressions of this great art form.

And there you have it 5 insider tips to learn to dance salsa uniquely by creating your own personal style.

About the author:

Mikko Kemppe is an avid salsa dancer,instructor,performer, and promoter in the San Francisco Bay area. Find out more about how to learn to dance salsa simply by clicking these words: learn to dance salsa!