Salsa's Dynamic History: One of the Reasons for its Popularity with Couples

Salsa dancing is energetic, sensual, rhythmic, and expressive. The dance form draws from Cuban and African roots and originated around the 1960s in pockets around New York that were populated by Cuban and other Latin American immigrants. The result was a dance form that brought together different cultures while celebrating community. Due to its cosmopolitan nature, there are various forms of Salsa, including Cuban, Miami, Colombian, and New York styles.

The rich history and varied cultures that feed into Salsa dancing have also made this style particularly popular for couples new to dancing. This is because in as much as they are able to learn a new skill, couples are also introduced to new experiences, languages, and cultures expressed through music and movement.

Since Salsa developed as an inherently communal activity – with whole communities joining together in a bid to celebrate their roots and connect through dance – this particular dance form tends to be relatively easy to learn in comparison to other Ballroom and Latin dances. However, as dancing, generally, is as much intuitive as it is systematic, it can take some time for beginners to bridge the gap between simply learning Salsa’s steps (that’s the easy part!) to ‘feeling’ the syncopated rhythm, communicating clearly with a partner, and allowing creative expression to flow freely. Bridging this gap, though, is part of the fun for couples taking on the challenge of learning Salsa, as it requires time, fun, communication, and energy to master. Indeed, Salsa is not just a fun date night dancing activity, but can actually help couples grow their general intimacy and communication.

With Salsa’s history of building community and connection, it’s no wonder, then, that this dance style tends to be favoured by couples looking to improve their relationships.