I had the great fortune to study and work with some fantastic Argentine Tango instructors. There’s nothing like doing Tango, but after years of teaching and dancing Salsa my advice is to start with Salsa. Here are three reasons you should join the closest school next to you; hopefully, that’s us, Toronto Dance Salsa (TDS), and start with Salsa.
First reason: Salsa rocks everywhere in the world!.
There are Salsa clubs in every city worldwide, and you can hear Salsa songs at a bar or a coffee shop. You can walk into a convenience store these days and hear Salsa music, and there’s nothing like it. Once you learn it, it’s a skill you can use everywhere. Fortunately, in the city we live in, Toronto, you can go every night of the week to dance Salsa.
You can’t say that about Tango. Not because Salsa is better, it’s just that Salsa dance is more accessible to everyone. Usually, when we learn something, we want to use it as much as possible, and the popularity of Salsa facilitates a deeper immersion in the dance.
Second reason: Salsa gives dancers the chance to shine!.
I love Salsa because of all the cool dips and twists and tricks you can do, and you can stack them and use them according to the song, your mood or the dance partner. I’ve danced for over twelve years, and there are still brand new fun tricks I use when dancing Salsa.
Note that Tango is not short on moves, but the feeling of Tango is different. Tango It’s about intensity. It’s about the unique connection you have with a partner. So you may not see too many flashy tricks or the adrenaline you see in Salsa. On the contrary, Tango is known for including really complicated foot patterns. If you go on YouTube, you will see lots of variety there.
Personally, as someone who always likes variety, Salsa has given me that comfort and joy.
Third reason: It’s all about having a party.
Put on two Salsa songs by Marc. Anthony or Victor Manuel. You can visit our website and check out our playlist. Salsa is about loud, energetic fun. You’re with a group of friends, you’ve got some drinks out, and you’re yelling and screaming and laughing and having fun.
Tango is an intense and passionate dance where the couple immerses themselves in their art. And it’s beautiful too, but I would say choosing a dance genre depends on what people are looking for.
When I started to dance, I joined Salsa Level one at this same school I run; I was looking for a fun, easy dance where I could feel comfortable, and now, looking back, I’m glad I started with salsa. Had I picked up Tango first, I might not still be dancing. I’m grateful I chose to learn a practical, accessible, energetic and fun dance, where I could continually learn new moves that were agreeable with my personality and energy.
In the end, once we know a bit of each dance genre, we choose based on what resonates with us. So the most important thing is to start. You can’t go wrong because once you join the dance world, you’ll want to experiment and try all the different kinds of dances. This article offers some insight into the Salsa world and my testimony on how I feel about choosing Salsa first. I hope this helps to get you clarity when deciding your first.
I can’t wait to welcome you to our big family, have you coming in week to week, having fun, connecting with new friends and letting lose to amazing Latin songs. Click here to check our current schedule.
If you have any questions you would like me to answer here are some ways you can contact me: message me on Instagram (torontodanceSalsa), on Twitter (#torontodanceSalsa), on Facebook (Toronto Dance Salsa) or email me at [email protected].
