Salsa for scintillating times

I started dancing around 15 years ago. I began with ballroom, competing in university and eventually moved to the social dance scenes of salsa, argentine tango and swing dance in both the Chicago and Memphis area. After moving to Korea in 2003, I was happy to find that all three of these dance scenes existed here, with salsa being the largest. I’ve been active in the Korean dance scene ever since, and consider myself fortunate to have befriended most of the top professionals and salsa organizers here.

Salsa dancing in the social dance scene comes in a variety of styles. Cuban style; Columbian style; L.A. style, which is often called “on 1” (with the accents on the first and fifth beat); and New York style, also known as “on 2” (with the accents on the second and sixth beat) are among the most well known variations in salsa around the world.

The Korean salsa scene today is mostly dominated by the on 2 style of dancing. However, depending on the venue, you can find salseros and salseras dancing to on 1, on 2 or on whatever beat they choose. Newcomers to the scene might find it difficult to find the right club to go to, so hopefully these clubs in Seoul will help you get started.

I’ve found that Korean dancers here are extremely dedicated to improving their dance skills. Their steps are precise, and their spins are immaculate. Sometimes this is seen as a critique of the local crowd in that they value performance over passion in dance. On the other hand, some expats from Latin American cultures, where they literally grew up with the music, might feel they don’t need to practice and learn new steps; because for them it’s all about the sabor (the flavor or passion) of the dance, more than learning the technical elements.

My experience, as a Korean-American who’s danced on both sides of the Pacific, is that no matter where you dance, you’ll always find the same arguments. It doesn’t matter if you dance on 1 or on 2 with passion or with precision. Dance is a physical expression of your personality, so just remember to be yourself on the dance floor. 

For many people who enjoy salsa recreationally, they might take lessons in the beginning and then keep up with it at these venues. While the classes I took in Korea were the advanced ones and quite rigorous, beginner classes are less stressful. You just learn and repeat, repeat, repeat. Taking classes in the beginning make it easier to make friends and be part of a crew. My recommendation for complete beginners—the Salsoul Dance School located in Gangnam. The teachers here are great and for dancing, you follow the teachers. The people at the Bulldog Pub are also great about helping you learn.” 

Asking people to dance: Men, simply walk up to a girl you’d like to dance with, extend your hand and ask politely. No need to be shy about it, just don’t be creepy. If she says no, then “these aren’t the droids you’re looking for,” and move along. Ladies, it’s just one dance, not a lifetime. If you’re there to improve your dance moves, the more people you dance with, the faster you learn. Of course, you’re perfectly free to say no.

Drinking: The majority of Korean dancers will not get drunk while dancing, for the simple reason that it’s difficult to do double, triple and sometimes quadruple turns while inebriated. If the room is spinning, it’s not because of the alcohol. That’s generally saved for after you leave the club to get some chicken and beer.

Crowded floor: Even the best dancers bump into other people from time to time. It’s nothing personal, so there’s no need to get confrontational about things. Most of the time you just look at each other, acknowledge what happened with a gesture of the hand or a nod of the head and you carry on dancing.