Memories of Salsa Saturdays (Part 3) - Life is a Carnaval

Salsa Saturdays are all about having fun. What’s the point of spending your time and money at something if you aren’t going to be having fun?

Now, the question you may be asking is, “I’ve never been to anything like this. How will I know what to do? How will I fit in and feel comfortable?”

That’s where I come in.

But first, if you haven’t read parts 1 and 2, you can do that here and here.

Keys to Success

There are a few tried and true principles when it comes to having a successful Salsa Saturday. Obviously knowing how to dance is a big part of it. I’ll cover that in a bit. But beyond dancing, there are somethings that will make sure you have a great night.

Don’t overdo it with the booze – a few drinks will help loosen you up but get too loose and you won’t be able to keep it together
Make friends – Talk to folks you otherwise wouldn’t, don’t be afraid to ask someone to dance. The worst they can say is no.
No one watches the worst dancers – so dance like no one is watching, because they probably aren’t.
Be aware of your surroundings – no one likes the couple that bumps into everyone on the dancefloor
Make friends with your bartenders – always a good idea
Take lessons – most places will offer lessons before the nights festivities officially begin, take advantage of that.

Salsa, Bachata, Merengue

So this is definitely a topic I’ve covered on this site before. This was actually the topic of Part 2 of our “What to know about Latin music” series.

To recap, there are three main types of dance you’ll need to know. In order from easiest to hardest – merengue, salsa, bachata. The instructional videos are all embedded below.

Now while you work on those basics, enjoy some of my favorite videos of the professionals. 99% of us won’t ever get to their level but it’s always incredible to watch their skill level and chemistry with their partners.

Songs to Practice To

Now that you have all of these new dancing skills, let’s put them to use. Below are some of the best songs to practice to. Grab your partner and get to work with these tracks.