In Part 1 of our series (which you can read here) we covered all of the different genres of Latin music. Today we’re going to cover what you do when you listen to that music. Dancing. With each genre of music there tends to be a unique way to dance. We’ll go over the most popular types here.

Speaking from experience, there’s nothing better than going out dancing on a Saturday night and knowing how to move! (Your date will probably like it too)

Salsa

My personal favorite and relatively easy. This dance allows a lot of room for freedom and innovation. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can make yourself appear to be a pro in little to know time.

And here’s a song to test out your new moves to:

Mernegue

By far the easiest way to dance. To put it simply, you’re marching in place to the beat. I’ll let the instructor below explain more.

Once you’ve learned the basics, here’s a song to dance to:

Bachata

A bit more complicated and a style I certainly haven’t mastered, Bachata is best saved for when you want to get real close to someone.

And a song to try your new moves out on

Cumbia

Common in Mexico and South America, cumbia isn’t as commonly used in the United States. It’s not the most difficult dance to master thankfully. Learning this will give you a great deal of versatility on the dancefloor, regardless of the DJ’s plans.

Here’s a song for your new moves

Reggaeton

This is probably the least formal style of dance that you’ll encounter. I’ll let the experts show you some moves but generally speaking, this style is all about getting close and grinding up on the person of your choice.

And here’s a song for you to enjoy

We’ll back soon with Part 3 of our series to teach you more about some of the biggest artists in the game today.