International Salsa Magazine

Meet and learn the Venezuelan Salsa

Latin America / Venezuela / Caracas

Meet and learn the Venezuelan Salsa

Did you know that in Venezuela the basic traditional Salsa is known as “Salsa Cero”, where the only thing anyone needs is “Not knowing how to dance”, knowing the basic steps of salsa, hearing and feeling the rhythm of the music and the musicalization.

The basic steps of the sauce are:

  1. Paso de lateral and/or lateral: This basic step consists of three steps that are executed on the first three beats of the bar. The fourth beat of the measure is a pause where no step is performed. The three steps are repeated in reverse in a second measure to complete a sequence of the step.
  2. Cruzado o cross: en este paso los pies se mueven de la siguiente manera: En el golpe 1, el pide derecho da un paso por delante del pie izquierdo, de manera que lo cruza. En el golpe 2, el pie izquierdo cruza al pie derecho, y así sucesivamente.
  1. Gait: It is a very similar step to the side, but this time it consists of taking two “2” steps forward and two “2” backwards, advancing in short steps and repeating the cycle. With this step the dancer can execute it alone or with a partner, the latter is not performed and is usually executed in a couple but not face to face, since the two people cannot perform the march at the same time.     
  1. Turns: The turns in both the man and the woman can be done with any of the steps mentioned above. The turn is usually done in step 1 where the man invites the woman to perform her basic step to turn, everything will depend on the entry made by the couple. There are different types of laps, we mention the basic ones on this occasion:
a.   Return of the woman/man.

b.   Back in Croos.

c.   Return of the man.

d.   Right left.

e.   The butterfly.

f.    The Bridge.

g.    The 70.

h.     Sixty.

Did you know that Salsa Cero is not just for learning to dance?

Many people who practice or learn “Salsa Casino” take the workshop and/or zero salsa classes to learn to “count” the music that is being danced since musical counting is the fundamental basis of any dance.

One of the characteristics of this rhythm is the corporal expression, since there are details or corporal messages that make the couple understand how to move or what turn they are going to perform and these details can be known with the look, position of the hands and the body. before and during the return to perform. These details are very important especially in the man who is the one who controls and/or manipulates the woman so that she dances to the beat.

Among the different styles of salsa, Venezuelan salsa has a very special and interesting detail and that is that it is a very sensual style, in which the dancers make thousands of turns and constantly hug each other, showing their potential, emotion and feelings at the moment.

Karina Bernales
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