Salsa music generally has a rhythm of four equal beats in one musical bar. This is interpreted in the dance by three steps and a tap, corresponding to the four musical beats. However, as you progress from the more basic Salsa moves, the rhythm of four beats may be interpreted in the dance by only three steps per musical bar. In this case, the dancers will use a count of "quick, quick, and slow". A "quick" equal's one beat of music, while "slow" equals two beats. This sounds complicated, especially to a beginner, but if you listen to the rhythm, you will quickly become accustomed to it and dancing in time will become second nature.Occasionally you may see dancers dancing the first step of each movement on beat two, which means that the tap will have occurred on count one. This does not necessarily mean that they are dancing out of time with music. Salsa is a distillation of a variety of music and dance styles. In some types of music, the second beat is accentuated and some dancers like to respond to this rhythmic accent. Because of the diversity of Salsa music, it is not possible to define a standard beat, one or two, on which the dance should start and, in any event, this is really more of a technical issue than one which would concern the beginner or the club dancer who is just out for a great time. It is much more important to get a feel for the music and then get out onto the floor and enjoy it.

Colombian Salsa Styles:
After speaking with and watching demos of many Colombians, I've come to the conclusion that Salsa is danced differently all throughout Colombia. In Cali, it is more "showy", in other, more rural parts of the country; it is danced more closely and tightly, with heads touching in some cases. However, the underlying commonality is that there are no forward and backward motions of the feet. It is simply what we call "Cumbia" style, which is feet alternating to the back or to the side. There are not too many fancy tricks, turns, or spins in Colombian style - except if you are a professional dancer, dancing with bands, or competing. I've seen video clips of professional Colombian dancers performing incredible lifts and swinging the girl around the guy's neck, etc., however this is not the norm. This is simply for show. Casual social dancing, Colombian style is much calmer, closer, where both dancer's bodies are almost completely touching each other, from head to toe.

The Latin countries of the Caribbean - Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and those of Central and South America - Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia - share a common Latin culture and a fierce Latin pride. However, the influence and contribution of Afro-Caribbean music to Salsa is unmistakable. While many of the original styles of music were products of the Cuban countryside, economic necessity at various points in Cuba's history prompted migration to the cities, bringing the musical culture of the country into the towns. Like the Tango of Argentina, Salsa and its predecessor became a reflection of life in the barrios or poorer districts of town. Everyone could identify with it, and in it, find an expression of there own, a reflection of their life, or an opportunity to forget their mundane pre-occupations and lose themselves in the song, the rhythm and the dance.The passion of the Tango, the romance of the bolero and the sexiness of Salsa are captivating the Australian dance scene like never before. Latin American fever has hit our shores as more and more people become hooked on rhythmic Latin moves. The huge interest in Latin American dance has to do with the happiness and excitement that it carries. A lot of rock'n roll, heavy metal, rap and techno music carries some sort of violence and aggression behind it. Latin music is happy, fun, playful and exciting. It is very vibrant and colourful with lots of movement, turns and spins. People are looking for something like that. They want to be part of it and love it.Because Salsa is such a diverse dance, and there are no real "rules" of style, once you learn any style of dance, you tend to stick to that style when transiting to salsa. Although there are a few places on the coast to learn salsa, we are offering more than dance classes.

We offer students the opportunity to go out to dance via our dance parties, and offering the public a chance to experience the Latin American flavour of fun. Others in the industry offer one or the other and a lot of people interested in this type of entertainment travel to Brisbane, because there is nowhere on the coast. We are a mobile unit and this enables us to take the entertainment to the people in different areas between Brisbane and Harvey Bay.We also have the advantage of a niche market and the ability to fill the needs of many people on the Coast. We have the added advantage using television Commercials to bring awareness to a greater number of people, others are using word of mouth and small advertisements in local papers, as much as this type of marketing works on a small scale, it does not reach the masses.