Salsa Moves List

43 must-know salsa steps for linear style salsa.

 

To become a great salsa dancer, you need guidance. This salsa moves list names the most common salsa steps you need to learn and gives you a logical and progressive order to follow.

Having a name for everything is key to be able to remember your salsa moves.

These videos are just demonstrations. If you want detailed instruction for each move, you can learn them all here.

For simplicity, all demos are on 1 timing. All moves can be done to any salsa timing.

Beginner Salsa Steps

These beginner salsa steps are your foundations – the lego blocks you use to build and connect everything.

Level 1

• Salsa basic step (all directions)
• Right turn
• Left turn
• Cross body lead
• Check or hesitation
• New York walk
• Change of place

Level 2

These moves build on their Level 1 foundations.

• Cross body lead turns
  • Inside turn (left)
  • Outside turn (right)
• Cross body lead variations
  • Suave
  • Rejection
  • Reverse cross body lead
• Change of place progressions
  • Shoulder catches
  • Continuous shoulder catches
  • Ochos

Intermediate Salsa Steps

Intermediate salsa steps build upon the beginner moves by introducing variations and additional complexity.

• Cross body open
• Pull through
• Tow truck (aka Basket)
• Arm spiral
• Inside and outside turn variations
  • Free spins
  • Lead from hip/shoulder
  • Wrap
  • Barrel roll
  • 360
  • Semi circle
• Turns based on the reverse cross body lead
  • Reverse inside turn
  • Reverse outside turn
  • Back hand pass
  • Reverse early inside 2.5 turns
  • Back spot turn
  • Multiple back spot turns
• Copa
• Cape
• Diva walks
• Walk around
• Partner swing step
• Double turns

Advanced Salsa Steps

These advanced salsa steps mainly focus on adding extra turns and non-conventional turns to your vocabulary. Once you can do these, the sky is the limit for what you can create.

• Multiple turns 3+ (on the spot)
• Inside 2.5 turns
• Outside 2.5 turns
• Late inside turn
• Late outside turn
• Overturns

Final Thought

You now have a list of all the most common social dance moves, with names, done in linear salsa.

The magic is in exploring and creating new variations of them, connecting with your partner and mixing it all together while letting the music inspire your improvisation.

If you want to get started learning them all…

Join our online salsa program or try it free for a week before you join.