Latin Dancing refers to the dance styles that originated in Latin America and the Caribbean countries.

There are Social Latin Dances or known also known as Street Latin, and they include: Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Mambo, Rumba, Bomba, Plena, Lambada and the Argentine Tango.

The five International or Dancesport Latin Dances are: Cha Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Jive, Passo Doble.

SALSA is a blended street dance that originates from Cuba and spread to many other parts of South America forming different styles. Salsa is danced in many countries and evolved from the more traditional South American folkloric styles unique to regions and fused movements from Afro-Cuban influenced music and movements borrowed from the root dance styles such as Merengue and Cumbia. All different regions add their own flavours of the dance and their own unique flare.

There are many styles of Salsa, such as:

• Colombian Style Salsa (Cumbia)
• Cuban Style Salsa (Salsa Cubana) moves in a more circular fashion
• Miami Style Salsa (Classico Cubano, Casino)
• Casino Ruesda Style Salsa (Rueda de Casino, Salsa Rueda)
• LA Style Salsa (dancing "On 1")
• New York Style Salsa (dancing "On 2")
• Puerto Rican Style Salsa
• Salsa Shines

Salsa music is rich in percussion and suave beats that make dancing to this style lively, exciting and fun.

Salsa has become one of the most popular dances throughout Europe and South America, and in the last few years has known a great increase in popularity in Australia as well.

There are many night clubs where the salsa beats can be heard and danced to. It is a way of meeting and socialising with other people from different cultures, a way of expressing yourself, and escaping the daily routine.

It is danced on music with two bars of four beats. Typically the music involves complicated percussion rhythms, ranging from slow at about 120 beats per minute to its fastest at around 180 beats per minute.

Salsa is a slot or spot dance. Unlike, for example, Waltz or Samba, in Salsa a couple does not need to travel over the floor rather, they occupy a fixed area.

Some modern music that you could dance Salsa to: Luis Fonsi ft Daddy Yankee - Despacito, Ed Sheeran- The Shape of You

At Sydney Dance Rhythms we tend to teach the LA Style of Salsa, which is danced "On 1". The back and forward basic steps are danced in a linear motion. The turn patterns are usually "in-line" as opposed to "circular" in the the Cuban Style Salsa. Many of the moves in LA Salsa are created from cross body lad variations. We also incorporate Shines in the LA Style.

The Salsa Shines are steps performed when dancing solo.

They are also a great way of warming up before dancing with a partner. They make you more aware of what you are doing with your feet, and increase speed in your footwork.

Here are some basic Salsa Shines you will come across in our Latin Dance Classes:

• Diamonds (tapping left foot forward, then to the side, then behind the right foot while transferring body weight onto it, and then tapping right foot to the right side, then behind the left foot, while transferring body weight onto it, and then completing the shines by tapping the left foot to the left side)
• Side Taps (stepping one foot to the side, transferring the weight and bringing the other foot in to tap alongside. This is repeated with the other foot for a total of four times.
• Suzy Q (crossing your legs and stepping in groupings of three while twisting the foot as you step)
• Crossovers (stepping forward four times on every second beat and crossing your legs as you go)
• Grapevines (the Grapevines are made of a series of side and back steps that moves you away from your dance partner)

We also create our own Salsa Shines variations, or ask you to become creative by using steps you have learnt during our Salsa Dance Classes.

Here are some new songs that you could dance your salsa moves to:

• Despacito by Luis Fonsi ft Daddy Yankee
• Shape of You - Ed Sheeran
• Los Creadores Del Sonido - Chiquito Team Band
• La Gozadera - Gente de Zona ft Mark Anthony
• Bailando - Enrique Iglesias

The CHA CHA CHA is one of the newest Latin American dances in international competition.

But it is still seen as a "party dance", being played in most of the Latin Music Clubs. It has got a cheeky nature and playful rhythm that can be easily picked up by anyone. The Cha Cha rhythms can be easily identified in some popular songs such as: "Get this party started" –Pink, "Unchain my heart" Joe Cocker, "Represent Cuba" – Orisha, "Can't Stop the Feeling" - Justin Timberlake

What differentiates the cha cha from other music written with four beats to the bar is that there is a little rhythmic triplet joining each bar to the next.

The cha cha does not move around the room, so small steps should be taken.

The"Cha Cha Cha" is danced at about 44 beats per minute. The steps are taken on the beats, with a strong hip movement as the knee straightens on the half beats in between. The weight is kept well forward, with forward steps taken toe-flat, and with minimal torso movement. The chasse on 4&1 is used to emphasise the step on beat 1, which may be held a moment longer than the other steps to match the emphasis of the beat in the music.

The RUMBA tells a story of love and passion between a male lover and a teasing woman; it is one of the most popular ballroom dances and is seen around the world at nightclubs, parties, weddings and dance competitions.
The Rumba is a very slow, serious, and romantic with flirtation between the partners. This dance is fun to watch, as many of its basic figures sort to tease the other - the lady flirts with and then rejects her male partner.

A slow Rumba can be danced to the Ed Sheeran's song" Thinking Out Loud".

The ballroom SAMBA is a travelling dance so it progresses quickly around the floor with plenty of rhythm and movement at the waist and the legs.

JIVE is a formalised version of rock and roll dancing. It is essentially a variant of the swing whereby the hip swings from side to side and the weight changes resemble a type of skipping and hopping. Swing come from the 1930's to the 1940's.

Yes, you can view a class before registering or have a casual class.

There’s no need of any prior dance experience in the Beginners - Level 1.

If you don't have a dance partner, there's no problem at all, as we rotate partners during the classes.

We run our Salsa and Latin Dance Classes at both our locations:

• St Patrick Hall: 3 Drynan St, Summer Hill
• Centenary Uniting Church Hall: 46 Sorrell St, North Parramatta

• Mondays from 7pm - 8pm at our North Parramatta location - Beginners Level 1
• Wednesdays from 8pm - 9pm  at our Summer Hill location - Beginners Level 1
• Thursdays from 8pm - 9pm at our Summer Hill location - Beginners Level 2

This class can be joined by those who have completed Beginners Level 1 with Sydney Dance Rhythms.