Q: I aspire to be a great salsa dancer. What's the most important thing I should focus on first?
A: The most important thing to focus on is listening to beats in a song. You dance to the music, specifically the down beats in the songs. The songs you listen to do not have to be for salsa and can be anything you're comfortable with. The down beat is usually associated to the "thump" sound in a song. Instead of listening to the words in the next song, listen to the instruments in the background. Listen for a heavy thumping sound (in fast songs) or a soft thumping sound (in slow songs) that is constant throughout the song. Now imagine yourself stepping to those thumping sounds, even if they are slow. In order for you to hear the beats easier you have to visualize yourself stepping to the beats of the music. With enough practice you should be able to listen to any song and hear the beats to the music.
A: The most important thing to focus on is listening to beats in a song. You dance to the music, specifically the down beats in the songs. The songs you listen to do not have to be for salsa and can be anything you're comfortable with. The down beat is usually associated to the "thump" sound in a song. Instead of listening to the words in the next song, listen to the instruments in the background. Listen for a heavy thumping sound (in fast songs) or a soft thumping sound (in slow songs) that is constant throughout the song. Now imagine yourself stepping to those thumping sounds, even if they are slow. In order for you to hear the beats easier you have to visualize yourself stepping to the beats of the music. With enough practice you should be able to listen to any song and hear the beats to the music.
