I am living in Belgium and a ballroomdancer since many years. For variety I have started a course of salsa. In fact it happens that I started two courses at once: one in my "ballroom" dance school (with my favorite belgian teachers) and one in a specific salsa or latin dance teaching organization , with a cuban teacher. Both tell they are teaching cuban salsa (explicitely stating this is not the New Yorkese salsa).

Both teachers emphasize the importance of good hip motion in salsa. However, I feel that the technique of the hip motion learnt from both teachers is very different.

I am quite familiar with the latin hip motion used in e.g. cha cha and this is also the one explained from my belgian teacher. It is the technique that is thoroughly explained on another place on this website.

The cuban teacher however wishes us to get accustomed to the following basic hip motion:

-On the first count you just "place" your -let's say- left foot; this is a positioning with a flat foot, without any weight. On that count you are automatically "sitting" in you right hip.

-Then, in fact it's easy to describe, on the second count you "place" (again without weight) your (flat) right foot. Of course you cannot be standing on two weightless feet, so automatically you have changed full weight onto the left leg and you are "sitting" in your left hip. "Between" both counts you are not allowed to consciously shift weight or to move your hips.

Etc. for count 3 and 4(rest-count), which means you stay in your right hip for about two counts. No movement is allowed in between. The teacher explicitely prohibits us to dance on the balls of our feet. Salsa, he says, must be danced as naturally as walking.

This salsa hip motion is quiet different from the latin hip motion described on this website. Here the foot is first placed on the ball (inside edge), the weight gradually shifted onto the new leg, the hip rolled over this leg, all on the same count. This latin hip motion is (feels as) following the foot placement, whereas the salsa hip motion feels as preceding the placement of the next foot.
I would even say:
- latin hip motion (cfr. cha cha) 1 & 2
- salsa hip motion: 1 a2
where the "&" and "a" indicate the hip timing.

Does anyone recognize this difference ? Would you say that the salsa (hip motion) teached from my belgian teachers is not correct ? Can I read more about this salsa hip motion technique somewhere ?

Thanks in advance,
Erik.