colombian salsa classes in medellin
Salsa dancing has long been one of the most important and influential social dances in Medellín, Colombia.
Before 2012, most salsa dancing in Medellin took place at local salsa bars, crossover bars, viejotecas, neighborhood gatherings, and social events where salsa was one of the primary genres played. The city’s best-known salsa radio stations were, and continue to be, Latina Stereo 100.9 FM, known for salsa brava and salsa classics, and El Sol 107.9 FM, which focuses more on mainstream and contemporary salsa.
At that time, many people who danced salsa had learned socially rather than through formal training at dance schools. The salsa most commonly danced socially throughout Colombia was part of a broader Colombian salsa tradition that varied by region, generation, and social environment.
Colombian salsa developed through decades of social dancing culture influenced by Afro-Caribbean music, Cuban son, guaracha, mambo, pachanga, boogaloo, descarga traditions, and the evolution of salsa music throughout Latin America.
In many Colombian social environments, salsa dancing developed primarily as a social dance centered around rhythm, improvisation, partner connection, and dancing in time with the music rather than rigid technical structure. Informal social variations, often referred to as salsa callejera, became common at neighborhood gatherings, family parties, social clubs, bars, and community events. These social forms of Colombian salsa often incorporated circular movement, spins, pauses, syncopations, and footwork variations.
Before the major growth of the organized social dance scene in Medellin, there were already salsa schools offering private and group classes, along with performance companies focused on training dancers for shows and competitions. Colombian salsa performers later became internationally recognized for speed, synchronization, coordination, musicality, flexibility, endurance, and advanced footwork.
However, outside of salsa bars and performance environments, Medellin still had a relatively limited organized social dance scene for dancers interested in structured partnerwork training and internationally recognized salsa styles such as salsa on1 and salsa on2.
In 2012, DANCEFREE began offering free group salsa and bachata classes followed by social dancing. During its first two years, DANCEFREE focused exclusively on free dance classes before later expanding into paid private classes, group classes, practices, and socials.
For private classes, DANCEFREE offered multiple dance styles, including salsa on1 (Los Angeles style), salsa on2 (New York & Puerto Rico style), Colombian style salsa, bachata, tango, porro, merengue, kizomba, bolero, hip hop, and more. For group classes, DANCEFREE focused primarily on salsa and bachata while also occasionally offering classes in other rhythms.
For group salsa classes, DANCEFREE focused primarily on salsa on1, also known as LA style salsa, while also incorporating elements of Colombian and Cali style salsa. This approach reflected both the international partnerwork structure commonly associated with salsa on1 and the rhythmic and cultural influence of Colombian salsa styles.
DANCEFREE’s first salsa and bachata social was held every Thursday and quickly became one of the most recognized weekly social dance events in Medellin. Over time, DANCEFREE expanded to offering salsa and bachata group classes six nights per week, dance practices multiple nights per week, and socials several nights per week, sometimes continuing until 4:00am. DANCEFREE became an important meeting point for students, instructors, performers, and social dancers, contributing to the continued growth of Medellin’s salsa community.
Here is some basic information about Colombian salsa to help you get started:
Each salsa dance basic uses 8 beats organized into two 4-beat measures. Dancers often count these as 1-2-3-4 and 5-6-7-8, while musicians typically organize the structure as repeating 4-beat measures counted 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4. This shared 8-beat cycle forms the rhythmic foundation that organizes timing between dancers and music.
Most salsa basics use 6 weight changes on counts 1-2-3 and 5-6-7, with pauses or holds on counts 4 and 8.
The leader begins with the left foot and the follower begins with the right foot, staying synchronized with the music and each other.
One of the most common basic steps associated with Colombian style salsa is “quintas”, a name that comes from “fifth position” in ballet. In this basic, the leader begins by stepping with the left foot behind the right foot, then replacing weight in place with the right foot, followed by crossing to the opposite side with the left foot. The pattern then repeats on the other side with the right foot stepping behind the left foot.
Colombian salsa is also characterized by greater flexion of the knees, which in the “quintas” basic is most noticeable on counts 1-2 and 5-6 when stepping with one foot behind the other and replacing the weight in place with the front foot.
Compared to many internationally taught salsa styles that emphasize linear or slot-based movement, Colombian salsa is circular rather than linear.
As dancers gain more experience, they may develop greater coordination, musical interpretation, rhythm, partner connection, and improvisation skills through social dancing and practice.
Artists and orchestras especially associated with Colombian salsa include Grupo Niche, Fruko y sus Tesos, Joe Arroyo, Guayacán Orquesta, Richie Ray, and Bobby Cruz, whose music became deeply connected with Colombian salsa culture and social dancing.
Traditional salsa instrumentation commonly includes piano, bass, trumpets, trombones, congas, bongos, timbales, cowbell, güiro, and additional percussion instruments that form the rhythmic foundation of salsa music.
DANCEFREE offers private Colombian salsa classes in person in Medellin, Colombia, and online via Zoom and Google Meet. Our in-person classes are available 7 days a week, while our online classes are offered on weekdays only, subject to availability. We have experienced salsa instructors who teach students of all levels, from complete beginners to advanced dancers. If you would like to take private Colombian salsa classes, click here to view the steps for beginning private classes. If you would like to view our calendar for salsa socials and more, click here.