You know the feeling that you get when your favorite music comes on? You can’t sit still – you just gotta get up and shake it.  Isn’t it true that sometimes it’s Latin music you want to rock out to?  Here are the 5 sexy Latin club dances that you can rock solo:  Merengue, Salsa, Cha Cha, Samba, and Bachata.

Although you may be familiar with the steps of some or all of these dances, included in this post is an introduction to the basics. To begin with, here’s some dance terminology.

The elements of dancing are kind of like the alphabet of dance.

They’re combined in various ways to create different dances.

Walking steps

The first element of dancing is called walking steps. They can be taken forward or backward. Don’t put too much thought into this because you probably do a pretty good job of walking already.

Rocking steps

Let’s say you take a forward step on your left foot, then change your mind and rock back onto the right foot. That would be a forward rocking step. It can also be done with a backward step followed by a return to the forward foot. Hence the name, backward rocking step.

Chasses

A chasse is defined as a step to the side followed by closing the free foot to the foot you stepped out with. For example, step side with the left foot and follow that with the right foot closing to the left foot. As a result, you’ve done a chasse or a “side – together” to the left.

Furthermore, chasses can be “side – together to the left” or “side – together to the right“.

General rules regarding the elements:

• A step is a complete change of weight from one foot to the other.
• Alternate stepping on the left and right foot, just like walking.

Using these elements, try the basics of these sexy Latin club dances.

When danced in partnership, the leader starts with the left foot, the follower with the right.

Merengue

• Marching action either in place or in any direction.
• Use lots of nice hip action.

Salsa

• Rock step
• Together
• Repeat with the other foot.

Cha Cha

• Step side
• Rock step
• Chasse
• Repeat on the other side.

Enjoy watching Rocco & Claudia dance as partners and solo to the “Cry to Me” Cha Cha”.

Samba

• Walking step 
• Together
• Step in place
• Repeat in the opposite direction with the other foot

Bachata adds a new element, a tap with no weight.

• Chasse
• Step side
• Tap with no weight
• Repeat on the other side.

As you can see, with some time and practice, and maybe a little help from an online course such as, “Free Online Bachata Course That’s Great for Beginners“, you’ll be up and moving in no time.