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Cuban Salsa (Casino): Five Basic Steps for Beginners

Cuban Salsa (Casino): Five Basic Steps for Beginners — video by Messina Dance Play · 10:04

Video by Messina Dance on YouTube · Open on YouTube

The teacher at Messina Dance, a Cuban casino school with weekly classes in North Carolina, teaches five casino (Cuban salsa) basics in a progression: the two-step, paso son, back rocks, back crosses and walking with pivots, then practises them all. No partner needed.

  • 10 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • No equipment
  • Salsa

Good forDancing for fun

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Step by step 7

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Two-step: tap the left foot in place and step out left, then the same to the right. 0:18
  2. Timing: each part is a slow step worth two beats, so you step on 1, 3, 5 and 7. 1:13
  3. Paso son: two quick steps in place, then a slow step out: quick, quick, slow. 2:06
  4. Back rocks: step just behind the other heel, replace in place, then out, centre kept still. 3:31
  5. Back crosses: step back, cross to the middle and step out, chest facing forward throughout. 4:36
  6. Walk and pivot: step back at the heel, walk forward twice and pivot to face the way you go. 5:42
  7. Practice: build up from the two-step to the pivots, then work back down to the start. 7:22

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • A tap puts the foot down with no weight change; a step takes the weight
  • Count quick, quick, slow and stretch the slow to hold the extra beat
  • On back rocks, step just behind the other heel and keep your centre in place

What it works

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses light on the joints

  • Hips movesweight changes, back crosses
  • Knees movesback rocks, crosses, pivots and turns
  • Ankles & feet movestaps, back rocks at the heel, pivots

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Messina Dance; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety