Salsa? How to dance?

Question

Someone taught me to dance salsa. She said that I am supposed to break forward with my right foot. But I saw the rest breaking on their left first. She insisted that I do it with my right foot forward. Is she correct?

Answer 1

Is she was dancing Cuban salsa, she can be correct.

Try to watch this video at youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8Xy5jDhJLs

After each crossbody lead, they do what in Cuban salsa or Casino de Rueda called guapea or guapeando.

See also this one. He is moving forward with his right foot, while she moves forward with her left foot... then they move away by breaking backward with his left (man) or with her right (woman).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0cH0mRmU7Y

Guapeando is basic salsa in Cuban salsa. The usual step is for the right foot of the guy to break forward, while the left foot of the woman breaks forward. Is it breaking at the count of 5 or 1? I usually break my right foot forward at the count of 5. Gigi of Dirty Salsa has it at the count of 1.

As an instructor, I teach my male students to back break with their left at the count of 1.... then forward break with their right at the count of 5.

Very prominent in this dance is the compression between the guy and the woman as the right foot of the guy moves forward and meets the forward movement of left foot of the woman. the compression is done by hand movements... kindly see the video
again.

Answer 2

No, in Salsa, the woman steps back on her right to start. The man steps forward on his left.

Answer 3

If you are a girl then you step forward with your right foot first. Then with your left foot you step in the middle, then bring your right foot where you just put your left. Then you do the same thing with your left foot.
If you are a guy you step backwards with your left foot. With your right foot, you step in place. Then bring your right foot back to where your right foot.
Don't forget to shake the hips!

Answer 4

Either way is fine!
Just dance and have fun!