Salsa

Salsa moves

Every salsa move in the engine, from your first basic to the turn patterns that string together on the floor. Filter to what you’re working on, then follow the chains from any move into the next.

100 moves

Turns (11)

Lead's Right Turn (Men's Right Turn)

Your turn to turn. The lead's own clockwise turn — the move that lets you change direction, decorate, and finally dance instead of just steer.

BeginnerTurns

Left Turn (Lady's)

The counter-clockwise sibling. A left underarm turn that often gathers the follow into a closed hold.

BeginnerTurnsconnector

Right Turn (Lady's Underarm)

The first turn everyone learns. A clockwise underarm turn for the follow, returning to the same spot.

BeginnerTurns

Back Spot Turn

Big feeling, tiny footprint. A compact follow turn out of an open break that looks great and fits the most crowded floor.

BeginnerTurnsconnector

The Prep

Load before you fire. The wind-up that coils the follow's momentum before releasing her into a turn.

BeginnerTurns

Free Spin (Hand-Led Inside Turn)

Let go and let her fly. The inside turn led from the fingertips instead of the shoulder — lighter, faster, and the gateway to multiple spins.

IntermediateTurnsconnector

Inside Turn (Open Position)

A travelling left turn. The follow does a cross-body and spins toward the lead one-and-a-half times.

IntermediateTurnsconnector

Outside Turn (Open Position)

A travelling right turn. The follow does a cross-body and spins away from the lead, often twice.

IntermediateTurnsconnector

Multi-Spin Combination

Double, then break free. A turn pattern that leads two controlled rotations straight into a free third spin — the advanced spinner's signature run.

AdvancedTurns

Spin / Multiple Spins

Free rotation on one axis. The follow's solo-spin technique — one lead, then momentum and spotting do the rest.

AdvancedTurns

Travelling Turns

Turns on the move. A chain of single turns that propel the follow across the floor, one rotation per step.

AdvancedTurnsconnector

Position-Changes (13)

Butterfly with a Check

Open the wings, then reel her back. A two-hand inside turn that blooms wide open before the check snaps it shut.

IntermediatePosition-Changesconnector

Copa (Shoulder Check / Peek-a-Boo)

Catch and release. Send the follow out, stop her with a check, let her peek back, then send her on — often into an inside turn.

IntermediatePosition-Changesconnector

Cuddle / Wrap (Sweetheart)

The nestle. The follow wraps to the lead's side, both facing forward, hands crossed in front.

IntermediatePosition-Changesconnector

Hair Comb (Peinala)

Comb her hair, walk away clean. A graceful hand-over-the-head pass that resolves a two-hand tangle into open position.

IntermediatePosition-Changesconnector

Hammerlock (Single)

The folded arm. A turn that gently tucks one of the follow's arms behind her back into a new, lockable position.

IntermediatePosition-Changesconnector

Hammerlock Unwind

The escape hatch. Releases the folded arm by raising it and spinning the follow back to open.

IntermediatePosition-Changesconnector

Hand Toss / Hand Change

Swap the hold without a turn. A downward toss that changes which hand is joined or passes the hand behind the back.

IntermediatePosition-Changesconnector

Wrap with a Check

Send her in, change your mind. A half-wrap that stops short and snaps her right back — a tease the music loves.

IntermediatePosition-Changesconnector

Copa with Walk-Through

Peek, then pass through. The copa's shoulder-check followed by a walk-through and turn — the move that turns a tease into a journey.

IntermediatePosition-Changesconnector

Around the World

A full lap. The follow travels a complete circle around the lead, hands joined the whole way.

AdvancedPosition-Changesconnector

Double Hammerlock

Both arms folded. A two-stage lock that wraps the follow's second arm, or travels her around back-to-back.

AdvancedPosition-Changesconnector

Neck Wrap

Arm around the shoulders. Coming out of a turn, the lead's arm settles softly around the follow's neck.

AdvancedPosition-Changesconnector

Simple Dip

End on a held breath. A small, safe dip to close a phrase — the move that's all trust, and the reason you stay upright while only your hands go down.

AdvancedPosition-Changes

Cuban-Core (33)

Al Medio (Cuban Closed Basic)

Guapea's quiet twin. The closed-position Cuban basic — where casino rests, breathes, and waits for the next call.

BeginnerCuban-Coreconnector

Dile Que No

The master reset. "Tell her no" — the cross-body walk-across that returns any casino figure to open home position.

BeginnerCuban-Coreconnector

Enchufla

Plug in and swap. The casino workhorse — a half-turn place-swap that feeds nearly every Cuban combination.

BeginnerCuban-Coreconnector

Enchufla Doble

The double plug. Two enchufla actions back-to-back, spinning the follow left then right.

BeginnerCuban-Coreconnector

Medio Sombrero

Half a hat. The one-handed Sombrero — same turns, lighter frame, no overhead placement.

BeginnerCuban-Core

Siete (7)

Wind and unwind. A compact figure where the follow winds clockwise into the lead's chest, then unravels.

BeginnerCuban-Coreconnector

Sombrero

Place the hat. Two walking right turns ending with both arms drawn overhead like putting on a hat.

BeginnerCuban-Core

Vacila

Check her out. A showcase travelling double-turn where the follow walks her own turn while the lead admires.

BeginnerCuban-Core

Vuelta (Lady's Right Turn)

The Cuban turn. The follow's right turn — stationary or travelling around a circle.

BeginnerCuban-Core

El Uno (Uno a Hombro)

The conversation. A shadow-position forward-back walk done low, then at shoulder height, all connection and play.

IntermediateCuban-Core

Enchufla con Mambo

Plug in, then play. An enchufla that pauses side-by-side for a shared tap-to-the-clave before resolving — the casino's built-in moment of fun.

IntermediateCuban-Coreconnector

Enchufla Ronde

Hook turn, hands overhead. Evelyn's twin — the lead spins, but this time the joined hands pass over the top.

IntermediateCuban-Coreconnector

Evelyn

The lead spins too. An enchufla where you hook your own turn into the swap — the casino's reminder that leads get to dance, not just steer.

IntermediateCuban-Coreconnector

Exhibela

Show her off. A presentational walk that parades the follow around an oval, displayed to the room.

IntermediateCuban-Core

Setenta (70)

The casino classic. A hammerlock-and-unravel combination that every intermediate dancer must own.

IntermediateCuban-Core

Caminando / Caminala

Walking. Travelling open-position walks that keep the dance (or the rueda) moving.

IntermediateCuban-Coreconnector

Candado

The padlock. Doubled two-hand enchuflas whose arms form a "lock" before a hooked resolution.

IntermediateCuban-Core

Coca Cola

The travelling left turn. A curved-line left turn where the follow travels more than a full rotation around the lead.

IntermediateCuban-Core

Dile Que Si

Tell her yes. The counterpart to Dile Que No — an outside right turn that gathers the follow into closed embrace.

IntermediateCuban-Coreconnector

El Dedo

The finger. A right-to-right vacilala where the lead ducks under his own arm before turning the follow — playful, compact, unmistakably casino.

IntermediateCuban-Core

Kentucky

The neck-led cuddle. An enchufla into a cuddle where the lead turns to face centre, leading by the shoulder.

IntermediateCuban-Core

Ocho (8)

The figure-eight. The lead weaves a figure-eight around the follow while she steps in and out.

IntermediateCuban-Core

Paseala

Walk her around. Parade the follow counter-clockwise around the lead, switching hands behind the back.

IntermediateCuban-Coreconnector

Rodeo

Walk her around you. A promenade where the follow circles the lead — either a relaxed stroll or a swinging, cowboy-armed flourish.

IntermediateCuban-Coreconnector

Sacala

Take her out. An extended showcase walk — like a longer Exhibela that draws the follow into the centre.

IntermediateCuban-Core

Sombrero Doble

The hat, both sides. A sombrero that crosses to the other side and back — the full, flowing version of casino's signature drape.

IntermediateCuban-Core

Vacilala Doble

Two turns on a curve. The travelling double turn that carries the follow around an arc instead of spinning her in place.

IntermediateCuban-Core

Balsero

The rafter. A Sombrero that first sends the follow all the way around behind the lead's back.

AdvancedCuban-Core

Montaña

The mountain. A cross-handed enchufla and hook that brings both arms up and over into a Sombrero-like finish.

AdvancedCuban-Core

Setenta Complicado

Seventy, leveled up. A Setenta with an extra hooked enchufla woven into the middle.

AdvancedCuban-Core

Setenta y Dos (72)

The double-hook seventy. A Setenta with two successive elbow hooks before the resolution.

AdvancedCuban-Core

Setenta y Uno (71)

A trimmer seventy. A shortened Setenta defined by a single elbow hook.

AdvancedCuban-Core

Siete Setenta

Seven meets seventy. The Siete's travelling cross fused with the Setenta's hammerlock module — two casino classics welded into one advanced run.

AdvancedCuban-Core

Shines (11)

Cross-Over Shine

Crossing footwork. A lateral travelling shine where one foot crosses the other, often with a tap or swivel.

BeginnerShines

Heel Taps

Punctuation marks. Weightless taps that accent the music and fill the silent counts.

BeginnerShines

Side Mambo (Shine)

The lateral rock. A side-to-side break step that the rest of your shine vocabulary layers on top of.

BeginnerShines

Step-Touch Shine

The shine that cures the freeze. Step, touch, repeat — the simplest solo footwork there is, and the one that proves you never have to stand still.

BeginnerShines

Suzy Q

The first shine. A swiveling cross-touch step that travels sideways — every dancer's entry into solo footwork.

BeginnerShines

Walking Shine

Just walk the music. Step on the strong beats and travel — the most honest shine there is, and the frame every fancier one hangs on.

BeginnerShines

Cumbia Step

The circling back step. A rotating back-basic borrowed from Colombian cumbia that drifts you around in a circle.

IntermediateShines

Pachanga

The grounded glide. A bouncy, bent-knee glide-step that looks like floating between the feet.

IntermediateShines

Swivels

Heel-toe sass. Knee-and-hip swivels that twist side to side, often crossing one leg over the other.

IntermediateShines

Hook Turns

Coiled rotation. A solo turn where the free leg hooks across the standing leg to drive the spin.

AdvancedShines

Triple Cross Shine

Cross, cross, cross. A fast crossing-step shine with taps stacked three deep — the footwork flourish that turns a break into a statement.

AdvancedShines