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Salsa dance styles3 minutes
Salsa Cali Style: The fast footwork from Colombia
By Mary De LucaUpdated
- The Colombian Cali style is characterized by extremely fast footwork, kicks, and turns in a very confined space.
- The upper body remains largely calm and stable during the rapid steps, while the movement is concentrated in the lower legs.
- In contrast to linear styles, Salsa Caleña is often danced very closely and with a springy basic tension.
What makes Colombian Salsa so unique
Anyone seeing videos from Cali for the first time often rubs their eyes in disbelief. The footwork is so rapid that the dancers' feet seem to hover above the floor. The most important Salsa Cali Style features are the extremely high speed of the music, the minimal weight transfer, and the characteristic kicks and jumps. While you take large, gliding steps in classic linear dance, the upper body in Cali Style, also called Salsa Caleña, remains almost completely still. All the energy is released below the hips.
This dynamic has historical reasons. In Colombia, the imported Salsa music from New York was intentionally played faster on record players to make the dance even more spectacular. If you want to learn Salsa Cali Style, you have to say goodbye to wide back-and-forth movements. Instead, fast, bouncy steps on the balls of the feet, placed directly under the center of gravity, dominate. This requires enormous body tension and extremely precise Salsa leading that maintains the connection to the partner despite the tempo.
The Colombian style in numbers
- beats per minute for Cali-Salsa
- 200+
- Basic steps per bar segment
- 8
- Important basic kicks in Cali style
- 3
How to get started with the Salsa Caleña basics
Adopt the basic stance
Distribute your weight evenly on the balls of your feet and keep your knees slightly bent. Your upper body remains compact and upright to ensure you do not lose your balance during fast movements.
Bouncing the Caleño basic step
Place your feet alternately directly under your body in a fast rhythm, without taking wide steps forward or backward. You bounce slightly in your knees while doing so.
Incorporating the quick kicks
From the basic step, perform short, controlled kicks forward, keeping your toes pointed downward. The foot snaps back into the starting position immediately.
Crossing the footwork sideways
Quickly move your feet alternately behind the other standing foot. These cross-steps give the dance its typical, fluid, and extremely dynamic look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cali Style is significantly faster and focuses on extremely agile footwork and kicks. While other styles like On 1 or On 2 use wide paths on the line, in Colombia, you dance in a very compact and rhythmically playful way.
Yes, Cali Style is considered one of the most demanding Salsa styles due to the extreme tempo and the required foot coordination. Beginners should first develop a feel for the fast beat and build up the steps slowly.
For this style, flat, very light sneakers or dance shoes with a flexible, thin sole are suitable. Heavy shoes or high heels make the fast kicks and the springy footwork significantly more difficult.
Salsa courses near you
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Couple danceLimbach-Oberfrohna · Germany
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