I have just recently learnt Salsa and at a Ballroom the instructor played three fast salsa's that even the more experienced dancers could not keep up with. How do you dance a fast Salsa.

cdroge. How do you dance to a fast Salsa. Don't. Go and sit down and then tell the music presenter if he plays at more than 120 bpm he is wrong. Just as you would if a Cha or a Rumba was not played at the recomended tempo. That's what I would do.

Salsa is recorded in several different " styles-- notably, Romantica ( sometimes called Monga ) Dura and Descarga .Add to this Cuban " Son " and all the variations by different countries ( Cuba-- Panama-- Venezuela- Colombia-- PR and NYC etc. )

As you can begin to see- the music is very very complex.

Fast ( descarga ) is not wrong-- but IS wrong for a beginner-- on the other hand-- the very slow tempos are more difficult to interpret .-- mid range is what i teach to my beginners, and the variety is endless.
Romantica, by the way, does NOT mean slow, its the type of Singer associated with the style .

Most Son is a very good pace for beginners and the music is the original form ( Son Clave )-- if your DJ knows anything about music he will have some . If not-- I can reccomend several .
I should add-- that Cuban Son is a style that defines a break on "2" rhythm to the trained ear -- but 1 will work .

Terence.Wouldn't it be better to do what i suggested.I'll add to that. If the Salsa is played faster than a Cha then in any situation it is not acceptable. In a night club it could be downright dangerous. i dont think any of us are trying to set any land speed records are we.

My friend-- have been teaching Salsa/ mambo for 50 yrs-- it is NEVER easier to produce the desired foundational work with too slow a tempo-- the recordings i use, are fairly universal in their acceptance-- and is always more acceptable to the beginners ( I introduce various speeds, and they always go for the mid range )

the common mistake today? many people " Teaching?" salsa, that have no music or dance background-- hence the wrong musical choices . .
from a technical standpoint , all slower dances require more control and salsa is not designed ( for the beginner ) to handle the slower speeds like Cuban Son.