What is Salsa? Salsa is probably the most sensual and popular Latin partnered dance in the U.K. ‘Salsa’ literally means a hot and spicy concoction common in the Latin world. Today the word has come to represent a genre of exciting music and dance emanating from the Spanish speaking Caribbean. Salsa retains all its heat and spice and is the most fashionable form of Latin dance at the moment. Origins and Development of Salsa Essentially Cuban in origin, Salsa developed in the 1920s from a mixture of African Rhythms and the melodies of the Spanish Colonies. When many Cubans fled their country during the Revolution in 1959, a number of their musicians ended up in New York, where they met up with other artists from Puerto Rico, Dominica, Venezuela, Colombia and Panama. New groups and bands were formed which played a new type of music brought about by the mix of cultures. The incorporation of other Latin rhythms into the Salsa musical structure was reflected in the dance, creating faster and more complex footwork with more twists and turns giving birth to the hot and exciting dance we know as ‘Salsa’ today. More recently the music and dance migrated to Europe, where it is thriving.