SalsaSelfie.com

Guapea (Handsome) is one of the very first figures we learn at the dance school, and it is often called the basic steps of Casino, of Cuban Salsa, but that is a simplification. It is not uncommon to have a whole social dance at advanced level without a single Guapea. Compare that to Salsa basic steps in linear X-Body salsa.

Abajo (down) is one of the most common ways to start a Cuban Salsa either directly or after some short initial stepping in place or a short walk. The move is also called Para Abajo, or Llevela para Abajo or Llevala pa’bajo for short. Abajo is a confusing name for a short move (there is no “down” in it) because

Setenta Complicado is the Mother of all Complicado, probably the first Complicado at most dance schools, and really the only one you will ever need, if you only have the time for one. There are more videos of this move on YouTube than of almost any other Cuban Salsa move. Don’t underestimate Setenta Complicado. Even many dance schools get it

Setenta y Dos con Giro is the “official” name of this move but most dancers think of it as Setenta y Dos. They can not imagine the figure without the Giro. None of the three videos below use the Giro as part of the name. It is implied. The Gancho hooks can be made simultaneously or one by one, and

Setenta y Dos is like Setenta y Uno except that it ends with an arm hook to both arms, Gancho (hook). For some reason Setenta y Dos is seldom used in its basic version of just adding an Enchufla and the two arm hooks to the Hammerlock. It is almost implied or has become a tradition that when we say

Setenta y Uno is a short move, the Hammerlock plus one more count of eight consisting of Enchufla and Gancho, an arm hook. Sententa y Uno is not that interesting by itself but the move is used as the start of several other moves like Setenta y Cinco (75) (one of my favorites), and the Gancho arm hook is part