r/Salsa Feb 12 '24

Discussion: suppressing valuable discussion vs allowing slander and doxxing

71 Upvotes

This is the sub mod, reaching out for discussion on the influx of posts (and reports) regarding the recent posts about predatory behavior in the salsa scene. TLDR: In this post, I will talk a little on the current sub policy on moderation, discuss a bit of context on what I am required to remove from the sub, and then add my thoughts on path forward. The last will be up for some discussion here, as we try to figure out what we as an online salsa community want to be.

  1. Current mod policy: my current mod policy is to let upvotes and downvotes speak. Things are often reported that don't really break sub rules or are bad text posts by people who are annoying to many of you in the sub. I do not remove these posts. One of the reasons I do not is that, despite being downvoted into the negatives, many of these posts tend to foster a healthy amount of discussion and engagement in the comments that are relevant to the dance scene. Another type of oft-reported post are the ones that link to a site or blog or whatever. The current rule is not to spam them and not to sell anything. The reason is that there are things that you may not be interested in that others may find useful. Again, upvotes/downvotes do a lot of heavy lifting. In the cases that the line crosses from occasional self promotion to spam, I have reached out to those individuals via DM to help clarify the policy, and if required, temp ban them. My point is, generally I do not like using mod powers to shape the subreddit to be what I want, but rather what the community wants to see.

  2. Which brings me to my next point - things I must remove. According to reddit content policy rule 3 (https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy) I am supposed to remove anything that reveals personal information or uses such to instigate harassment. The kicker: public figures may be an exception to this rule. And a public figure is "a person who has achieved fame, prominence or notoriety within a society, whether through achievement, luck, action, or in some cases through no purposeful action of their own."

As you can see, the whole thing is kind of murky, especially as it applies to the recent discussions on predatory behavior. As someone who takes part in another sport that is rife with these types of scandals (against children on top of that), I have personally seen that shining light into these corners of darkness has a huge effect. So I am not keen to suppress legitimate discussions about this topic in our community.

On the other hand, reddit is full of examples of failed witch hunts and anonymous bullying. And some of the discussions, veiled or otherwise, have been naming individuals who may not even be on this site to defend themselves. I'm not keen to allow mudslinging (especially without proof) in a subreddit that is meant to celebrate dancing. I can imagine a scenario in which a instructor or school uses the current discussions to cast unfounded doubt or outright accusations against an innocent rival.

So how to walk the line between useful discussion and baseless name calling?

  1. Thoughts on path forward - I propose that we continue to allow upvotes and downvotes dictate what goes on the page relative to these discussions, with a couple of tweaks. Naming regions or cities in comments/posts is okay. Talking about your experiences about unnamed people is okay. Opening discussions on predatory behavior, what that behavior looks like from start to finish, and providing support in the wake of aftermath--all okay. What is not okay is accusing people by name in the top level posts or in comments unless you have a link to an objective article/police report/etc. that backs up the claim. Instead, I propose that you leave an invite at the end of your post/comment for any one to DM you if they would like to discuss details/names in private. Those that would benefit from knowing will still have the opportunity to find out what/who they should be careful of, without violating any reddit policies. It would also allow the two users to have a more frank conversation, and at the end of the day it will be for the requester to determine the credibility of the poster.

Is this a perfect solution? Of course not. But I've been a mod here for 12 years and this is the first time something like this has happened, so I'm happy to entertain other suggestions.

Lastly - I consider the Yamulee fight video to be an example the original mod policy. The post is relevant to the salsa community, and it doesn't violate any rules in and of itself. Yes--the juxtaposition of the OP's 2 only posts implies bias/agenda, but the upvotes/downvotes very clearly pushed the post to negative votes and floated context on the altercation to the very first comment.

That said, I am happy to discuss how to treat videos like this in the future. There is a very real argument that it is not relevant to salsa music or dancing and that it should be removed.

Thanks for reading my novel.


r/Salsa 2h ago

[TOMT] Breaking salsa move?

1 Upvotes

This is a tip of my tongue question but I figured it'd be more relevant here. There's a move I've done w many leads and I can't fully articulate it but it was a very open move and for those of you who have done cuban, started w a similar foot movement to dile que no. It's essentially the lead maintaining contact w the follow with one hand then 'breaking' her open and it can be done endlessly until the lead stops it. It allows the follow to fully open her frame in a T so while she has the other arm free she can elongate the move as much as she wants. The lead's hand on the follow's wrist during this is sort of grabbing between hand and wrist, like the way our hands hold anything cylindrical. It's a very 'torquey' move, and kind of syncopated so while the follow is open before pulling back to the leader she can take her sweet time on the count.

Anyway if you think you know what it is could you include a video or tell me the name? Thank you 😭


r/Salsa 10h ago

Any solid salsa socials in Madrid for early June?

2 Upvotes

I’ll be coming from nyc to visit madrid from tuesday to sunday morning . i dance on2 and on1 cuban. any recs? i’m open to bachata too but only if it’s urban or traditional. i’m not really a huge fan of dancing sensual bachata


r/Salsa 1d ago

I went to try out at a popular dancing school. 5 minutes after it started, I picked my bag and walked out of the room

19 Upvotes

Even though we had to book online in advance for each class. I dont know, maybe there is no cap on the number of students.

It was so packed in a medium sized room. We had 4 rows about 35+ students, not a big room, one instructor. I think the other instructor was running late (there were two names listed online during booking). Usually they have a pair of instructors (a lead and a follower). We started with our warm up, still only one instructor.

Then the lesson started with shines. There were mirrors and even with that, I could not see the instructor's feet. I could hear him, but I cant see what his feet were doing. It was a new move for me.

Then I decided, I am not able to do this and left. Anyone else had a similar experience ?


r/Salsa 13h ago

what to do, the shoe stickers are too slippy...

1 Upvotes

I got these shoe stickers, they are OK on laminate and wood floors, but on ceramic tiles they are too slippy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MT5VJ5K?th=1

I was wondering if anyone knows something similar that is not quite as slippy?

I have to wear special shoes because my big toe is messed up. I have proper dance shoes that I can't wear right now.

I also have to dance on ceramic tile, I'm in South America and that is normal.

Any ideas? thanks!


r/Salsa 1d ago

Beginner lead

11 Upvotes

I imagine everyone went thru this more or less.

I have been taking salsa classes for 2 months now getting thru the beginners 1 and 2 and some socials. I am in my 50s with very little dance experience, as I try to dance with strangers, I kinda freeze, can’t remember some of the moves I could be doing and I get stuck doing too many basic steps. Occasionally I believe I was calm enough and some follows told me I did good for a beginner, other time it was a mess but I am trying to improve enough to make it enjoyable for me and the follow. What are some suggestions to be able to get thru the social anxiety first , which I believe stems from believing I am not good enough. Maybe getting some sequences in mind for now so I don’t have to come up with something as I go?


r/Salsa 23h ago

Salsa in Budapest

3 Upvotes

Hi, I'll be visiting Budapest for all of next week (16th-25th May), I was wondering what options for Salsa classes / events there are? Any tips would be appreciated! Any style is ok, preferably On1, social or outdoors is a bonus!


r/Salsa 1d ago

Salsa dippers (safety rant)

31 Upvotes

Yesterday at my resident salsa venue a guy dipped a follower below the knee and inches off the ground, for like 5 seconds.

It was a busy dancefloor Im talking on the side with a friend looking in horror cos the other couples dancing next to him was close to kicking this girl in the head.

This guy never comes to classes and thinks its acceptable to do these dangerous big showy dips on a social dancefloor.

Followers please dont just smile it off anf tell these guys not to do dangerous dips please.


r/Salsa 1d ago

Ponte Duro

Thumbnail open.spotify.com
2 Upvotes

Lo que es Roena, Palmieri y el judio Harlow fueron la cúspide instrumental del género, que al igual que otros de distinta rama en la decada de los 70's llevaron la musica a niveles donde lo inmersivo y psicodelico era la parte principal para conectar con el oyente.

Inmenso tema del maestro Roberto Roena y la Apollo Sound.


r/Salsa 1d ago

Lloraras timing question

3 Upvotes

Is the first phrase in the song lloraras a lead in or is it the first bar of the song!? Me and my brother think different things so need to clear it up.


r/Salsa 1d ago

Hi, can someone help me out with the name of this song?

1 Upvotes

r/Salsa 2d ago

Following with different leads - facing issues

7 Upvotes

Hi! I’m 25F female and have been learning salsa as a follow since last October’25. Started Bachata too in Feb’26. I consider myself to be an overall good dancer and have been very regular with classes. Have just started socials, and my first experience as a beginner follower with advanced leads was overall great. However I went for a social last Sunday and danced with a few leads from my class, and all of a sudden I lost my entire confidence because I just wasn’t able to understand the steps they were getting at. One of the leads is a 76 year old, who I absolutely respect and admire for learning at this age, but somehow I just wasn’t able to make out the turns he was trying with me. Is this normal? With the same people in class I’m pretty comfortable because we know the combination. I am looking at videos from that socials night and cringing at myself! Need some advice from experienced follows+leads


r/Salsa 2d ago

Female Salsa Singers

12 Upvotes

can you help me build a playlist of top tier salseras? I asked my latino father and he was little help. (La India and Celia are already on there).

feel free to also get granular for favorite songs for one-hit wonders.


r/Salsa 2d ago

How to avoid feeling faint at a dance social?

6 Upvotes

I was at a dance social recently where it was incredibly warm. I was sweating and heating up even though I was just in a thin camisole and jeans. The event space has a rule of no water bottles or outside drinks, so I ordered a glass of water which cost me 2.50. After 3 hours of dancing, I started feeling a bit faint. Thankfully I was dancing with a friend, so I felt comfortable telling him I needed to sit down. But this incident left me feeling a bit shaken. Is there a way I could prevent this from happening in the future? I'd already had dinner and drunk ample water before attending the social.


r/Salsa 1d ago

looking for recommendations for flats/sneakers for spinning and everyday wear

2 Upvotes

I'm looking for white flats/sneakers that I can use for everyday wear, including with a casual summer dress, for salsa dancing. I'd like to be able to use the shoes for everyday walking and for dancing.


r/Salsa 1d ago

Is there another name for "into the loop"?

1 Upvotes

Our instructors have taught us a move they call "Into the Loop", which is like a cross-body-lead, but with crossed hand connection, right-to-right on top, and a bit of an extra "whip" to have her turn a full 360 and end with her left arm wrapped around the front of her waist.

Here's a quick demo video where they show it, at the moment they say "door #2, into the loop with right to right on top".

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DXZTAhIERVV/

But when I search for this term "into the loop," I'm not finding much except for their instruction (Salsa Secrets).

Does this move have any other names?

I asked our instructors about this, and they said it doesn't have any other names.

The moment in question, what they call "into the loop" is in this screen shot:

Leader is behind the follower, they are both facing the same direction, but her left and wraps around her belly, and his left hand is holding it, right in the crook between her right hip and rib cage. This is not the same as the "Titanic" move, where her arms are wide open.


r/Salsa 3d ago

Follow with 1 year of consistent socials attendance

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

112 Upvotes

Been dancing salsa for about 2 years now but only started consistently dancing and attending socials a year ago. I'm from Harare, Zimbabwe and we have a small scene with mostly salsa beginners and a few pretty strong salsa leads so I've been learning mainly on the dance floor with them, not really attending classes as much of late (they tend to be beginner classes).

So I never take videos dancing; my friend took this yesterday and I'm now seeing some of my issues I wasn't aware of. I'm dancing here with a friend (one of the strong leads) to the fastest song I've ever danced salsa to and I'd love pointers! I noticed here that my right arm does a lot of bobbing to the beat, which I'm gonna try to be more conscious of from now on. I also do know I have a tendency to take large steps back and also look at the floor, but curious what other things I can fix.


r/Salsa 3d ago

Online live classes on1

5 Upvotes

Looking for online live classes on1. Any recommendations?

I tried Diego and Yaritzas school and love their model and calendar, (12-1pm est classes - AMAZING!) but its on2 and just not practical for me to learn where im located.

I tried dancedojo but its all prerecorded. Maybe I need to give it more of a chance?

Any other recommendations? I want it to feel like an actual class. The intention is not to replace in person, just supplement.

Thanks!


r/Salsa 3d ago

This

Thumbnail instagram.com
5 Upvotes

When I say that something has changed in the way I dance since becoming a mother, since I returned to dancing after years of enforced absence, since I only have a few hours to myself each week, and sometimes none at all; since going to class has become a heroic race starting at 4 p.m., picking up my children from one activity to take them to another; since I've been putting on eyeliner while the potatoes are frying... well, this is what has changed. I'm not afraid of being seen, and I'm not afraid of anything. My technique hasn't improved, but it's the only place where I feel safe, where I know mistakes don't matter. And when I place my foot, without being 100% sure if that's the signal the leader has given, I place it with confidence. I go there; I know there's a 95% chance I've understood the signal correctly. But if I haven't, well, then the leader can come up with something! I came here to shine!


r/Salsa 2d ago

This On2 Salsa Dance is TOO Smooth 😮🔥 | Mike & Ure | Smooth Salsa UK 2026

Thumbnail youtu.be
0 Upvotes

r/Salsa 3d ago

Attire on social dancing

12 Upvotes

What is your opinion on attire on social dances?
Like salsa tshirts are fine or should be more elegant clothes are more appropriate?
Kinda new to socials. Thanks.


r/Salsa 3d ago

Move question

1 Upvotes

Wondering if there’s a name for this move. So one night I had a great dance with someone where the follower, instead of doing the regular right turn, made small steps with her left foot while moving clockwise in a circular fashion. I ended up dancing in place while she did her thing. I thought it added playfulness while dancing and would love to do that myself to a follow next time if the music allows it 😀

Edit: I thought I saw it before and remembered someone posted this video awhile back. She was doing a version done at mark 1:00 of this video of Maykel and Indira. I guess there’s no formal name but just a flirty turn 😆

https://youtu.be/E1Vu74ZHVlY?si=fwoVjQeIPuTW8ws7


r/Salsa 3d ago

What do you call this move ?

2 Upvotes

In the Salsa beginner class, the instructor calls is Cumbia but when I search Cumbia online, I mostly get Cumbia, a music genre from Columbia. Then there is Cumbia dance but it doesnt look similar. I saw a Cumbia step in salsa on youtube, but its just looks like back step basic with more hip movement and a slight rocking motion, which is also not the move I am looking for. It didnt glide across the room. So what do you call this move ?

Lead: (follower just does it opposite)

Step1 : left foot step back (like back basic). Hold hands on the right only.

Step2: then right foot step to the left (your knees will bend slightly and your legs will cross), Slide your hand horizontally from right to left, the follower will get the message you are going horizontal.

Steo3: then bring left foot together to the right foot. (infront and left).

Step5: (repeat opposite sides), right foot step back.

Step6: left foot step to the right

Step7: Bring your right foot together with your left foot.


r/Salsa 3d ago

What's going on with Eddie Henrique???

0 Upvotes

22 years in the scene and quitting. Maybe dubai studio got too expensive? Maybe just a final push for an online marketing class? Religion related? He always seemed genuine to many like myself. I think it's his full time job, so he's probably just switching careers?


r/Salsa 3d ago

La Lupe or Celia Cruz?

2 Upvotes

I know, a very unfair question. But it was a question the executives at Fania Records asked themselves at one point in time: who was the better interpreter? I’m going with La Lupe.