Baltimore Salsa Blog

How does a salsa dancer get a flat tire?

• One is self-inflicted.
• The other is someone else’s carelessness.

A self-inflicted flat tire is the result of wearing inappropriate shoes that cause blisters. Did you know that most salsa dancers actually have special dance shoes they carry with them to the club? Sure they do. Why? Because, they’ve had one too many flat tires wearing the wrong shoes! Salsa dancing lasts for hours and is quite a workout. A lightweight, flexible shoe with a leather or suede bottom that fits securely is most desirable. Rubber soled shoes stick, squeak, and leave tread marks. Most ladies heels are built to inhibit turns and will most certainly scratch up those beautiful hardwood floors. The wrong shoes cause blisters, sore feet, and twisted ankles. If you take more than a few salsa lessons or plan to dance more than one night, buy a pair of dance shoes. Your feet will thank you and you’ll feel like you are floating on air, well almost.

From experience, the more crowded the dance floor, the greater the opportunity for someone else’s carelessness to cause me to get a flat tire and leave me in a great deal of pain. Did you know that being stepped on with a sexy high heel or heavy flat foot will stop anyone in their tracks? When this happens to me, I have an internal struggle between screaming foul words and screeching at the top of my lungs. Do you know how hard it is to do neither one? One day, you too will feel my pain or not!

Save yourself and your partner from a flat tire:

• Men – it is your responsibility to not step on the lady in front of you or any in the surrounding area. You may not be wearing a stiletto-like heel, but you can still hurt a lady’s delicate foot with a heavy step right on her toe.
• Men – it is your responsibility to protect her from all the other dancers. Stay in your slot. Hold back those fancy dips and turns. Don’t throw her to the lions. Keep her close when the floor is crowded.
• Ladies – it is your responsibility to protect yourself from all the other dancers. Yes. I know I just said it was his responsibility, but since when do we hand over all the control? If he throws you out there, watch where you are headed. Shorten your steps or change direction immediately when you see danger.
• Ladies – it is your responsibility to protect your partner from stepping back into other dancers. He should judge more accurately, but he doesn’t have eyes in the back of his head like we do. If you see him backing into danger, tighten the grip and keep him close.