Salsa

Category: Social Latin / DWTS specialty
Also known as: Casino, NY style, LA style (variants)
DWTS performances in dataset: 172
Average total score: 24.62
First appearance: Season 7, Week 5 — Cloris & Corky (Tres Deseos)
Lift rule on DWTS: Allowed (non-core / specialty style on DWTS).

Origins and history

Salsa music and dance grew from Afro-Cuban son and related Caribbean forms, crystallizing in New York’s Latin music scene mid-20th century and named “salsa” by the 1960s–70s. Britannica notes vibrant hip action and an intense beat. Multiple slot and circular styles (LA, NY Mambo/on-2, Cuban casino) coexist. On DWTS it is a specialty style outside the ten core dances.

Sources

• Encyclopaedia Britannica (Kids/Students): Salsa — Afro-Cuban basis; NY development
• Wikipedia: Salsa (dance) — Style variants
• DanceManual: Dance Tempo Chart — NDCA nightclub tempo notes

How it is danced

Aspect	Detail
Time signature	4/4
Tempo (MPM)	~50 NDCA Nightclub (±)
Tempo (BPM, approx.)	~160–220 social; show tempos vary
Character	Partnered, turn-heavy, clave-driven; shines and styling; lifts allowed on DWTS.
Hold / frame	Open hand holds; cross-body leads; shines breakaway.
Basic steps & figures	On-1 or on-2 basic (style-dependent), cross-body lead, open breaks, turns, copas, shines. Counted 1-2-3, 5-6-7 with pauses on 4 and 8.
What judges look for	Timing to clave/feel, clean turns, partner connection, energy; lifts permitted (non-core).

Competition tempi cite WDSF Competition Rules E.3.2 and related DanceSport charts where applicable; theatrical styles are song-driven.

History on Dancing with the Stars

Statistics below are computed from the Data with the Stars SQLite performance and score tables (not invented).

• Times danced: 172
• Score range: 10.0 – 41.0 (total judges’ score as stored)
• Perfect nights (every judging mark = 10): 13

Average score by era

Era	Performances	Average total
S1-10	21	22.52
S11-20	44	28.74
S21-30	75	23.72
S31+	32	22.41

Best scores

• 41.0 — S31 W6: Jessie & Alan — ?
• 39.0 — S18 W7: Meryl & Maks — Adrenalina (Wisin feat. Ricky Martin & Jennifer Lopez)
• 39.0 — S19 W6: Alfonso & Witney — Booty (Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull)
• 39.0 — S19 W9: Janel & Val — Morning Drums (Gregor Salto)
• 39.0 — S30 W8: JoJo & Jenna — ?

Lowest scores

• 10.0 — S34 W1: Jordan & Ezra — Break My Soul
• 12.0 — S21 W1: Kim & Tony — Hey Mama
• 12.0 — S28 W1: Sean & Lindsay — Spice Up Your Life
• 12.0 — S28 W2: Lamar & Peta — Con Calma
• 12.0 — S29 W1: Charles & Emma — In da Club

First perfect nights (all marks 10)

• S8 W10: Gilles & Cheryl — I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S9 W9: Mýa & Dmitry — La Isla Bonita (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S12 W9: Hines & Kym — Hello (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S14 W10: William & Cheryl — Juventud de Presente (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S15 W8: Emmitt & Cheryl — Mr. Saxobeat (total 30.0, 3 judges)

Most-used songs

• The Cup of Life — Ricky Martin (4×)
• Tres Deseos — Gloria Estefan (3×)
• Higher — Gloria Estefan (3×)
• I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) — Pitbull (3×)
• Hot in Herre — Nelly (3×)
• Juventud de Presente — Tito Puente (2×)
• Tequila — Xavier Cugat (2×)
• Danza Kuduro — Don Omar feat. Lucenzo (2×)

Charts

• Data CSV: data/salsa-by-season.csv
• SVG: charts/salsa-frequency.svg, charts/salsa-score-trend.svg

Watch top performances

• Elaine Hendrix’s 20th Birthday Party Salsa | Dancing with the Stars — S34 W9, score 36.0, It Takes Two
• Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach’s Super Bowl Night Salsa | Dancing with the Stars — S35 W5, score 36.0, Hot in Herre
• Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov’s Super Bowl Night Samba | Dancing with the Stars — S33 W4, score 32.0, Mi Gente
• Jackson Olson and Emma Slater’s Super Bowl Night Salsa | Dancing with the Stars — S35 W5, score 31.0, Uptown Funk
• dwts brandon and chandler Salsa dancing with the stars — S33 W8, score 29.0, Spicy Margarita

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Educational fan reference. Dance histories paraphrased from cited sources; DWTS stats from project data. Not affiliated with BBC Studios or Disney.