Tango vs Salsa: The complete guide to the differences, types, footwear + videos! -

Tango and salsa are two giants of the Latin social dance world genre. However, whilst both are famous dances originating from South America, tango and salsa are quite different from one another. So, what distinguishes tango and salsa from each other?

There are several key differences between tango and salsa, including their tempo, steps, and energy. Tango is a contrasting dance with an intimate gliding feel with sharp bursts of sudden passionate speed, while salsa is high-energy and more flirtatious than sensual. In addition, tango involves box/circle-shaped movements similar to a waltz, whereas salsa’s steps go forward and backward.

Let’s take a closer look at both of these dances!

What is the Difference Between Salsa and Tango?

	Salsa	Tango
Pace	Fast, energetic	Long/smooth, short/sharp
Beats	In an 8-beat combination, the steps follow the pattern of 1, 2, 3, pause, 1, 2, 3, pause	In a 4-beat combination, the steps follow various combinations of 1 (quick step), 2 (slow step), 3 (quick step), 4 (slow step) depending on the interpretation of the song.
Intimacy Level	Salsa partners hold each other at a decent distance to make room for upper body movements	Tango partners hold each other close, basically hugging
Instruments	Salsa music typically includes vocals, piano, guitar, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, double bass, congas, bongos, timbales, claves, the cowbell, maracas, and guiro. Percussion is a crucial component of salsa music!	Tango music normally involves instruments including double bass, guitar (either one or two), bandoneon (a close relative of the accordion), violin, flute and clarinet (often played by the same player), piano, vocals.
Basic Steps	Forward and back movements	Movements which are circular
Mood	Playful	Passionate, nostalgia, melancholy
Popularity	Salsa has been the most popular Latin dance style for decades.	Tango’s popularity has been decreasing over the years.

What are the Similarities Between Salsa and Tango?

Both can be fast and intricate
Both follow a 4/4 time signature (although tango’s rhythms are generally more complicated)
Both are partner dances

As you can see, while salsa and tango are both prominent and romantic Latin dances, they are extremely distinct. We’re going to discuss each of these unique, historic dances in more detail.

What is Salsa?

Origins of Salsa

Salsa began in Cuba in the early 1900s. At the time, the country was brimming with immigrants from both Europe (voluntary) and Africa (as part of the slave trade). Salsa was created out of influences from Son Cubano, or the Cuban sound; Spanish troubadour music; the rumbas of African slaves; danzón, which is the official music and dance of Cuba; and the instruments available in Cuba. As the years went by, salsa began to absorb even more music and dance styles, including North American jazz.

In 1964, record label Fania Records adapted salsa music to the tastes of the Latinx community in New York City and named this genre “salsa.” It’s generally believed that this term either refers to “sauce,” because of the mix of components that make up this musical genre and dance, or “spicy,” because of the dance’s alluring movements. As people from New York moved to other parts of the US, they brought salsa with them. The music and dance style achieved peak worldwide popularity in the 1970s and remains one of the most beloved Latin dance styles to this day.

Types of Salsa

As you might expect from such a widely popular dance, there are many variations of salsa dance. Here are eight types of salsa dancing:

1. Cuban style salsa

Cuban style salsa, also known as salsa cubana, most closely resembles the original form of salsa from Cuba. It’s danced in a circular motion with partners traveling around each other and involves prominent hip movements. The footwork in Cuban salsa is more simple than in some other forms of salsa, but the arm movements are more showy.

Watch these expert salsa cubana dancers showcase this style to music by Marka Registrada:

2. Miami style salsa

Miami style salsa is sometimes called cubano or casino. It’s similar to Cuban style salsa in its circular movements, but it involves more complex movements that require flexibility. For this reason, it’s considered more technically challenging.

To see how Miami style salsa is performed, check out this detailed workshop and performance:

3. Casino Rueda style salsa

Another salsa variation performed in a circular motion is casino rueda, or salsa rueda. In this variation, couples dance in a big circle and a leader calls out the moves that the couples are supposed to perform. Casino rueda requires coordination among the various couples and involves partner switches and complex turn patterns. Dancers also have to be familiar with the moves the leader calls out, which can go up to 300 moves. It’s a salsa form that might be difficult for dancers but is extra fun to watch!

Witness it in action in this amazing casino rueda street dance:

4. Colombian style salsa

Colombian style salsa is also referred to as Cali style salsa because it originated in Cali, Columbia. It has its roots in cumbia, a traditional Colombian genre and dance, and is performed to cumbia music. In Colombian style salsa, elaborate footwork is combined with stiff upper bodies. It’s danced at an extremely fast tempo—DJs back in the 1960s used to play salsa music at double speed so Colombian style salsa dancers could tear up the floor with incredible energy!

While the city of Cali offers many salsa competitions and classes, Colombian style salsa in rural areas is generally not as showy as some of the other salsa variations. It’s often passed down by family members rather than taught in dance classes. Like the other three styles we’ve covered so far, it’s done in a circular motion.

If you’re thinking about learning Colombian style salsa, maybe you’ll be inspired by this video of Columbia style dance in a Cali salsa bar.

5. LA style salsa (On 1)

Los Angeles style salsa, or LA style salsa, is one of the most well-known salsa variations globally. Fast and flashy, LA style salsa is dazzling to watch. Acrobatics is sometimes included in LA style salsa routines.

Unlike the types of salsa mentioned above, this variation is performed in a linear motion instead of a circular one. It’s termed “On 1” salsa because it’s danced on the first beat of the music. Since this first beat is the dominant one, getting the rhythm of LA style salsa tends to be easier for new dancers.

Watch the fancy footwork of Luis Vazquez and Weronika Pilat as they freestyle to LA style salsa:

6. New York style salsa (On 2)

New York style salsa, which is often called “mambo,” is a nightclub-style salsa. While less popular than the LA style salsa, it’s one of the most famous salsa variations.

New York style salsa is called “On 2” salsa because dancing starts on the second beat. Rather than incorporating acrobatics, spins, and styling like LA style salsa, New York style salsa emphasizes elegance, control, and grace. It’s danced in a linear motion. Because starting “On 2” is less intuitive than “On 1,” dancers usually learn LA style salsa before moving on to New York style salsa.

Enjoy New York style salsa performed by On2 world champions Tabo Simone and Maso Serena!

7. Puerto Rican style salsa

Puerto Rican style salsa may seem similar to New York style salsa to the casual onlooker. However, in Puerto Rican style salsa, the leader steps forward on the second beat; in New York style salsa, it’s the follower who does so. Puerto Rican style salsa can also be danced on 1 or on 2, unlike New York style salsa, which always starts on 2.

Puerto Rican style salsa values clean lines and arm movements, and it often features “shines.” A “shine” is a solo moment where dancers break from each other to freestyle and show-off their footwork. The female dancer—the follower—is usually given the spotlight in Puerto Rican salsa.

Watch this super fun Puerto Rican style salsa video featuring dancers Griselle Agosto and Reniel Hernández:

8. Salsa choke

Salsa choke is a modern style of salsa that started in Cali, Colombia like Colombian style salsa. It’s not a partner dance, but an individual one danced in a group with linear motions.

This salsa type was popularized worldwide when the Colombian national soccer team performed salsa choke moves during the 2014 World Cup. Salsa choke has influences from reggaeton and electronica and is danced exclusively to salsa choke music.

You’ll want to get up and dance too after watching this salsa choke performance:

Basic Salsa Steps

The basic salsa steps involve forward and back movements. Men, who typically lead, step forward with the left foot (first beat), then shift their weight to the right foot (second beat). Next, they bring their feet back together (third beat). Dancers pause on the fourth beat. They then step back with their right foot (fifth beat), shift their weight to the left foot (sixth beat), then bring their feet back together again (seventh beat). They pause on the eighth beat. For women, who typically follow, these steps are mirrored.

Here’s a great example of these forward and back basic steps as well as the side basic steps:Beginner’s Guide: How To Salsa Dance (No Experience Needed)

Salsa Music

Salsa music always involves strong percussion, and salsa bands usually have a percussion section that comprises congas, bongos, timbales, claves, maracas, guiro, and the cowbell. The claves provide the rhythm for the other instruments to follow. The percussion is enhanced with piano, guitar, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, and double bass. Vocalists, who are called soneros, normally sing in Spanish about a variety of topics, including love and culture.

Listen to salsa classics on this playlist:

What to Wear to Salsa Dancing

If you’re going to a salsa dancing class, wear lightweight, stretchy clothing that you can move around in without any trouble. For shoes, you can wear Latin or jazz dance shoes, comfortable flats, sneakers, or low heels. Make sure your shoes won’t slide off your feet and will allow you to pivot.

Similarly, if you’re going salsa dancing at a club or other venue, make sure you wear comfortable, non-restrictive clothing. Keep in mind that dancing the night away will mean getting hot and sweaty, so don’t wear anything too heavy. For shoes, pick something comfortable with a soft, smooth sole. If you go with heels, remember that a lower heel will cause less discomfort.

We have actually written a detailed guide on what to wear to different dance classes including salsa. It can be viewed here What To Wear To Each Dance Class: Inspired by professional dancers and contains both practical and fashion advice for salsa clothing and footwear.

Now that we’ve covered the basics about salsa, let’s talk about tango.

What is Tango?

Origins of Tango

In the 19th Century, as part of an immigrant program, immigrants from many different cultures flocked to Argentina and Paraguay, in particular the Argentine city of Buenos Aries. For many they were hoping for work and prosperity, however, the reality was crime, prostitution, and homesickness. As a result, the people turned to music and dancing to express themselves and their situation.

Most of these immigrants were single men with nothing to their name but macho pride. Due to the lack of women, the men would dance with each other to impress the only women in the area, the prostitutes. It is the combination of two strong lustful men, competing for a woman’s attention that bred the fiery, strong nature of tango.

In the slum music halls, African, South American, and European music blended together. The German bandoneon (similar to the accordion) quickly became a favored instrument for tango as it expressed both nostalgia and passion. One of the earliest official tango songs was written in 1905 by Miguel Bucino.

The conservative adult upper class of the time disapproved of the dance as they found it too wild and scandalous. However, the sons of the wealthy embraced the dance. These rich sons of Argentina were then often sent to Europe to study. One such European country was France, where in 1910 tango found an enthusiastic audience and it soon spread throughout the country. From France, and after some mild modifications to make it less scandalous, the tango began to spread throughout Europe with enormous popularity. By 1913 tango had become an international phenomenon.

Is Tango a Forbidden Dance?

Tango was initially frowned upon by the conservative adult upper class of Argentina as they found it too wild and scandalous. However, it was the sons of the wealthy who saw tango for what it was, a way to express passionate emotion mixed with a desire to impress women.

After these wealthy sons of Buenos Aries traveled to France to study, tango had traveled to France and with some mild modifications to make the dance less scandalous, tango became less forbidden.

After its wild popularity in Europe, tango went full circle back to Argentina where the adult upper class had a change of heart and accepted tango. This resulted in tango no longer having a forbidden reputation.

Is Tango a Latin Dance?

Tango is a Latin dance as it originated in Argentina and Paraguay. In competitive dance, it is classed as one of the Latin dances alongside others such as rumba, samba and cha-cha.

Basic Tango Steps

Before we discuss the basic steps of tango, we need to make note that there are two types of tango. One is called American tango, the other is Argentine tango.

American tango basic steps:

In American tango, the basic steps (for the lead) are as follows:

Starting with the left foot, take 3 steps forward, and finish with a step to the right with a side drag of the left foot
The timings are slow, slow, quick, quick, slow

As an overview, in American tango

The partners feet are close, whilst the partners tops are apart
It is more showy than Argentine tango, for example in American tango the partners often break apart for solo movements
And has more structured timings with slows and quicks than Argentine tango.

For further information on American tango basic, have a look at the below video:

Argentine tango basic steps:

In Argentine tango, the basic steps (for the lead) are as follows:

On your right foot, take one step backward
Take a step to the left with your left foot with a drag of the right foot
Take two steps forward starting with your right foot
On your left foot take one step forward
Take a step to the right on your right foot with a drag of your left foot
The timings are slow, slow, quick, quick, slow

As an overview, in Argentine tango:

It is more intimate than American tango, and rarely disconnects from the partner
Steps are smaller than in American tango
The partners tops are close, whilst the partners feet are apart
There is more interpretive timing than in American tango

For a demonstration of Argentine tango basics, have a look at the below video:

Tango Music

Tango music is often characterised by the spanish guitar and bandoneon (also known as ‘Tango accordion’. The beauty of tango music is that it can be played either by a solo instrument such as the bandoneon or an ensemble orchestra. If an orchestra is used it will usually include a flute, piano, double bass, and at least two violins and bandoneons. Vocalists and clarinets are usually part of an ensemble rather than solo performers.

Tango music is frequently characterised by nostalgia, intensity, and melancholy, which reflects the homesickness, passion for women, and competitiveness of its original poor yet macho immigrant population.

To get more familiar with tango music, have a listen to this fantastic playlist below:

Tango Footwear and Clothes

Let’s talk about the footwear and clothes men and women wear for tango, starting with the women.

Tango clothes/footwear for women:

Given deep and sudden movements performed in tango, women will often wear athletic focussed bottoms such as tights. Or if a dress is worn, a slit down the side can often be seen to enhance the dress flexibility. A note that women will advise is that ensure the dress is not too long and if it’s short, be sure to wear athleisure shorts underneath to be secure. Tops can be anything from singlets to tshirts, to crop tops. The footwear for women is usually Latin heels. The important criteria for womens heels in tango is a strap across the ankle to secure the heel whilst performing explosive movements. Heel depth and style is generally a personal preference.

Tango clothes/footwear for men:

Let’s discuss the mens clothing and footwear now. Men will usually wear a pair of flexible jeans or dance pants that don’t ride too low to enable flexible hip movements. Tops are usually a collared shirt or a t- shirt. Men should wear Latin dance shoes which will have suede soles, tapered toes for sliding/dragging, and a raised heel.

For more information on mens Latin shoes, have a look at our article The 7 Best Mens Salsa Shoes For Every Situation + Fitting Guide. Whilst the article mentions salsa, Latin shoes are synonymous with salsa and we discuss the ins and outs of Latin shoes in the linked article.

Should You Learn Tango?

Tango can be a fantastic dance to learn, however there are some considerations to think of before committing to the style. We will discuss these below.

Tango is a very intimate partner dance. What this means is, there needs to be a high level of synchronicity between the partners, not to mention passion and a certain level of aggression. In this way, there needs to be a certain dynamic between the partners. For example tango will not have the required passion if neither partner is particularly fiery.

This leads us onto the pace of tango. Tango can be very contrasting, because in tango there are slow tender moments, then there are fast violent movements. If you want a dance that is one pace, tango is not for you.

Tango is a Latin dance, therefore you will likely be wearing Latin shoes, which is not for everyone due to comfort or perhaps prior foot injuries.

Also, whilst tango can be amazing, it is not as mainstream as other dances such as salsa or bachata perhaps due to its seriousness or technicalities. Therefore if you do learn tango, be prepared for less dancefloors that cater to it. This in turn results in less partners to choose from.

FInally, in my experience in Australia, tango can attract a certain eccentric older crowd. I am not sure why this is, or if it occurs elsewhere, however it is something to bear in mind.

Should You Learn Salsa?

Salsa can be such a useful dance to learn mainly due to its popularity. In any city you will find salsa dance parties and dancefloors full of people wanting to twirl the night away.

However, like tango, there are nuances to salsa dancing. We discuss these below.

Salsa is a fun and light hearted dance. It suits people who are always ready to laugh and who perhaps don’t take themselves too seriously.

Salsa is also great if you enjoy a more casual dance scene without the need for costumes or specialised dance gear.

Salsa is also notoriously fast paced for long periods of time. It’s not uncommon for some salsa songs to go for 10 or 15 min.

Salsa is great if you enjoy dancing with a wide variety of people and skill levels. But not as good if you desire a certain consistency in partner level.

Finally, in my experience, salsa can be a mixed bag. There are new dancers who want nothing more than for someone to ask them to dance regardless of their skill. However, all too often, there seems to be an ‘in-crowd’ or ‘popular group’ which can be a turn off if you are not a part of that group.

Are Their Benefits to Doing Both Salsa and Tango?

Whilst most dance forms will complement each other to a certain degree, tango and salsa are rather different dance forms. Tango is quite rigid and snappy and serious, whilst salsa is more of a rolling smooth fast fun motion.

To give some context, we would say ballet and tango are more aligned due to the rigidity of both dances, the straight postures, and straight leg extensions. But tango and salsa are relatively opposite.

Furthermore, in dance studios or dance halls, it is rare to have salsa and tango music playing. It is more common for tango to be in a ballroom setting, and salsa to be paired with bachata.

Whilst you could use salsa for lighthearted fun times, and tango for a more melancholy nostalgia time, overall there is no particular benefit to learning salsa and tango simultaneously.

Is Tango or Salsa Better for Beginners?

As a general rule, salsa is better for beginner dancers. The core reason for this is because salsa is not as intertwined and intimate with the partner. This means that it is easier to balance and move in salsa compared to tango, where you will often need to be highly aligned with your partner’s movement and balance.

Another reason is salsa’s pace is more consistent, whereas tango’s pace is erratic and changeable. This combined with the reduced balance can make tango a challenging dance.

Salsa is also usually less interpretative, whereas tango can be spontaneous at times and more fluid.

These are some of the reasons that salsa is generally an easier dance for beginners than tango.

Which is Better for Your Body, Tango or Salsa?

Whilst both salsa and tango have the potential for injury or strain, salsa tends to be easier on your body. The reason for this is threefold:

Shoe type: In salsa you can wear casual shoes, whereas tango Latin shoes are usually worn. These Latin shoes can be tight on the feet with little cushioning which can be uncomfortable and lead to issues for some people.
Intimacy level: In salsa you can have some space between you and your partner, which assists with balance. In tango you need to be almost hugging your partner as you move, which places additional strain on your balancing tendons and joints such as the balls of your feet and ankles.
Movement type: In salsa the movement is not particularly harsh on the body, it is fast but not harsh. In tango however, the movement is sudden, aggressive and can lead to whiplash/strains if you are not careful.