r/Salsa • u/HorseElectronic3477 • 9d ago

Skill level

I am convinced, and I will die on this hill, that the number, quality and frequency of strangers coming to ask you out for a dance is a strong solid indicator of how good you are at dancing.

I do not mean a random ask. I mean where strangers search for, will wait and beeline for you.

For example, the fact I rarely get asked by strangers (when they do it is a random ask) and I only dance with people I know, is a clear indication that my dance is lucking.

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u/misterandosan 3d ago

Assuming you're a lead. skill matters up to a point. If you can create a clear, smooth lead, make the follows you dance with look comfortable and connect with them through the music other follows will notice and want to dance with you. This takes a while to develop however.

However, beyond these social dancing fundamental skills there are plenty of very skilled dancers (world champions) who have a reputation of being very rough, and follows will not dance with them again.

For follows and leads, physical attractiveness matters up to a point but more so for beginners (and frankly, creeps) who are at a superficial stage of their dance journey and care more about how things look rather than how the dance **feels**. I have asked many dance partners who i'm not necessarily attracted to purely because they looked fun to dance with.