This is not a strange topic for the Dancing Tidbits. Salsa is really hot. If you have an "ad" in Yellow Pages, saying that you teach Latin; 9 out of 10 calls will be for Salsa and Meringue. I can say this for USA but don't know much about other parts of the world. What makes Salsa so Hot? It is of course the spice that you put in. The Spice is of course, Sex. I must say that interest in sex and sexual expression is the most exciting thing throughout the history of mankind. It is just that our ways to express this feeling keeps changing with each passing decade. Waltz at one time was the most sexual thing and then came the Tango and so on and so forth. Ricky Martin added fuel to fire. Having said that; what are the "purists" going to do? I am with you that the gist of Latin is in the Rumbas and the Sambas and the Cha Cha; you know what I mean? I believe that any dance form is wonderful and to say that "I wouldn't teach Salsa or Meringue is almost being rude. We must also differentiate between the Night Club Latin and the standard Ballroom or Studio Latin. I think the standard technique of Latin Dancing applies to Salsa and Meringue just as much and once you expose the Salseros to proper Latin Technique. many of them will turn around and become "real Latin dancers." With that much background, I did start a Salsa class and made some innovative changes in the syllabus and applied general principles of technique, choreography, posture etc. I feel it that way, it becomes a gateway to Latin Dancing. Some details next week; Rumba and Salsa. In the end I say that if you go to a Salsa Club for an entire evening, you come out with a feeling that you have been to McDonalds for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the whole week. No pun intended, just my feeling. With Best Wishes...Max