Is Salsa Losing the Battle?

This question is on everybody’s mind. For some, it’s not even a question anymore—many believe it’s confirmed: sensual bachata has taken over, and salsa is heading down a dead-end path.

They come to this assumption based on what they see: bachata rooms packed, fewer people in the salsa room, more dancers signing up for bachata classes, and many other indicators that can easily lead anyone to that conclusion.

What’s my input on this topic?

I get this question a lot—especially because I’m a salsa artist. And yes, my answer is: salsa is losing the battle—in the dance room, at socials, and at events. But I always like to go deeper.

To be honest, I don’t really think there’s a “battle,” but life naturally works like that. You’re in sales whether you want to be or not. Every day, you sell yourself—when you speak, when you dress, when you comment, when you post. We are all “selling” something.

And we’re also constantly “competing.” Salsa and bachata grew up side by side, and comparison will always be there—whether we like it or not. People will naturally choose a “winner” based on all kinds of things: “Who’s selling more tickets?” “Who’s getting paid more?” And right now, it’s true—salsa is losing the battle when it comes to popularity and numbers.

Why is this happening?

I believe part of the reason is that we’re making salsa too difficult—especially in partnerwork. Our beginner classes often jump into complex patterns right away. It seems like we’ve forgotten the core of our community: social dancing.

In other words, are we making salsa attractive to beginners?

If someone who has never danced before watches us... would they say, “Wow, that looks fun!”?

Honestly, I don’t think so. We might look intimidating. We might look too perfect—like we’re dancing just for Instagram Reels. And that’s not very welcoming.

So... is salsa going to die?

Absolutely not. Salsa, unlike sensual bachata, is recognized as part of Latin culture. And when something is cultural, we embrace it early on—in everyday conversation, at family gatherings, and yes, in the dance room.

We wear salsa on our skin for the rest of our lives. How beautiful is that? And not only beautiful—powerful.

Of course, if this were a battle, our “opponent” has some weak points. Sensual bachata may seem trendier, more seasonal, more “fresh.” But anything that’s trendy today can feel outdated tomorrow.

So what will happen then? When time does its thing, years go by, and sensual bachata doesn’t feel so fresh anymore? The music will evolve, move in new directions, and all those popular remixes may not feel exciting anymore.

Will they still embrace sensual bachata as their culture?

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

As for salsa...

Our Latin culture will stay. It will be heritage. It will transcend. Salsa, like many other Afro-Cuban music genres, will be carried in our skin.