Salsa Injuries: 5 Things to Watch Out For on the Dance Floor

Written by Robert Castellucci for OnlineSalsa.com

Salsa dancing is fun, exciting and a great work out, but it can also be dangerous. Scratches, bumps and bruises are all par for the course, especially when you are just starting out and in the dreaded “Salsa Hell.” Here are some salsa dancing injuries I have come to expect, after having inflicted these or had these inflicted upon me.


Oh, and this is not just a list to rip on the guys, you're guilty too, ladies. Even though you are beautiful angels, its still possible for you to find a way to gash my ankles open with one of your 3 inch Burju heels.

Cat Woman 
First off, long nails are fine in general. But there are times when long fingernails are less than ideal. For instance, when I give you a moving inside turn and you decide to style your left hand....into my forehead. While this usually happens with newbies more than advanced followers, everyone makes this
mistake at one point or another. I recommend taking a lesson from Fight Club and trimming your nails before dancing. Not expecting to win this argument, but heck it's worth a shot.

Throwin Bo's
Both guys and girls are guilty of this one. I have yet to elbow a girl directly in the face, which is incredibly fortunate since I am all about close proximity spins now after watching just about every Nery Garcia YouTube video I can find. I have seen some stuff though, and let me tell you that one of the scariest things a girl can see when dancing with a guy is an elbow flying at her face. This is not a Jean Claude Van Damme movie, so lets keep the elbows low and friendly. By the way, why is Van Damme not in 'The Expendables' with every other action star? But, I digress.

Spin, Spin, Fall
It is always the job of the guy to make his girl look GREAT on the dance floor. Period. Your girl can look great by doing one or two spins. She does not have to be a 'dreidel'. What happens when you spin a girl more times than she can handle? She stumbles, then falls, then busts her knee, the music stops, everyone looks at you and then Chuck Norris appears to take her away from your evil grip.

My Arm Doesn't Bend That Way
This one speaks for itself. Your lady is not a 'Stretch Armstrong', so do not treat her like one.

Ninja Feet
And lastly my favorite, 'ninja feet'. What are ninja feet, you may be asking yourself? Feet that appear from nowhere, inflict massive pain on your ankle, and vanish without a trace. We have all gotten flat-tired on the dance floor. It sucks, but it is something you just have to deal with. I dream of a world where we all take small little steps on the dance floor. And, I am 6'2"; a short Italian guy can dream.

Tell us about the salsa injuries that you have inflicted or had inflicted upon you! And while these are the injuries I have come to expect, below is by far the worst Salsa dancing injury of all time. Well, maybe more just a slap in the face...


About the author
Robert Castellucci is President of Salsadancegear.com, an online store for Salsa dance shoes, apparel, instructional DVD's, worldwide Salsa event tickets and more. He lives and dances Salsa in Gainesville, Florida (U.S.A.).