SALSA
History
Although there are variations on the Salsa, it is the Cuban Salsa that is danced in Strictly Come Dancing. Created by Cuban immigrants in New York, it contains a variety of rhythms including Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Merengue and Lambada.
The dance
Salsa translates as 'sauce' giving you some indication of what the dance should be - hot and spicy with lots of flavours! It should be fast and rhythmic, and should be a mixture of in hold and apart. Like the Rumba the connection between the couple is important, but a more fun, flirty, sexy attitude is required.
The best of Strictly
While the Salsa was only introduced into the main competition in Series 4, Mark & Karen brought the audience and judges to their feet in the series final with their amazing routine and acheived the perfect score of 40. It was fast, fun and sexy, and a perfect choice of music in the song 'Hot, Hot, Hot', it set the benchmark for all Salsa's yet to come. In Series 5, Matt & Flavia came very close to meeting Mark & Karen's standard, with their fantastic routine, scoring 39 out of 40.
The worst of Strictly
Possibly one of the most (unintentionally) comic dances we've seen on Strictly, was Kate & Anton's Salsa routine in Series 5, which they danced to 'Peanut Vendor'. Having made it to week 6 based on the public voting for them to be save every week, unfortunately, Kate still didn't seem to be able to master the technique of spinning on the spot, and though she tried her best, only managed to get a total mark of 18 points.
In Series 4, trying to build on previous comments from the judges that they liked the raunchy aspects of his routines with Claire King, Brendan attempted to choreograph the dirtiest, sexiest Salsa we'd seen, but unfortunately, it didn't work, and the judges felt it looked more like a pole dance than something we should see on the ballroom dancefloor, and consequently awarded them only 21 points.
Scores for all Salsa performances:
| Judges scores | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Couple | Song | Week | Craig | Arlene/ Alesha* | Len | Bruno | Total |
| Mark & Karen | Hot, Hot, Hot | Series 4, Final | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 |
| Matt & Flavia | Vehicle | Series 5, Final | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 |
| Matt & Flavia | Vehicle | Series 5, Week 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 38 |
| Tom & Camilla | Pa Goza Con Fruka | Series 6, Week 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 38 |
| Tom & Camilla | Pa Goza Con Fruka | Series 6, Week 14 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 38 |
| Mark & Karen | La Bamba | Series 4, Christmas | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 |
| Mark & Karen | Hot, Hot, Hot | Series 4, Week 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 |
| John & Nicole | Ran Kan Kan | Series 5, Week 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 36 |
| Austin & Erin | Johnny's Mambo | Series 6, Week 12 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 36 |
| Alesha & Matthew | Gotta Be Startin' Something | Series 5, Week 6 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 35 |
| Gethin & Camilla | Azucar | Series 5, Week 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 |
| Tom & Camilla | Pa Goza Con Fruka | Series 6, Week 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 |
| Emma & Darren | Ain't Nobody | Series 4, Week 11 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 33 |
| Ali & Brian | Quimbara | Series 7, Week 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 |
| Ricky & Natalie | Dancing Machine | Series 7, Week 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 |
| Rachel & Vincent | Can't Buy Me Love (Latin version) | Series 6, Week 2 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 |
| Christine & Matthew | Cosmic Girl | Series 6, Week 11 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 |
| Louisa & Vincent | Bailamos | Series 4, Week 5 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 29 |
| Carol & Matthew | Don't Stop Til You Get Enough | Series 4, Week 5 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 29 |
| Natalie & Vincent | You'll Be Mine (Party Time) | Series 7, Week 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 29 |
| Jade & Iam | La Isla Bonita | Series 7, Week 4 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 29 |
| Heather & Brian | La Banda | Series 6, Week 2 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 26 |
| Cherie & James | Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice) | Series 6, Week 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 26 |
| Matt & Lilia | Perfect Love | Series 4, Week 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 25 |
| Penny & Ian | Higher | Series 5, Week 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 25 |
| Letitia & Darren | Pastime Paradises | Series 5, Week 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 25 |
| Chris & Ola | Micaela | Series 7, Week 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 25 |
| Ricky & Erin | Acuyuye | Series 7, Week 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 25 |
| Phil & Katya | Long Train Running | Series 7, Week 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Lisa & Brendan | Rhythm Is Gonna Get You | Series 6, Week 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 22 |
| Claire & Brendan | Senorita | Series 4, Week 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 21 |
| Jessie & Darren | Hey Mambo | Series 6, Week 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 20 |
| Kate & Anton | Peanut Vendor | Series 5, Week 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 18 |
*Arlene Phillips judged series one to six, while Alesha Dixon judged series 7 onwards.
| Judges scores | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Couple | Song | Week | Craig | Darcey | Len | Alesha | Bruno | Total |
| Laila & Anton | Cogele el Guston | Series 7, Week 12 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 26 |