NEW YORK CITY -- For anyone serious about salsa, New York is the place to be. At around $200 a month for unlimited group sessions, lessons in the city are relatively cheap; instructors are often world-class dancers; and, most importantly, students can immerse themselves in a rich Latin scene.
New York's Latin dance clubs are probably the hottest in the world. Every Friday night at Babalu on West 44th Street near Times Square, for instance, DJ David plays a blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms that keeps the crowds on their feet -- or spinning through the air -- until 4 a.m.
In this smoky midtown club, the twenty- and thirty-something crowd of dancers packs the small floor. It's all tight black shirts for the guys and shiny, high-heeled shoes for the ladies. The Colombian guy with a black fedora twirls his partner round, then they break away to perform fancy steps, or "shines." This is all about high energy; crazy dancers entertaining the crowd of people watching from the bar.