By Russell Contreras, Globe Staff | July 9, 2006
Bingo has its rules. So does soccer. So does going on a date. And each city or region can have its own set of guidelines.
Shout ``home run" instead of ``gooooal" or burp when you shouldn't, and people around you will know you don't get it.
Dancing to salsa is no different.
To be successful on the dance floor around Boston -- even to merely suffice -- you must follow a set of unwritten rules you won't find posted at any local club. But break one of them, and you'll know it. Word will spread, and you might find yourself avoided by other dancers.
Any serious salsero will tell you that the rules are there to help protect the dance from outsiders who might not respect it.
The proper steps must be acquired by feeling the rhythm, then practicing and more practicing. To have no rules would mean that anything could go, and the dance would lose its attraction, maybe its beauty.
So know this if you decide to join the dance. Take a lesson, learn the songs of Hector Lavoe , and watch the veterans at clubs. And when you are ready to jump in, keep these few suggestions in mind:
DON'T get too close when you dance. Your partner will think you have another agenda. (You might, but don't make it so obvious.) Salsa is to be danced with a bit of distance so you can move correctly. If you pull someone so close that you can feel their pulse via the chest, step back or get slapped back.
DO make sure your hands aren't sweaty before you ask someone to dance. The quickest way to get dissed is to pull someone onto the floor with waterfall hands. Wipe them off constantly, even take a regular restroom breaks to wash your hands.
DON'T tell a partner to dance. Ask him or her to dance. Extend your hand, look your intended partner in the eyes, and wait for a response. If it's no, say thank you and move on. If it's yes, walk your partner slowly to a clear spot and start doing your thing. Keep quiet until you both get on rhythm, or just stay quiet and enjoy the dance.
DO move arms around, even as your upper body remains still. As the teacher says in the movie ``Mad Hot Ballroom," there should be a party downstairs and quiet on the floor above. Hips should be going crazy while the upper body remains calm. Meanwhile the arms should be swinging around. Just not like a chicken.
DON'T squeeze your partner's hand. You must remain loose so you can turn each other around. Squeeze and you'll give off the vibe that you are nervous, don't know what you are doing, or both.
DO leave space on the dance floor for other people to dance. In other words, don't hog the limited space. If it's crowded and you take more space than you need, you'll bump into people and someone could get hurt (either by an accidental crash or an old-fashioned fight .
DON'T stand smack in the middle of the dance floor when others are dancing. If you're trying to be the mack, or be cool, , do it on the sidelines. Not only will you look foolish standing still in a cloud of moving bodies; it will look as if you can't dance (which is another reason to just step off.)
DON'T take big steps when you dance. This isn't the Harlem Shuffle. Watch those around you and you'll get the idea.
DON'T try to dance drunk. Yes, this one should be obvious, but you'd be surprised. Maybe it's because a few wannabe salseros have had some success swaying inebriated to honky-tonk, or maybe they need a few drinks to feel confident to really feel the beat. Who knows. Regardless, every club or family event has seen that one guy or woman hit the dance floor after too many rum-and-cokes. They stomp on toes, slide when they should step, and have to turn slowly to prevent themselves from eating the floor. They eventually do.
DON'T even try to drink a beer when you dance. This goes with the preceding rule, but some folks are still trying try to bring a Corona onto the dance floor. In country and Tejano (Tex-Mex music), one can put a longneck in your shirt pocket and look like someone who has, well, priorities straight. This doesn't work in salsa unless you want to become an alcoholic sprinkler system.
If you follow these rules, you'll be taken seriously as a salsero or salsera. All that's left is to learn the steps and have fun. Just remember not to burp or yell ``home run" during a dance.
Russell Contreras can be reached at rcontreras@globe.com