results of a survey about salsa codes and dancers'habits and expectations. Survey was mainly held in France in august 2017

1. (Résultats du sondage août 2017)
Salsa myths and legends
VS
Dancers’ habits

2. • Unfortunately the number of answers outside of
France was not high enough (200) to give a
significant analysis of the results per world region on
all questions.
• Therefore the results given here are mainly a
translated extract of the results obtained in France
(more then 1000 answers) on the topics relevant to
international dancers

3. Part 1
Caracteristics of the focus
group

4. Male / female ratio
662 female dancers
348 male
dancers

5. About 1,9 women per man
Would that be the ratio we can
sometimes observe at parties ?

6. French
dancers
37% dance cuban
style
90% dance line
style
78% dance cuban
style
57% dance line
style
(on 1 or on2)
International
dancers

7. You take classes ..
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
When you have time
During congresses
You don’t take
classes anymore
Every week
Less than a year
of dancing
Between 1
and 5 years
Between 5
and 10 years
Between 10
and 17 years
> 17 years of
dancing

8. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Most frequented parties in France
100%
Linear
salsa
Noche
Cubana
Salsa
Bachata
Kizomba
Latino
party

9. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
What dancers want for a good party
ESSENTIAL
USEFUL
NICE TO HAVE
Good DJ
Good floor
Good dancers
Good air
conditionning
Cheap
entrance fee
Free softs
Full bar
Show and
animations

10. Part 2
Motivations

11. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Why did you start salsa dancing ?
Your partner in life
To meet new people
The thrill of dancing
Love of the music
To work out
To go out with friends

12. 50% of guys begin salsa to
meet new people against
only 20% of the women.
85% of women declare the
thrill of dancing is their first
motivation to start salsa

13. How does it
evolve with
time ?

14. What motivates dancers today ?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Important
Somehow
important
Not important
The love of music and dance
Going out with friends
Working out
Seducing and meeting people

15. So..
what is a
good dance ?

16. Part 3
Caracteristics
of a good
dance

17. What matters the most for a good dance ?
Less important
Most important
Connexion with your partner
Having fun
Match with your partner’s musicality
Variety and creativity of moves

18. What you cannot bear in a dance ..
Can deal with
Cannot bear at all
Inappropriate behavior of
your partner
Lack of rythm
Lack of smiling
Too strong connexion
Lack of originality
Comes 1st for 74% of
women, 50% of men
Comes 2nd for men: Lack of
smiling

19. Women: smile !
Men : keep the
rythm !
No Inappropriate behavior
on the dancefloor !!

20. What
makes a
good
connexion
?

21. What matters the most ?
Less important
Most important
Timing
Precision
Energy
What men want What women want
Timing
Precision
Lightness

22. Part 4
What men
and women
want

23. What women expect from
the leader
What leaders think about
Fun
Comfort
Smoothness
Partner’s comfort
Having fun
Keeping the rythm

24. A good lead
67%
Good musicality
22%
Space to express
themselves
8%
What women want for a good dance

25. To invite or not to
invite ?

26. 73% of men think it is outdated
and unfair than men should be
the ones to invite

27. Whatever the dance, men will usually invite in the
following order :
A girl who
smiles
A good dancer
A cute girl
A girl sibing
A girl talking
Girls, you know what
you have to do .. SMILE
J

28. 24% of women wait for
someone to invite them
55% of women invite
because they have to
Do women
invite ?

29. There are a few things everyone
knows but about which we don’t
talk often enough..

30. 11% of women declare they feel
uncomfortable often or even at
every social
Only 7% have never felt uncomfortable

32. « Men lead and women follow »
You happen to dance both
roles, 31%
There are codes and no
reason to change them, 23%
You would love to learn the
other role but never had the
chance to, 29%
You mainly dance the
opposite role , 1%
You have never thought
about this, 16%

33. Thanks to
All the dancers in France and
around the world who answered
the survey
All those would helped me with
the survey and analysis of the
results !!

34. For more information,
Follow us on facebook