--- title: "Salsa vs Bachata: Where to Start? | Bailemo Edinburgh" description: "Salsa or bachata? Compare the music, learning curve, social scene and vibe of each, then find beginner classes and events in Edinburgh." lang: en json-ld: | { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://bailemo.co.uk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "New to Latin Dance", "item": "https://bailemo.co.uk/edinburgh/new-to-latin-dance" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Salsa vs Bachata", "item": "https://bailemo.co.uk/edinburgh/salsa-vs-bachata" } ] } --- [ ![Bailemo](/bailamos-logo.webp) ](/)Edinburgh [Events](/events)[Classes](/classes)[Saved](/saved)[Learn](/edinburgh/learn)[About](/edinburgh/about)[Organisers](/edinburgh/organisers)[Festivals](/festivals) Submit 1. [Home](/) 2. [Edinburgh](/edinburgh) 3. [New to Latin Dance](/edinburgh/new-to-latin-dance) 4. Salsa vs Bachata # Salsa vs Bachata: Where to Start? A side-by-side guide to Edinburgh's two most popular Latin dances, so you can pick the one that suits you and book your first class with confidence. No partner needed. No experience required. You can always try the other one later; in fact most people do. ## Introduction Salsa and bachata are the two biggest partner dances in Edinburgh and are extremely popular all over the world. They share venues, share DJs, and often share an evening, but they feel completely different to dance. If you're trying to choose where to start, the honest answer is that you can't go wrong with picking either of them (or both). Salsa and bachata are both welcoming to absolute beginners, have weekly drop-in classes in the city, and most dancers eventually learn at least a bit of both. We at bailemo first learnt salsa and are now learning bachata ourselves. This guide breaks down the differences so you can pick the one that excites you most right now. ## The styles, briefly Two dances, two different roots, two different feelings on the floor. Salsa ### Salsa Salsa on 1, often called crossbody style, or LA style, is fast, playful, and full of flair. Danced “on the 1” beat, it has a lively, forward-driving energy that makes it instantly exciting, whether you’re spinning across the floor or hitting sharp accents in the music. The signature crossbody lead creates smooth, flowing patterns between partners, giving the dance its sleek, linear feel. [More on salsa](/edinburgh/salsa)[Salsa classes](/edinburgh/classes/salsa)[Salsa events](/edinburgh/events/salsa) Bachata ### Bachata Bachata is a dance from the Dominican Republic which all about connection, rhythm, and a relaxed vibe. With its easy-to-learn basic step and signature hip movement, it’s a dance that welcomes beginners while still offering depth for more experienced dancers. The music, often romantic or melodic, sets the tone for smooth, flowing movements and playful footwork. [More on bachata](/edinburgh/bachata)[Bachata classes](/edinburgh/classes/bachata)[Bachata events](/edinburgh/events/bachata) ## Music differences The music is usually the first thing that decides which dance someone falls for. Put on a salsa track and a bachata track back to back and you'll feel the difference immediately. Salsa Bachata Tempo Fast: ~180-220 BPM Slower: ~120-140 BPM Feel Energetic, percussive, fiesta-driven Romantic, melodic, guitar-led Lead instruments Brass, piano, congas, timbales Requinto guitar, bongos, güira Vibe Party and celebration Party and celebration, but a little slower ## Learning curve differences Bachata is generally quicker to pick up. Salsa takes a little longer to feel natural, but rewards the time you put in with a huge worldwide scene and endless room to grow. Salsa Bachata Basic step Forward-back on counts 1-2-3, 5-6-7 Side-side-side-tap, four-count Time to feel comfortable Around 6-8 weeks of regular classes Often 3-4 weeks of regular classes What's tricky early on Hitting the 'on 1' timing and following turns at speed Keeping the hip movement relaxed and natural First social-floor confidence Takes a little longer Usually faster ## Social atmosphere Both scenes in Edinburgh are warm, beginner-friendly and dominated by partner rotation, so you'll dance with lots of people whether you arrive alone or with friends. The atmosphere on the floor, though, is different. Salsa Bachata Energy on the floor High-energy, lots of spins and shines Closer, more grounded, slower flow Connection style Mostly open hold with frequent turn patterns Open and close hold, lots of body movement Partner rotation Absolutely, typically every song Absolutely, typically every song ## Who typically enjoys each style There's no rule, but these are the patterns we see most often in Edinburgh's beginner community. Salsa ### Salsa tends to suit you if... - You love upbeat, percussion-heavy music - You enjoy spinning and quick footwork - You want the biggest weekly scene with the most options - You like meeting lots of different dance partners in a night - You're happy to spend a bit longer getting the basics down Bachata ### Bachata tends to suit you if... - You're drawn to romantic, melodic music - You want the gentlest possible learning curve - You prefer slower, more connected dancing - You like the idea of body movement and musicality over fast turns - You want to be dancing socially within a few weeks Still not sure? Check out our curated guides to [best salsa beginners classes](/edinburgh/best-beginners-salsa-classes) and [best bachata beginners classes](/edinburgh/best-beginners-bachata-classes) to help you decide. ## Should I learn both at the same time? Many beginners worry that learning salsa and bachata together will confuse them, but in practice it rarely does. The rhythms, steps, and movement vocabularies are different enough that your brain naturally keeps them separate. If you can only commit to one class a week, pick whichever style excites you more right now. If you can manage two, doing one salsa and one bachata class each week is a great combination and many dance schools actually offer both within the same 90 - 120 minute class. Moreover, the skills transfer well, and you'll get to dance at almost every social night in Edinburgh rather than sitting out half the songs. We at bailemo started with salsa and added bachata later, but plenty of our friends did the reverse. There's no wrong order. ## Start here: beginner salsa classes [All salsa classes](/edinburgh/classes/salsa) ![Salsa Fundamentals Beginners 1 and 2](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/51080bf8-68a7-4486-b100-b34c9042652a.webp) Tomorrow Alma Latina Dance Project ### Salsa Fundamentals Beginners 1 and 2 Drop in 8.45pm–9.30pm El Barrio Latino, 47 Hanover Street, Edinburgh Block: £7–£12 Drop in: £7 beginner Salsa ![Salsa Beginner 5hr Course](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/c43ffc54-3bda-4d23-ac86-f2e015f1e235.webp) MON 31 AUG Salsa Club Edinburgh ### Salsa Beginner 5hr Course 7pm–8pm St Martins Community Resource Centre, 232 Dalry Rd, EH11 2JG £30 beginner Salsa ![Salsa On2 Intro](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/8f5993a9-d1a5-4b05-b72d-1f047ff65a77.webp) TUE 8 SEP Bachata Blues Edinburgh ### Salsa On2 Intro Drop in 9.30pm–10.30pm Lower Church, Summerhall, EH9 1PL Block: £40 Drop in: £10 beginner Salsa ## Beginner-friendly salsa events [All salsa events](/edinburgh/events/salsa) ![Tuesday @ El Barrio Latino](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/dfe6dadc-708f-4f0b-bb68-5f05d2d58958.webp) Orlando OG ### Tuesday @ El Barrio Latino TUE 1 SEP El Barrio Latino, 47 Hanover Street, Edinburgh £0–£10 Beginner Salsa Bachata ![Salsa Thursdays](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/e80029d9-9306-485f-aa0a-99ef3813db0a.webp) Orlando OG ### Salsa Thursdays THU 3 SEP El Barrio Latino, 47 Hanover Street, Edinburgh £0–£10 Beginner Salsa Bachata ![Cuban Dance Bootcamp with Yainer Carbonell](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/f5dd52e0-1431-4d0f-8374-2c82e88eb47f.webp) Trending Pipoka Events Dance ### Cuban Dance Bootcamp with Yainer Carbonell SAT 5 SEP LifeCare Edinburgh 2 Cheyne Street Stockbridge EH4 1JB £10–£36 Beginner Salsa Cuban Salsa ![Salsa & Bachata Saturdays @ El Barrio Latino](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/55266731-329f-48b4-ade8-9221b3e3b27f.webp) Orlando OG ### Salsa & Bachata Saturdays @ El Barrio Latino SAT 5 SEP 47 Hanover Street, EH2 2PJ £0–£10 Beginner Bachata Salsa ![Elegancia Ball](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/6a85becd-f0cf-400e-b079-33e3111e530c.jpg) Salsa Club Edinburgh ### Elegancia Ball TUE 8 SEP Greyfriars Charteris Centre, EH8 9RR £8–£10 Beginner Salsa ![Weekly Salsa Social, 100% Salsa](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/623d4596-d936-4c2c-a696-29ce70d3db4b.webp) Salsa Club Edinburgh ### Weekly Salsa Social, 100% Salsa SAT 12 SEP Southside Community Centre, 117 Nicolson Street, EH8 9ER £0–£2 Beginner Salsa ![Weekly Salsa Social, 100% Salsa](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/623d4596-d936-4c2c-a696-29ce70d3db4b.webp) Salsa Club Edinburgh ### Weekly Salsa Social, 100% Salsa SAT 19 SEP Southside Community Centre, 117 Nicolson Street, EH8 9ER £0–£2 Beginner Salsa ![Weekly Salsa Social, 100% Salsa](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/623d4596-d936-4c2c-a696-29ce70d3db4b.webp) Salsa Club Edinburgh ### Weekly Salsa Social, 100% Salsa SAT 26 SEP Southside Community Centre, 117 Nicolson Street, EH8 9ER £0–£2 Beginner Salsa ## Start here: beginner bachata classes [All bachata classes](/edinburgh/classes/bachata) ![Bachata Beginners ](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/31af1e2a-3a8c-4182-adab-7bc19ed77cb2.webp) MON 7 SEP Bachata Blues Edinburgh ### Bachata Beginners Drop in 6pm–7pm The Counting House, 34 West Nicolson St, EH8 9DD Block: £35 Drop in: £10 beginner Bachata ![Bachata Beginners](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/c6d5d134-471f-4513-88e5-7da0d8d68537.webp) MON 2 NOV Bachata Blues Edinburgh ### Bachata Beginners Drop in 6pm–7pm The Counting House, 34 West Nicolson St, EH8 9DD Block: £35 Drop in: £8 beginner Bachata ![Bachata Beginners ](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/31af1e2a-3a8c-4182-adab-7bc19ed77cb2.webp) MON 7 SEP Bachata Blues Edinburgh ### Bachata Beginners Drop in 6pm–7pm The Counting House, 34 West Nicolson St, EH8 9DD Block: £35 Drop in: £10 beginner Bachata ![Bachata Beginners](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/c6d5d134-471f-4513-88e5-7da0d8d68537.webp) MON 2 NOV Bachata Blues Edinburgh ### Bachata Beginners Drop in 6pm–7pm The Counting House, 34 West Nicolson St, EH8 9DD Block: £35 Drop in: £8 beginner Bachata ## Beginner-friendly bachata events [All bachata events](/edinburgh/events/bachata) ![Tuesday @ El Barrio Latino](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/dfe6dadc-708f-4f0b-bb68-5f05d2d58958.webp) Orlando OG ### Tuesday @ El Barrio Latino TUE 1 SEP El Barrio Latino, 47 Hanover Street, Edinburgh £0–£10 Beginner Salsa Bachata ![Salsa Thursdays](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/e80029d9-9306-485f-aa0a-99ef3813db0a.webp) Orlando OG ### Salsa Thursdays THU 3 SEP El Barrio Latino, 47 Hanover Street, Edinburgh £0–£10 Beginner Salsa Bachata ![Salsa & Bachata Saturdays @ El Barrio Latino](https://fnwvgoqbeysqcjwffnyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/submission-images/55266731-329f-48b4-ade8-9221b3e3b27f.webp) Orlando OG ### Salsa & Bachata Saturdays @ El Barrio Latino SAT 5 SEP 47 Hanover Street, EH2 2PJ £0–£10 Beginner Bachata Salsa Still undecided? [Read the full beginner guide](/edinburgh/new-to-latin-dance) [](https://www.instagram.com/bailemohub)[](https://chat.whatsapp.com/CtrFvBvQJnA6rInnaBn1la) [About bailemo](/edinburgh/about)[](/admin) © 2026 Bailemo. All rights reserved.