Salsa is not easily defined. Who invented salsa? The Cubans, Puerto Ricans? Salsa is a distillation of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances. Each played a large part in its evolution. Salsa is similar to Mambo in that both have a pattern of six steps danced over eight counts of music. The dances share many of the same moves. In Salsa, turns have become an important feature, so the overall look and feel are quite different form those of Mambo. Mambo moves generally forward and backward, whereas, Salsa has more of a side to side feel.

Though dances by this name are found in many countries, the merengue is originally from the Dominican Republic, where it dates back at least to the early 19th century. The modern merengue has a notably brisk and snappy 2/4 rhythm, with a flavor very different from the somewhat more flowing Cuban and jaunty Puerto Rican dances. The country form, for accordion, tambora drum, metal scraper, and voice, is heard everywhere in the Dominican Republic. The big band version of Dominican bands like Johnny Ventura's and Felix del Rosario's is often heard at New York concerts.

Cha Cha has the distinction of being one of the most dominant "pop" rhythms of the last 40 to 50 years and is characterized as having an upbeat, infectious rhythm, which creates a sense of playfulness and flirtation. The Cha Cha is said to be a combination of the Mambo and the American Swing. Cha Cha is a Cuban innovation of the old Latin form (danson). Originally known as the Cha-Cha-Cha the Cha Cha became popular about 1954. Cha Cha is an off-shoot of the Latin dance 'Mambo'. In the slow Mambo tempo, there is a distinct sound in the music that people began dancing to, calling the step the "Triple" Mambo. Eventually it evolved into a separate dance, today known as the Cha Cha.

A form of music and dance that originated in the countryside and rural marginal neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic. Its subjects are usually romantic; especially prevalent are tales of heartbreak and sadness. In fact, the original term used to name the genre used to be "amargue" ("bitterness," or "bitter music"), until the rather ambiguous (and mood-neutral) term bachata became popular. Bachata grew out of - and is still closely related to - the pan Latin-American romantic style called bolero. Over time, it has been influenced by merengue - a fast paced danceable music also native to the Dominican Republic - and by a variety of Latin American guitar styles.

An extremely popular dance rhythm from Colombia but also popular in Chile and Mexico amongst others. Often classified as salsa, played in 4/4 time with a heavy beat one and accentuated beats three and four, giving a loping rolling rhythm similar to "riding a horse".