MORE INFORMATION Gotta dance? On speaking terms with Latin music Taking my first salsa steps Live bands Big-league Latin Radio and Web Printable version of this story

By Christopher Muther

Chances are if you stop by a club with salsa music and dance, you'll run into Ann Murphy and Brenda Davis. The pair are regulars at Latin clubs throughout the city and suburbs - and can't get enough of the rhythms and hip-shaking dancing.

"We went to Mexico a couple of years ago and tried salsa dancing," said Murphy, "and we loved it." It wasn't long before Murphy of Charlestown and Davis of the South End were sampling Boston's Latin scene. Now the two women go out nearly every weekend to one of the city's growing number of Latin nights.

"It's a very friendly atmosphere," Davis said, "and it's great because the men actually dance."

The pair are part of a dance movement that's spreading far beyond the Latino neighborhood bars of Jamaica Plain, Lynn, Lawrence.

"When I came to Boston 13 years ago, popular Latin music was performed exclusively in Latin clubs," said Alex Alvear, a local musician and event producer. "Now there are Latin nights happening in almost every club in the city that draw a diverse crowd of students and professionals. There's more awareness and more openness now."

Ricky Martin may be hotter than a peck of jalapeno peppers, but Latin music is not just a passing fad. Those involved in the scene say it's here to stay, thanks to the burgeoning Latino community and the popularity of music and dance among international students and young urban professionals.

At night spots like The Big Easy and Avalon a truly international crowd swing their hips as DJs spin hip-hop merengue and sensuous bachatas . Meanwhile, newcomers to Latin dance like Murphy and Davis are flocking to salsa nights at smaller clubs like Ryles and Johnny D's.

"The scene has definitely grown here over the past two years," said April Genovese, who runs a weekly salsa night at the Hong Kong restaurant in Harvard Square. "I started Wepa Wednesday two years ago because I couldn't find a place in the city that had the right mix of music and dancing, but that's changing."

And while local musicians bemoan the fact that live Latin music is not taking off as quickly as DJ-fueled club nights, with a little searching you can hear everything from Brazilian samba to wild mambo punk.

Salsa has played the lead role in Latin dance's crossover to mainstream fans.

Rooted in Cuba, salsa took off in New York during the '60s. Musicians from Cuba and Puerto Rico incorporated elements of jazz and rock, and this "New Yorican" phenomenon (as the style is often called) emerged.

"That's why they call it salsa," said local salsa pioneer Edwin Pabon. "It's just like the sauce. They took all kinds of musical ingredients from Puerto Rico and Caribbean countries, put in some New York flavor, a little mambo, and you end up with a spicy, hot mix."

Salsa-holics say you have to dance to gain the full Latin experience. "It's like going to a foreign country," said musician Eduardo Tancredi. "If you go to Spain and speak Spanish, you're going to get more out of it."

If the only kind of salsa you know is the kind you buy at the supermarket, fear not: There are plenty of easy ways to join Boston's Latin music and dancing community.

Olaf Bleck of Nahant, an electrical engineer and salsa fanatic who runs the Web site salsaboston.com, suggests that newcomers start at a club that offers lessons before dancing.

They'll find the atmosphere friendly and cross-cultural. Clubs such as Ryles' Temporada Latina on Thursday night, Wepa Wednesday at the Hong Kong, and El Bembe at Villa Victoria have a healthy mix of newcomers and advanced dancers.

A partner isn't required - many people go to lessons by themselves - but if you're on the shy side you may want to bring along a friend. Instructional salsa nights tend not to have a meet market mentality (although there are sharks in every crowd). The atmosphere is different at regular dance clubs such as Vincent's in Randolph, the Cache in Lynn, or The Roxy, where not everyone is simply looking to dance (and those who are can intimidate newcomers with their expertise).

Dress comfortably, but not like a slob. Salsa can feel like a workout, but it's not Jazzercise. Many of the clubs have a no jeans/sneakers/caps policies. Generally the style is business casual - men wear khakis and dress shirts, women simple dresses or dress slacks and blouses.

On a recent Friday night, Murphy and Davis tried out El Bembe, a new night of salsa dancing at the Hernandez center in Villa Victoria that features lessons and a live band.

Instructor Seemore Johnson, clad in a blue silk shirt and dark slacks and equipped with a headset-style microphone, took delight in shaking his hips to the hypnotic, rapid beat. Soon 50 pairs of hips followed Johnson's slender frame through the sensuous steps - some with more sensuous results than others.

Learning salsa dancing is not as easy as taking up the box step or waltz. A sense of rhythm is important, as is coordination and an ability to count the beat. Most people are able to pick up at least the basic steps.

"Usually out of a class of 10 students, five will become excellent dancers, three will be mediocre, and two will try and try and never quite get it," said Pabon.

Lessons generally start an hour before dancing. After learning a few steps, you're let loose. To dance on your own.

Teachers roam the dance floor throughout the night, answering questions and occasionally cutting in to help with moves.

"All the instructors have very different styles," said Suzanne Steele, who leads Ryles's Latin night on Thursdays. "It's good to shop around first for a style that's comfortable."

The dance is based on eight beats, each style pausing on a different one. There are New York salsa, Los Angeles salsa, and Costa Rican salsa, to name a few. Boston doesn't have its own style, so the dance may vary sharply among instructors.

At Wepa Wednesday, April Genovese teaches New York-style salsa. The variation is more complex than many versions of the dance with fancy turning patterns and foot work. The instructors of El Bembe teach the intricate Costa Rican salsa.

Club Juliana, a new Saturday night venue in Chinatown, teaches a style of salsa dancing called la rueda de casino, which was featured in the film "Dance With Me."

It's a game where couples dance in a circle, spinning, making patterns and trading partners while a caller shouts out the steps. Typical calls include asking dancers to freeze "en foto" (to pose like they're caught in a photograph) or to lean into the circle and whisper.

After la ruenda de casino lessons, Club Juliana offers a dance workshop that teaches salsa, merengue, and bachata.