World Records in Salsa

Do you have what it takes to beat a world record in salsa dancing—or do you want to propose a brand new challenge to the Guinness World Records? There are a slew of existing records in the salsa dancing world, and all of them are up for grabs. If you do choose to take on a Guinness World Record, you have a few options. You can record your feat and submit footage and testimonies to the commission free of charge, or you can pay for a Guinness-approved judge in your area to watch and testify to your attempt for some added validation (fees vary but are around $500).

Ready to get started? Check out these world records just begging to be bested!

• Largest rueda de casino: This record is a little over two years old and was set in Thessaloniki, Greece. Rueda de casino, or solo salsa dancing, is a popular approach to the beloved dance. On June 1, 2014, 1,102 participants flocked to the Danza Fuerte competition including a number of dance school students. The real goal was to bring together the entire Greek salsa community, with everyone performing the same choreographed solo moves. The fact that it set a world record was sheer icing on the cake.
• Most flips in a minute: Okay, you don’t need to be a salsa dancer to take on this record, but it certainly doesn’t hurt! In March 2011, Indian choreographer and salsa dancer Lour Vijay made the record for the most dance flips in 60 seconds with 39 perfectly executed somersaults. He was 34-years-old and partnered with three of his dance students to make it happen, even though his original goal was never to win himself! He considers himself a talent scout, but when nobody was up for the Dancing in the Streets challenge, he battled it out himself—and set a world record.
• World’s oldest salsa dancer: You already know about Paddy Jones of the UK and how she broke the world record of being the oldest salsa dancer at 79 years young. She just turned 82, and nobody has bested her yet. The great aspect of this record is that you can start practicing now to take her down when you’re an octogenarian. Now those are some salsa goals!
• Highest paid dancer: You don’t have to be a salsa dancer to break this record—but any style of dancer would be thrilled to own this trophy! Right now, American Michael Flatley holds the title as Lord of the Dance, raking in $1.6 million every week for his Irish dance during the peak of his career. His revenue includes ticket sales, merchandise and video sales. Born in Chicago, he rose to fame in 1994 during the Eurovision Song Contest in Ireland, and his success just kept coming for years. Who says dancing can’t be a lucrative career?
• World’s largest zumba class: If you supplement your salsa dancing with a little zumba, you can help to create the next largest zumba class in the world! The record was set in 2014 in Mandaluyong, Philippines with just under 13,000 participants. Swarms of fans wore matching yellow shirts and took over the neighboring city of Cebu, too. Cebu was the previous record holder with 8,232 participants. To qualify for the crown, the dancers had to compete non-stop for at least 30 minutes and began at 6:30 a.m. In the end, all were exhausted but thrilled to be a part of history.

If none of these records strike your fancy, you can always apply to Guinness World Records with your own idea. You can apply as an individual, group, non-profit or university right on their website (the application is a little different for every type of candidate). The application can be free, or you can pay for expedited consideration.

Make sure your proposal is well-written and not too closely tied to any existing world record. A few ideas for salsa-based record proposals may include:

• Longest salsa dance (by yourself or with a partner)
• Longest salsa song (ideal for musicians and performers)
• Biggest non-rueda salsa dance (specify whichever style you like!)
• Most spins in partner salsa in one minute
• Most cumbias in under one minute

Get creative and, most importantly, have fun! After all, that’s what salsa is all about. That world record? It’ll just give you a little more motivation to keep dancing.