One thing that surprised me was that in a small city in western Cuba, Pinar del Rio, one of the basic styles of Salsa is very close to our Nightclub Two-step. I could seamlessly mix the Cuban Salsa I knew with the my NC 2-step dialect and my partners would understand. A basic concept reinforced during this Cuban adventure has to do with play. Twyla and Celina, even with the language barrier, had a good time playing with Cuban children. Getting high-fives from the Cuban dancers was a joy.
Dance is a universal language that can transcend political, cultural, and language differences.
Just like any other new language, it takes practice. See you on the dance floor.