All salsa uses the same eight-count music, but each region dances it differently. Here are the styles you are most likely to meet.
Cuban salsa (Casino)
Circular: the couple turns around each other rather than staying on a line. Playful, grounded and full of Afro-Cuban body movement. Its group version, rueda de casino, has several couples in a circle following calls from a leader.
LA style (On 1)
Linear, fast and showy, with dips, spins and lifts on stage. The break step lands on beat 1. Popularised in the 1990s by dancers such as the Vázquez brothers.
New York style (On 2, “Mambo”)
Also linear, but the break lands on beat 2, in line with the conga’s accent. Smooth and musical, with lots of shines (solo footwork). Eddie Torres is credited with teaching it in a structured way.
Colombian salsa (Caleña)
From Cali. Very fast footwork, little upper-body movement, few turns. Often danced to sped-up records and in large stage shows.
Puerto Rican style
Linear and danced on 2, close to New York style, with an elegant, relaxed feel.
Which one should I learn?
Learn the one that is danced in your city. Socials usually lean towards one style, and you will progress fastest by practising with the people around you. The basics transfer easily from one style to another.