Well, I had a lot of salsa dancing lessons over a period of 7 years in Champaign-Urbana (1995-2002) especially when I was a student of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. I danced in group lessons with Mark Balzer of the Dancing Illini, and also with Carlos and Adriana Varela, and also with Mark Johnson and Ece Karatan. I had
been to almost every salsa dance location in C-U, from the already-defunct Land of Mexico and Mabel's, to the Regent Ballroom and even brand new Lava.
As a very lucid and avid salsa dance fanatic I got an introduction to tapping in salsa by taking not a class in Champaign-Urbana--but taking a basic Mexican cumbia class with Ray Molina.
Ray Molina had introduced me to a move in this type of cumbia called the kick on the 4th beat (or "on 4"), which is a similar kick seen in the conga. Almost everyone knowsthe step-step-step-kick of the conga dances.
Well, I can only speculate that with the conga and the cumbia, both of these dances with either a flick or a tap, became more noticed with the revival of salsa dancing in 1990 or so.
Then, around 1995 or so, I went to take a free salsa lesson with Eliana Manero at La Casa Cultural Latina house in Urbana. She taught me that there is a salsa tap on the 4.After this Manero lesson, I now realized why some salseros and salseras use the tap. Often, the reason is in the dance itself. Salsa in Spanish means "sauce" or "spice", and this is the reason why the flick or the tap on "4" gives flavor to the usual basic steps in salsa.
Here are a few common salsa basic steps with the tap:
A. FORWARD AND BACK SALSA BASIC WITH TAP
Start feet together, in closed or 2-handed open hold.
Man's Part (First and Second Halves of Basic)
Forward LF, rock RF in place, close RF to LF, tap RF with no weight. (Count: 1 2 3 4)
Back RF, rock LF in place, close LF to RF, tap LF with no weight. (Count 1 2 3 4)
Lady's Part (First and Second Halves of Basic)
Back RF, rock LF in place, close LF to RF, tap LF with no weight.(Count 1 2 3 4)
Forward LF, rock RF in place, close RF to LF, tap RF with no weight.(Count: 1 2 3 4)
The steps can be repeated ad lib.
B. SIDE STEPS (CUCARACHAS) WITH TAPS
Start feet together, in closed or 2-handed open hold.
To L and R for Man
Side LF, step in place RF, close RF to LF, tap RF in place without weight
(Count: 1 2 3 4)
Side RF, step in place LF, close LF to RF, tap LF in place without weight
(Count: 1 2 3 4)
To R to L for Lady
Side RF, step in place LF, close LF to RF, tap LF in place without weight
(Count: 1 2 3 4)
Side LF, step in place RF, close RF to LF, tap RF in place without weight
(Count: 1 2 3 4)
The steps can be repeated ad lib.
Here is one basic step where a flick replaces a tap; the
5-7 or Fifth Breaks.
C. THE 5-7 OR FIFTH BREAKS
Start feet together, in closed or 2-handed open hold.
Man's Part
Cross LF behind RF, rock RF in place, side LF, flick RF slightly in air
(Count: 1 2 3 4)
Cross RF behind LF, rock LF in place, side RF, flick RF slightly in air
(Count: 1 2 3 4)
Lady's Part
Cross RF behind LF, rock LF in place, side RF, flick RF slightly in air
(Count: 1 2 3 4)
Cross LF behind RF, rock RF in place, side LF, flick RF slightly in air
(Count: 1 2 3 4)
The steps can be repeated.
Finally, here is an intermediate salsa dance step (my
favorite one) that uses a flick--the pachanga crossovers.
D. THE PACHANGA CROSSOVERS
Start feet together in 2-handed open hold or shine hold
(that is, no contact at all but still in facing position).
This move is not easy in closed hold because of the
crosses.
Man's Part
Flick LF forward, step on that LF behind RF with full
weight on LF, cross RF over LF, side LF (Count: 1 2 3 4)
[Alternate count: 4 1 2 3]
Flick RF forward, step on that RF behind LF with full
weight on RF, cross LF over RF, side RF (Count: 1 2 3 4)
[Alternate count: 4 1 2 3]
Lady's Part
Flick RF forward, step on that RF behind LF with full
weight on RF, cross LF over RF, side RF (Count: 1 2 3 4)
[Alternate count: 4 1 2 3]
Flick LF forward, step on that LF behind RF with full
weight on LF, cross RF over LF, side LF (Count: 1 2 3 4)
[Alternate count: 4 1 2 3]
Taps or flicks, therefore, makes salsa dancing less mechanical and more stylistic; however, when the salsa music is fast (an example is "Al son de los cueros" of Sonora Carruseles), make the taps or flicks more compact or you will lose timing.