The instructor put his hands over mine (in a constricting way) and began to push them in the direction that he was moving. His grip was very firm and by the end of the dance my hands were very sore from his grip. My body was held close to his and was restricted to moving along with his stride. (It was hard for me to dance this way when I am used to dancing in my own independent style). (field notes 11/13/03).
The man holds the woman so close that she is not able to make any of her own moves. The hands are restricted so that the man can better maneuver the woman. In this case Shaadi's hands were held down with such a firm grip that it made her hands sore. The woman has no choice when it comes to the moves she wants to make. Salsa is clearly seen as a male dominated dance where the woman has "no say." Through this nonverbal discourse, the man asserts his dominance over the woman without using words but simply through his actions. .
In addition to the nonverbal discourse of gestures and movements, visual discourse is displayed in the style of dress of the Salsa dancers. Style of dress reflects the influence of Latin culture on the dance and is used as yet another means of communication between the dancers through which each dancer can express his or her own personal style and attitude. On the dance floor at Steven's there was an apparent difference in the style of dress between the advanced and less advanced dancers.
The less advanced dancers were dressed in casual jeans and shoes. All eyes were on the advanced woman dancing closest to us. She was wearing a knee length, ruffled skirt that would swing out every time she twirled and moved. The dress became an extension if her body with its own movements and accents on the dance. When she twirled around the skirt would wrap around her and accentuate each of her movements. Her skirt was bright red standing out against the rest of the crowd. By the end of the dance a small circle had formed around her watching her every move.