Meringue is a perfect dance to start with because it is so simple and will get the children up and moving. Because of the simple rhythm, you also can introduce some of the basic Latin techniques. The basic pattern is simply walking, taking one step with each beat of the music. As you walk, step to the ball of your feet, and do not lift your foot off the floor as you step from one foot to the other. This helps form the foundation for Latin dance technique. Allow your knees to bend and hips to move as you step. Turn the music on and walk forward to the beat. Walk backward and side to side. When you move to the side, step to the side with one foot and bring the other foot in to closed position so the steps go side, close, side, close. Every step gets one beat, and so the counting is a straight one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
The basic pattern in salsa is slightly more complicated rhythmically because you do not step on each beat, and it is a bit more structured than Meringue. The technique is the same, and so continue stepping on the balls of your feet. Start by standing on your right foot. Step forward on the left, replace the weight back to the right foot and bring your left foot back. Step back on your right foot, replace the weight forward to the left foot and bring the right foot forward. Each step is a change of weight rather than a touch or tap.
The timing is very important. Step on counts one, two and three. Hold count four, and step on counts five, six and seven. Hold count eight. Each pattern has eight counts in order to go along with the music. The tricky parts are the holds. Try clapping or snapping on counts four and eight to make sure you do not take a step when you should be holding.
Cha-Cha is a fun and upbeat dance. The technique of stepping to the balls of your feet is the same, and allow the knees to bend and hips to move as you did in Meringue. The basic pattern is composed of a rock step and the triple cha-cha-cha step or chasse. Step forward onto the left foot and replace the weight back onto the right foot. This is the rock step. Then step side to the left, together with the right and side again with left foot. This is the chasse. Step back with the right foot and replace the weight forward to the left for another rock step, and chasse to the right by stepping to the right, together with the left, and side again to the right. The full pattern goes rock step, cha-cha-cha, rock step, cha-cha-cha.
The timing is important. The rock step gets one count for each step. The chasse gets two counts but has three steps, and so the timing is one and two. The counting goes one, two, three and four, five, six, seven and eight.