Salsa music is said to go through the ears, seep into one’s blood and cause an undeniable urge to move one’s hips and dance to the music.

Whether this is a scientific fact, salsa dancers say the music leads to an addiction to salsa dancing.

Latin dance, particularly salsa dancing, has been on a rise, leading several local restaurants and bars to have nights devoted exclusively to salsa dancing.

In Ames, Don Nacho’s Mexican Restaurant, 2402 Lincoln Way, and La Hacienda, 327 Lincoln Way, have salsa nights. Keysters in Urbandale has Salsa Nights on Tuesday, and Pitcher’s Lounge in the Marriott Hotel in Des Moines has “Salsa Noches Sabado” on Saturday nights.

“I think salsa dancing is getting so popular because of the increase in the Latino population,” says Geoffrey Spain, senior in mechanical engineering and an event coordinator of Descarga, the Latin dance student organization at Iowa State.

Descarga does everything, including teaching dance lessons, performing and competing at Latin dance conferences.

“There is this interaction you get with your partner and their body movements, and a positive atmosphere is created,” Spain says.

Members of Descarga agree — salsa dancing is easy and quick to learn.

Spain says he has never taken dance lessons. He quickly picked it up from his friends and started to incorporate his own moves into the dance.

Anthony Persaud, graduate student in electrical and computer engineering and president of Descarga, agrees salsa dancing often comes naturally.

“Salsa dancing is just as easy as walking,” he says. “If you can walk, you can salsa. Then you can modify it to fit your style.”

Persaud has taken dance lessons and continues to take them because every teacher has a different style and a different way of teaching.

He says he loves salsa dancing because, “you have your own style, and so do your partners, then you put that with music, and it’s a way to connect with your partner.”

Melanie Rivera, an ISU alumna and member of Descarga, says she was attracted to salsa because of how it is different from club music.

“I love salsa dancing because I enjoy the music, and it’s something different. It’s not the same old bumpin’ and grindin’ you see at clubs with people my age,” she says.

Persaud agrees that the music is one of the main aspects of the dance.

“Specifically, the music is what gets people attracted to salsa dancing.”

Persaud says there is also a social aspect people enjoy when it comes to going to clubs and dancing.

Latin dances, including the merengue, rumba and samba, among others, have also helped to replace “bumpin’ and grindin’.”

Gloria Vandering, a local Latin dance instructor, offers summer and winter dance classes at Cafe Lovish, 2512 Lincoln Way, to help dancers master salsa and other dances.

Vandering explains some dances are easier to learn than others, and salsa is one of the easiest to learn.

“Salsa is the most sophisticated type of dancing, and once you get it, you’ll love it,” she says.

Vandering says Latin dance has been getting more popular, mainly because, “people try to look for something different, like Latin music.”

Latin music is being played in more clubs, and that has increased people’s interest in learning the dance, she says.

Vandering says Latin music is one of her favorite things about dancing.

“If I hear the music, I begin to feel my feet move,” Vandering says. “It’s contagious.”

Rivera says this type of dancing never gets old, which explains some of its appeal.

“Salsa dancing is never boring; there’s always ways to improve,” Rivera says.

“It just grows to be such an addiction.”