This history of salsa dance in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami tells the story of how commercialized salsa in the 1990s departed from 1950s mambo. It draws on over 100 interviews, archival research, and participant observation, and is rich with quotations and stories from practitioners and detailed movement description. Her analysis is a valuable resource for music, dance, and performance scholars, as well as Caribbean studies, and Latin/o American studies.