In salsa dancing, solo footwork sections are commonly called shines. During shines, partners separate temporarily and perform individual steps, rhythmic patterns and styling instead of staying in a partnered turn pattern.
Shines can be highly structured or improvised. A dancer may use quick footwork, syncopation, body movement, arm styling and rhythmic accents while interpreting the percussion or melody. They are especially prominent in New York-style salsa, where the tradition places strong emphasis on musicality and solo expression.
The word describes a section of dancing, not one particular step. A shine may be only a few counts long or may continue through several musical phrases. Dancers often return to partner work when one person reconnects, leads a new pattern or resumes the basic step.
“Dips,” “turns” and “hooks” are different kinds of partnered movements or named step elements, so they are not synonyms for shines. The broader salsa tradition developed from Cuban and Afro-Caribbean forms, while the prominence of solo footwork in New York salsa also reflects influences from swing and New York tap.