Why salsa on 2

This timing comes from Palladium era mambo, and is a popular way to dance on 2 because the steps more closely follow the tumbao rhythm of salsa music. The third way of dancing salsa on 2 is following the clave. This style of dancing is less common, but can make sense when dancing to music with a strong clave beat. What is New York Style salsa? On 2 is credited for keeping the Salsa sensation alive in the Hustle era.

New York-style salsa follows the On 2 timing. In Palladium-era Mambo, On 2 is danced to beats , The lead breaks forward on the 6 then back on the 2. Then the break backward is on the 6 and then forward on the 2. While watching performers dance Salsa on 1 and Salsa on 2, On 1 looks and feels faster and more staccato than On 2. On 1 feels faster because of the slow count. Slow counts occur immediately after the breaking steps and on 1, you have very little room to turn. Because most of the turns are typically complete, the follow uses the slow count to exit her turn rather than making turns.

This gives the impression that On 2 is less structured but demands complicated footwork. Also, On 2 looks complicated because it gives the dancers more time to execute the turns. One might think that a dancer could dance well as long as his timing is perfect but contrary to this, one must develop his or her musicality to become a good salsa dancer too.

You see, salsa on 1 and Salsa on 2 connects to the music differently. Honing your musicality will make a world of difference in your performance. It will change the feel of the performance because each dance style follows different punctuation of the music at different times. Unless you're an experienced dancer, listening to Latin music and discerning the clave beat is difficult. That's because the overlay of rhythm patterns tends to be complex and the clave beat is masked by the rhythm patterns.

What sets On 1 apart from On 2 is that it connects to the melody of the song within a set of 8 counts. On the other hand, On 2 follows the rumba clave - it connects to the beat of the instruments.

Between these dance styles, On 2 elevates the music by highlighting the instruments through dancing while On 1 is all about feeling the melody. The basic step is as follows:. The man steps back with his left foot. The woman steps forward with her right foot.

The man steps in place with his left foot, while his body is moving forward. The woman steps in place with her right foot, while her body is moving backward. No steps.

The man steps forward with his right foot, in front of his left foot.