All of my teachers have taught on 2, but through social dancing I realized I didn’t quite understand the difference. It’s easy as a follow to just mirror whatever the lead is doing, but this video helped me really understand the musicality. 💜💜
This explanation is perfect, I danced on2 for a few years, and tried dancing on1 and felt so lost. to this day I prefer dancing on2, although on1 is supposed to be easier, I hear the clave, bajo, and other instruments way better and connect more to the music. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks Max! Yeah, whatever you learn first will probably be easiest since you have nothing else to compare to and you're muscles are all trained on that timing. Appreciate the comment and you watching! Robin
Yeahhh it is easier to connect with the music. But transition is hard. I dance on 1 cause I dance Baile de Casino and I am willing to try on 2 ( Eddie Torres style, ny style). As a cheat I dance Cuban Son if there is no other way to dance. 😅
Breaking On2 is the basic Cuban timing (which in Cuba is called "contratiempo") of the dances originating in the Eastern, Afro-Cuban part of Cuba (El Oriente), around Santiago, and date back to the nineteenth century: son, mambo, cha cha cha, pachanga, guajira, guaracha, etc. Breaking On1 is popular because it is easier, and thus takes less time, to learn than breaking On2. When breaking On1 you're dancing to the heavy beats (1,3,5,7) which are easier for the beginner to hear. When breaking On2 you're dancing to the clave and the conga (tumbao), the basic instruments which define the Cuban beat. On1 began fairly recently in Cuba in La Habana, and was taught to tourists (who had less time to invest in learning to dance) at the Hotel Casino de la Playa and the Hotel Casino de La Habana, thus the name of this Habana-based dance: "Casino". In my opinion, breaking On2 is for dancers who are willing to invest the time (years) necessary to learn how to hear the music, and thus reap the rewards of syncopation and just being "more Cuban", or more authentic, let's say. An On2 dancer should have no problem dancing On1 or On3, as they tend to hear the music better, which also implies better musicality. The On1 dancer is pretty much stuck to dancing only On1. Breaking On1 is generally for the person who wants something that's easier to learn, and thus, for dance schools, easier to teach. The latest cellphone generation tends to want what's easier, it seems, and dance schools sometimes find the demand for what's easier is more profitable. Dancing these basically Cuban dances is a tremendous source of pleasure for those who have a genuine, life-long passion for salsa. But today there are an almost infinite number (it seems) of salsa schools and salsa teachers for whom salsa is a potentially tremendous source of income. This apparent conflict is still working its way out, and the results, as far as I'm concerned, are so far very discouraging. Un abrazo salsero!
I really like this video. But I must repeat that if you learn to dance On2 you'll be able to dance on anything, since you hear the music, and the instruments so well. But if you learn to dance On1, you'll be stuck dancing with those partners who also learned On1. So, why in the world learn or teach salsa On1, when learning On2 broadens your possibilities for dancing with so many different partners, and in different parts of the world?
Thanks a lot for sharing this and adding to the discussion William. I really appreciate it. It's always so interesting to know the history, how things have changed/evolved and why. I'm going to pin your comment so more people can read it. 🙏🏽 -Robin
William Gills hi I wish you were right but all I see is totally the opposite. I started to dance Cuban salsa On1 in Paris 10 years ago. As a lot of Cuban salsa dancer I dance also son Cubano and contratiempo. Since I live in America I learned to dance On2 , Mambo , I educated myself and I love it. But I realized that almost nobody here is able to dance On1. It’s like another language for them.
This is a really great explanation, the best I've found so far! The biggest problem I'm facing with on2 in Europe though is that while most of on1 teachers use common techniques, on2 teachers tend to teach different things. Somebody teaches ET style, somebody custom styles, somebody right turns on 2, somebody right turns on 3 and so on, which makes social dancing even harder. That's why I like your videos, you make on2 more standard and similar to the most rather than a jungle of styles.
So glad to hear that Roberto. Salsa can definitely be confusing and I wanted to do my best to at least clear up some of it. It's not easy to do it without having a discussion with the viewers you're talking to! Thanks for watching man -Robin
Please tell me that I'm not the only one here. I have been trying to understand dancing on 2 and watched all videos available on TH-cam. People comment that some videos are clear and amazing, am I the only one that still doesn't get it and feels so discouraged? I'm thinking about quitting dancing salsa altogether. Not to mention that many teachers say contradicting things / their own theories "where the 2 is" and I am not sure whom to listen. A local teacher, when I rejected his invitation to dance (since he dances on 2 and I can not) told me recently something along the lines " if you don't know how to dance on 2, you can not dance salsa /don't call yourself a salsa dancer". Ok? Then why this whole salsa on 1 industry? Schools lure people with salsa on 1 courses to later tell them it was for nothing since they aren't "real dancers" anyways? Switching from on 1 to on 2 is not easy. I recently moved from a typical salsa LA city to a city where the dancefloor is 50/50. I am a pretty good dancer in salsa cuban, LA, Bachata, kizomba, samba... I understand the concept of on 2, if someone does the counting, i will follow, but it seems impossible to find on 2 rhythm naturally in most songs. It seems like there is no rhythm, no order, everyone is just improvising "something", without structure. That's must be so difficult for followers! The few times an on2 dancer asked me to dance were the worst dances, I really felt frustrated. I like to dance to music and natural rhythm, I can not imagine dancing and doing math of count 1+1 every time. How can I focus on lady styling, combinations etc? I also don't understand the social aspect of different styles: 1. If you are asked to dance by someone you do not know, shouldn't the leader always ask the follower is she dances on 1 or 2? 2. If the leader did not ask: Can a follower decline and stop a dance if she sees the leader leads on the count she does not know and is not comfortable with? 3. I saw that some teachers say you can switch between on 1 or on 2 in the middle of the song - cool, but what about the followers? How will they notice? 4. Is there a clear on2 rhythm in all songs, or is it valid that not all salsa song can be danced on2? Please tell me I am not the only one... What am I not getting??
You probably have a lot more experience than me, but I agree with you. There doesn’t seem to be a definite authority on salsa dancing, but even as an art form, I’m certain there’s something close to a science of dancing on the one and two. I say, keep investigating and experimenting. Almost certainly in most mediocre salsa dance clubs, most dancers are all over the place on the counts.
I understand the frustration. At the end of the day there are no rules, you just have to communicate. 1. If someone starts dancing On2 and you don't dance on2, ask them to dance on1. You don't need to learn both timings, but it allows you to dance with more partners. 2. You can decline whatever you want, it's your life - you decide! Just be respectful. 3. I've never seen anyone switch between on1 and on2 in a song. When dancing on2 there are various ways to dance it, so it would make sense for just dancing on2. 4. Everyone hears music differently. dancing On2 connects well with the conga and the bass. If you hear those strongly dancing On2 might be your preference. If you don't, you can dance on1 or any other timing. It comes down to preference. There's no right or wrong. This is an art where you get to express yourself. If someone tells you your bad/dumb/not a salsa dancer because you can't dance on2 then that person is ignorant and arrogant. Yes, those people exist, but don't let them rob you of your enjoyment of salsa. Don't give them that power. Find what you enjoy and do that. I've made a more recent video talking about timing that might help with some more information: th-cam.com/video/CA4ah3AkFuc/w-d-xo.html -Robin
I know this is an old post but I just came back from my first salsa lesson/dance on the east coast. I'm originally from NC but moved to California where I met my wife who used to dance club salsa at UCLA. She taught me on 1 and I got to a point where I was maybe intermediate. We moved back to NC, but today going on 2 was completely opposite to what I was used to. I felt like a beginner all over again and I kept reverting back to on1 and missing the beats. I want to try to eventually learn both but not having danced much salsa the past few years made it quite demoralizing. My wife is much more fluid and picked it up faster than me and also because she just follows. But yea, I'm glad I'm not alone.
I was struck about two or three years ago, I was dancing in NYC and I noticed some New Yorkers who were dancing with these ladies who danced On1, were having a very difficult time dancing On1. It felt exactly like On1 dancers when they’re trying to learn On2. Before that for some reason I assumed all or most On2 dancers found it easy to dance On1, but it’s not often the case! It is for people who learn On2 after dancing On1 before! But, in a place like NYC, many dancers start out dancing On2 from the very beginning, or dance so much On2, that On1 is as foreign to them as On2 to many people outside NYC! So as a non-New Yorker who’s learned On2 I thought New Yorkers can switch as easily as I do between the two styles cause I live and dance in a mostly On1 smaller city, but also take On2 classes and dance in NYC when I can. So, I was surprised to see that that transition and mix of styles can be just as challenging for On2 dancers if they mostly dance On2. In my case, I usually spend like two to four weeks in NYC, and when I get back home, it takes me a bit of practice because I often find On1 challenging when I first get back. And even after that, I find I can’t be as creative doing On1 cause most the dancing I do when I really dance the most is on holiday On2 in NYC. So, I’ve danced for a more concentrated and focused time On2, even though I mostly live and dance in an On1 town. When I am in NYC I dance like 5 or 6 nights a week plus classes etc. So, I end up being more creative dancing On2. I’ll try to be as creative On1, but the brain flows better when I do On2, and I like it more. On the other hand, some of the best fun I’ve had in NYC is dancing On1, surprisingly! There’s this Spanish girl, it seems, I’ve found the last few years, and she prefers On1. Not sure what she’s doing in an On2 town when I’ve met her! But I’ve had a blast! And she would often be surprised that I can dance On1 cause she apparently had a challenging time finding New Yorkers who danced or liked dancing On1. But cause I live in a mostly On1 place, I am often able to easily switch to On1. But, it’s probably about muscle memory/brain etc, it takes a bit of practice, but if one practices both styles, one can switch reasonably well, and dance both well!
You're totally right. It's kinda funny how we assume things when really, no matter which way you try to shift your muscle memory, it's a challenge for everyone. Thanks for sharing that and good on ya for learning both and being able to switch! Adaptability is the key life, and more fun! 🙌🏽 -Robin
I feel that when I’m in college and when I’m in salsa class or at socials most people will dance on 2 because that’s what we were taught. However, when I go to a regular party where they play salsa, most girls dance on one and won’t let me lead because I struggle with that timing what’s a good way to train in both?
@@williammcalpine2718 its just muscle memory trained with repetition. start without a partner, do basic steps and slowly advance as you can. then try basics w a partner and slowly advance. as you hit the edge of your ability you'll switch to the timing your comfortable with but with more practice you eventually have more concious control. repetition is the game dance a a few songs each on your own. -Robin
@@williammcalpine2718 btw way search my "finding the beat series". any video starting with "ftb" is a part of it. its a 4 week free course on youtube that will help.
I totally understand, and that's why I made this follow up video with more musical reference for the timings: th-cam.com/video/CA4ah3AkFuc/w-d-xo.html -Robin
Interesting! I wish you‘d show the difference by underlying the dance clips with music though. I feel like that would put your theory into 100% practice.
I started with 1 for a couple of years. We did one lesson on 2 which I really liked. It felt more natural to me. But al the people I dance with do 1. Now after Corona I start with on 2.
It depends on the music you are dancing to. Some songs are based on the 1st beat so it's better to dance "on 1". Some songs focused on the son clave, or the conga slap and slower tempo, then it's better on NY on 2. Keep in mind that If you are dancing NY on 2, you are still dancing on 1, only differently unless you are dancing the real on 2 style.
I think it would help me understand it better to have their examples done to music so I can see what the difference feels like. But thank you, I learned something.
My Salsa teaches tells me "On 2" is what is taught at most Salsa Congresses and On-2 is a more technical style danced more often in Europe while North American tends to use the easier On-1 style for classes for beginners/couples/etc but On-2 is the more challenging version usually taught at congresses, conferences and so-forth. Is that true?
I don't really agree that the reason they teach "on1" in classes is b/c it's easy and the reason they teach "on2" at congresses is b/c it's harder. From my experience, on1 is the most common timing danced around the world, and it can also feel more intuitive to learn because that timing goes with the melody of the music. The reason on2 is often taught at congresses (on1 is taught as well!) is because it's about taking your educational experience deeper. On2 connects with the music/instruments in different ways, and by opening yourself to that new timing you're able to become a more musical dancer. Both timings are enjoyable. One isn't objectively better than the other. But many love on2 for the new possibilities it opens to you in terms of musicality. Naturally, to start, people tend to learn the timing that's most common where they live. There are people who learn On2 first and struggle to learn on1 after. I think whatever you learn first will always feel easier because it's the base your brain has to understand. Changing is tricky cuz it goes against your muscle memory, but it's possible and totally worth it. Hope that helps! -Robin
Damn! Now I understand why I've had so many bad experiences dancing salsa in Europe. I dance ON1 Cuban salsa, to the marrow, and moving on circles, whereas my couples have been dancing ON2 NY style, and moving on lines. I was always unable to lead them the way I wanted. It was really painful, a disaster. The two timings seems largely incompatible to me!
Great video Robin! At 4:20 I would not mention the Campana as an instrument that helps to hear the 2 since the hits are on 1, 3, 5, 7. It is one of the best instruments to learn how to find the 1 or the 5. For the Clave it is almost the same. Since the Clave hits on 1 and 4 - 6,7 or on 2,3 - 5 and 8 you can use the Clave to learn how to dance on 1/5 (focussing on the first hit of the 3 count) and you can use the Clave to learn how to dance on 2/6 (focussing on the first hit in the part of the two count). Keep up the great job! Morry Salsaventura
Hey Morry thanks for watching and the comment. You make valid points and I agree the campana doesn't directly help find the 2 beat, but if you listen closely again that's not what I was saying 😉 For helping beginners with rhythm recognition I avoid the clave since it's complex, but people who have trained their ears and are familiar with its rhythm can definitely use it. Keep up the great work on your channel 🙌🏽 -Robin
Hey Jake, we go into full detail breakdowns of every move, both on1 and on2, in our online salsa course if you're interested: thedancedojo.com thanks a bunch for watching! -Robin
Thank q for your sharing and educating, i learn salsa from my friends, and in my places there were no salsa teacher so this teaching lesson help us to know better, hopefully someday we can learn from salsa teacher.
A good summary. I enjoy dancing PR On2, NY On2 and On1. I switch depending on the music or the partners preference. I consider NY Salsa On2 to be a hybrid of On1/On2. Although they both break On2, Salsa On2 steps on the "1" but Mambo/Puerto Rico On2 does not step on the "1" beat.
Thanks for sharing that. It confirms what I believed Puerto Rican to be, since I haven't had the opportunity to visit and the info on the internet is often not so reliable. I didn't want to get into too many details in this video about different ways to dance on 2 and the timing of all the styles, but I might make another one going deeper into that. Thanks for watching and your comment! 🙌🏽🙏 - Robin
So to confirm, PR On2 is to beats 2-3-4, 6-7-8 yes? Do you also refer to that as "power 2" or what do you call it? Curious to know if there are other names out there.
@@thedancedojo Yes, PR On2 to beats 234, 678 aka "Power 2". I call it PR style or Mambo because that is how dancers in PR and the Palladium Era dance it. Some use "mambo" and "on2" interchangeably but others don't consider stepping on the 1 to be mambo. Hence "Salsa On2" is a better description of NY style.
@@thedancedojo Check out some of the social dancing in the videos on my channel. I dance all over PR. Most dancers here are capable of different styles/timings but PR style is predominant especially among old school dancers.
Really nice explanation! I’ll add just one little side note. As far as I know, Eddie Torres genuinely invented the NY “break on 2” style (NY On2). He didn’t merely popularize it. And, yes, it is a hybrid. It was back in the early 1980s, roughly 1983, according to my memory of his own postings on his old web site that no longer exist. There was a Salsa surge around the States in the late 1970s (I was there) - which overlapped with the ongoing Hustle fad, which I'm told is why and when Salsa was transformed from the primarily sideways movement of classic Mambo (on the 'slow') to the primarily forward-backward movement of Hustle and therefore modern Salsa. Then in NYC it died out almost completely, as fads tend to do - huger in NYC than other places, and then deader than anywhere else. Eddie was just coming into the now dead, non-existent NY scene then, loved the music that was still being played here and there, and self-taught based on fragments that he saw and heard about and asked the "old timers" about, because there really wasn’t anyone around to teach him. What he happened to come up with for the basic footwork pattern/structure was a hybrid of break-on-1 (1,2,3 _ 5,6,7 _) and the original Mambo that breaks on 2 (2,3,4 _ 6,7,8 _). And it turns out, it works really well, as its popularity shows. Which just goes to show how flexibly we can dance to this music. He taught folks in NYC, and since he was pretty much the only one teaching, it eventually became really popular and dominant in NYC. And then it spread wider as his students became teachers and some of them moved to other locales. I personally am a pretty bad dancer of Eddie's NY On2 because I learned classic Mambo and On1 first and my muscles are just too habituated. Eventually I hope to get it. But I'm totally into giving full credit where credit is due. As far as I know, it’s one of only two partner dance styles in the world where we can actually point to the exact one person who invented it. (The other is an interesting and easy-to-learn style of Waltz created by Richard Powers at Stanford University's huge and excellent social dance program in California.)
Thanks for all that background info Ken. I heard Eddie learned the timing from a ballroom instructor and then he went on to popularize it. I don't know that ballroom instructor's name though. This was info passed on to me by Patrick Moriarity, our head salsa instructor at Dance Dojo so I'm not sure what his source was. Any inaccuracies are my own and not his! -Robin
@@thedancedojo Interesting, but probably false. (Maybe spread by a ballroom studio, heh.) At the time, Ballroom was only teaching classic Mambo, exactly as they had been since the huge Mambo craze around 1954-55 - 'hold' or no step on 1, break on 2,3, sideways step (slow) on 4, 'hold' (no step) on 1. Counted out loud as "two three FOUR [one], two three FOUR [one]" with the "one" called very quietly or not at all. (I was there.) Even the ballroom studios that advertised "Salsa" simply taught classic Mambo but said "Salsa" for marketing. While a rare few taught Break on 1 style. Afaik, no one taught Eddie's style because why would they, it simply didn't exist. Again, afaik, Eddie invented it from scratch, being self-taught during a dead time. But I guess the easiest way to confirm would be to ask Eddie himself.
@@thedancedojo You are right Eddie didn't really invent the On2, he promoted it. Eddie Torres teamed up with a ballroom mambo instructor, June LaBerta, who encouraged him to put counts to his dancing, to name his steps, and to come up with a syllabus: an endeavor he compares to “science and poetry coming together” (Torres 2003). It was she who helped him to come up with his famous “on 2” counting system by putting his basic step to a musical count. Aided by his new understanding of music and dance theory, Torres taught mambo classes
I'm a classic mambo dancer from NY. Most of the old timers like myself prefer the classic style because it allows us to fill the music, I tried the Eddie Torres style which is popular in DC, and in Baltimore, MD they prefer on the one-beat. Whereas while dancing in Puerto Rico the I found the older dancer appreciated the classic Mambo style. There a club I use to frequent in NY called Windows over Harlem and you will see the older dancer doing classic mambo steps.
@@thedancedojo Here's the way I danced in the Bronx, I recall we are big on the classic back breaking, even when I danced at the Copa, and Wild Palms, etc, this is typical: th-cam.com/video/ntJqbQIc2yo/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/2FvCtTuJrrU/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/rVKauDzcFhg/w-d-xo.html
@@thedancedojo Here's dancing on 2 Puerto Rican style it's similar to Eddie Torres on 2. When I danced with older dancer the classic mambo steps work well, but then I had to realize the younger crowd follow's Eddie Torres. th-cam.com/video/KzIYXzbfEyk/w-d-xo.html Back to Orchard Beach, Bronx, NY: The band Tipica 73, music genre Charanga notice the flute. th-cam.com/video/JA-rziuGfuI/w-d-xo.html Here another look at old style Puerto Rican Salsa, the guy is smooth, this is the style I prefer and movement, I combine this with my Classic mambo steps; always study the old timers from the heart and not choregraph: th-cam.com/video/ioVD04Bb8dE/w-d-xo.html
Glad it can help, I know it's a confusing topic. I just posted a new article on the website that goes into even more depth if you're interested: thedancedojo.com/salsa-timing-on1-on2-on3/
Hi Robin, great video! Two questions. What stops people from dancing to instruments but on1? Is it impossible or just not common? Second question: can I take any on2 sequence and just "shift" the timing to dance it on1? Or will I have to modify it (add some back break in between, etc) to make it work for on1?
Hey Konstantin, thanks! 1) The timing the instruments are played on allows more of them line up with On2 timing - that's why On2 was the original timing that people danced mambo to in the Palladium era (before On1 existed). For example, the slaps of the conga are on 2 and 6, which are the break steps for On2. Yes the conga player hits the conga on other counts, but it just doesn't accent the On1 timing as perfectly as On2. For On1, the instrument that accents the timing the best is the cow bell (campana), which accents 1-3-5-7. On1 was created later, and I need to get the story straight on how it evolved before I share any info on that.
A fantastic explanation. Thank you! It would really be helpful to hear music with the description to connect the concept to practice. So many videos about Salsa dancing and musicality do not include music. Is there a reason for this?
I just didn't want to make the video so long. I mostly wanted to explain the counts with reference to the steps. In this video I show the salsa timings with instruments: th-cam.com/video/CA4ah3AkFuc/w-d-xo.html&themeRefresh=1 -robin
SALSA? WITH ALL DUE RESPECT... LA CLAVE IS THE SECRET. THE CREATORS NEWYORICANS, PUERTO RICANS, JIBAROS, AND THE INFLUENCE OF LATIN JAZZ. PERIOD! I LIVED IT!
Thanks Renaye! Hard to include everything here but we have deeper breakdowns in our online course, if it interests you (free 7 day trial, no credit card) thedancedojo.com -robin
just like to add that classical Son timing is NOT ON 2 as implied in this video. It's on 4 (and 8). That's where the emphasis is. If you want to define it according to where the breaking is, yes 2 and 6, but you need to mention that steps fall on 2-3-4,6-7-8, aka contratiempo. Hence while on2-dancers can dance Son rhythm (contratiempo), so can everybody else (like the on1 people) if they please to learn it. Either one will need to shift their steps back one beat.
Great tutorial as always. Your channel is by far the most useful I have come across, and I wish I had had this to help me out when I was beginning salsa many years ago. Well done! When I transitioned to mambo, it took me a while to figure out what was creating the real difference between the two basic steps. Had I seen this vid back then, the mystery would have been solved. One minor tip, it would help if the dancers doing the quick-quick-slow demo would count out loud. As it is, they are almost entirely skipping the 4 and 8 so their slow step is barely any longer than the quick ones. That makes the different feel to the dances virtually invisible. I did the same for many years, which was a major reason I had a hard time figuring out the difference.
Thanks man really appreciate the comment. I agree there could be some improvements. Decided to take what footage I had and try to make it work just got get it out for you guys. I'll keep it in mind for next time. Glad to hear you now get to explore both the on1 and on2 worlds. If you run into any noobies who this would help it'd mean a ton if you shared it with them. Thank you again! -Robin
@@thedancedojo Will definitely do that, especially since so many schools don't teach all this useful info but rather just focus on pattern after pattern.
I'm not saying it's not possible, just that it's not typical. As far as I've seen, and I lived in Colombia for a year, the default for colombian style salsa is On1 -Robin
This video was great but I still don't know what beat I dance on lol. I dance socially with family and friends, very well. But I was invited to a "social" in NY once and couldn't dance with a single person. It was super weird. I was following but somehow we were offbeat from one another. I also know I dance circular and they were dancing linear. I am Puerto Rican btw, but I don't think I dance like NY Puerto Ricans.
haha I know what you mean. Growing up and dancing with friends and going to dance schools and socials can be 2 different worlds. I wrote an article about different styles, link below. there's also a link in the article which takes you to another about timing in case it interests you. maybe itll help you identify your timing! thedancedojo.com/salsa-styles/-robin
Styles was a thing back in 80s. Because of the fact the students of those instructors have moved around the world. La stlye, NY style, PR style is a fusion. There's nothing like that today. I can do lots of dips in NY doesn't mean I'm an la style dancer over NY. I could dance the same way I dance in NY as in PR. Doesn't mean I'm dancing PR style...
Thanks for the feedback! I'll probably do another video on timing in the future. I've been doing a deeper dive lately and just wrote a new article on the site if you're interested: thedancedojo.com/salsa-timing-on1-on2-on3/ (I'll be adding videos to the article in the near future) -Robin
I figured dancing at speed would have been too mich to absorb. but you're right, maybe some slow music or a counting song would have been helpful to add. Thanks! -robin
@@joerouth6255 everyone feels something a bit different. The richness is learning how each timing aligns with different instruments. on1 isnt better or worse than on2 they're just diff eays to connect with the music depensing on what you hear and want to show. -robin
It seems to me that some shmack some time ago couldn't count properly and when asked, he replied : "oh, I'm just dancing on two". You know, like american imperial vs metric ))
Ooh, so Im guessing any time I feel like the lead is off beat by 1 and Im having trouble follwiing he must be an on2 person then, since everything Ive learned has me stepping back on the 1.
I still don’t know what I dance on, I never learned how to count when dancing. I just dance to the rhythm. I guess that lacks structure, not sure. But I learned dancing salsa from family parties & such.
That's really normal, at least for latinos, so I'm not surprised. Once you go to a dance school you'll have to put counts to that feeling you have. We all start at different places, but if you keep learning eventually we all learn about counts and instruments. -Robin
Counts are just a point of reference for when you make a particular step… I only dance on 1 it’s not that deep for me I know how to move in time to-any music learning salsa for me was just about learning what do when the lead gives a particular signal
There is no such thing as an on1 or on2 salsa song. You can dance to any song on any timing you like. Musicians don't think of dancers when they make music. And a song might be 2/3 clave or 3/2 clave - you can dance any timing for either. No rules! Just do what feels best and learn as much as you can as you go. -robin
I have been trying to learn Cuban Timba and was so confused by the beat and changes between phrases. I was dancing each phrase and some were 10, 11, 8 and 14 so I never knew when to change the steps from one phrase to another. Upsetting as my brain is not learning to change direction at the right time ? Now I have a jumbled sequence. When do you change steps between each phrase in a sequence ?
Hey Gaye. I'm not 100% sure on which part is confusing you but in general, in salsa, you can change steps whenever you want - as long as you finish the current 8 count you can change on the 1 beat. Does that help? i'm not sure what you've learned. -Robin
I have a Cuban Timba teacher so she changes the timing of the steps at different times. I am used to learning sequences in Calenan salsa which was easy on 2 as we learnt scores as phrases on clave. I also learnt Cuban son. I dance samba no pe to the music and percussion at different speeds which is also fine. I am a trained dancer. The current teacher seems to make it up as she couldn’t explain what she was doing . I wanted to know where the breaks are and changes so I can follow on step in time. At the moment I am missing the changes as I don’t know when she is going to change so am 1 or 2 beats and steps behind. I need to hear the beat, then break it down first into steps and mark the breaks with claps on the change.
as the lead you need to dance to a timing that the follow knows, and adjust to her. did you k ow you're dancing on 2? if so thats fine, you can learn on 1. if you dont know what timing you're dancing on look for my finding the beat playlist here on youtube to improve your awareness of musoc and timing. its great to know both on1 and on2. you can also try our online course free for a week. link in description. -robin
If you have friends who dance cuban salsa, and you only know on2...do you have to learn cuban as a whole different dance? Or, is there ways to adapt to that style, even if it is basic?
You can adapt to cuban salsa once you adjust to the timing/style differences. I originally danced NYon2 but adapted to PR salsa and on1. Its not a whole different dance but you'll express it in a different way.
like Mambo Mike said, the ideas and concepts transfer, but cuban is stylistically different so you'll have to learn and experience those differences to see for yourself. Most importantly, be able to adjust to on1 timing if that's what they're dancing on.
Finding the beat - playlist? Hey Robin, tried to find your playlist 'finding the beat' on Spotify.. but failed... Is there anything public to dive deeper?
If you srep on 123 567 you are still dancing to the tiempo and therefore on1. Braking on2 is not the same as dancing on 2. Breaking on2 is breaking on2. On 2 you dance to the contratiemp of the music which is on 234 678. The layback and smooth feeling and the connection to the music you are talking about is only in your mind. He does not know what he is talking about if he thinks that Eddie Torres style is on2.
Dancing on 2 means you break on2 and 6. Yes you can dance on2 to contratiempo 2-3-4, 6-7-8 and you can also dance it "a tiempo" to 1-2-3, 5-6-7. when dancing "a tiempo" to 1-2-3, 5-6-7 you have two options: dance on1 or dance on2 the way eddie torres taught it. I explain in more depth on IG here instagram.com/p/CTSXz4nJ7p-/? -Robin
@@thedancedojo we dance to the beat of the musical instruments. You do not dance on 2 on the tiempo of the music. If you step on 1 3 5 7 you are still dancing on1. Any knowledgeable instructor knows that ET style " on2" is on1. Yout really do not know what you are talking about if you think that you can dance on2 by stepping on the 1 3 5 7. Again, and I am repeating myself, on2 you step on the 2 4 6 and 8 which goes with the congas, and therefore dancing to the beat of the congas. The 1 3 5 7 is the tiempo of the music and goes with the cowbell, the piano, and the singer. If you want to dance with the congas step on the 2 4 6 and 8, which is the contratiempo and you can say you are dancing on2
Hi Robin, did u say that on 2 , you actually step the 1step on beat 2? meaning u dance on 2.3.4 then 6.7.8 . And there is a section the video shows the mambo on 1.2.3. ..5.6.7. Is this style still on 2 ? Or if you must always step on 2.3.4...6. 7. 8.. (like on 1 is always 1st step on beat 1 )
The first step is always beat 1, when you dance On1 or On2 to modern mambo timing (the 1 is just not the break step). That said, yes there are different ways to dance On2. 2-3-4, 6-7-8 is classic/original mambo timing and 1-2-3, 5-6-7 is modern mambo timing, popularized by eddie torres (both work fine!). Classic mambo timing doesn't step on the 1 or 5. -Robin
@@thedancedojo mmmm well if 123, 567 is fine for dancing on 2, I don't see the point of it. You mentioned before as have others that the conga is commonly on 2 and 6 for the accent, so yes stepping and starting the basic pattern which is step, step, step, pause - but starting on 2 and 6 would match that part of the conga pattern. But if you are dancing 123, 567 that sounds like just dancing on 1. Maybe a different foot goes forward instead of backward, but that is not worth noting in terms of the idea of on 2, lining up with the instruments. Even if it arranged where the break step is on 2 and 6, hardly any dancers are going to have an amount of musical and percussion knowledge to get benefit from this as matching the conga - which by the way is often hard to pick out as it is played more softly or covered by many other instruments, and often only has the accent on 2 and not on 6. IMHO I do have on question. If I lead 234, 678, do I typically do "setups/preps" on 234, and travel on 678 or do I typically setup/prep on 678 and travel on 234. I am , to be clear, talking about 234, 678 in the music being played. How do I pair my setups and travels when dancing on 2?
Agreed. And that's just the way eddie torres popularized it. it's a convention. there are places/people that break forward on2. Puerto rico is an example. Nothing wrong with it! -robin
A "quick" is a step that takes 1 beat. A slow is a step that takes 1 beat and then his held for 1 more (2 beats total). For example, when dancing salsa On 1 you step on the 1 (quick), 2 (quick), and then step on the 3 and hold it for the 4th beat (making it "slow"). So that's why you hear people count "1-2-3, 5-6-7" (because those are the counts you step on) and the counts you're holding (4 and 8) are often not spoken out loud, but they exist. You will also hear people say "quick-quick-slow" to describe the rhythm and now you know why. does that make more sense now? -Robin
@@thedancedojo actually, I don’t think Cuban style is either On1 or On5, Cubans do not need to count to be able to dance; I think the on1, on2, etc appeared to help people to dance on the music, but if you already dance on the music like Cubans I guess that doesn’t matter anymore 😃. I am not Cuban by the way.
@@RoSs0nErI85 Sure you're totally right that someone can dance on any beat they want but regardless of what timing the person is dancing on it can still be identified by a number. That's how music works, it has timing and counts. If it didn't, the musicians couldn't create music together. -robin
Great explanation, Robin! You can't imagine how much stuff I had to watch before I found you, and only now I understand... So, one question. Is it true that to some music/songs On2 fits better, and to some songs - on1? If yes, could you please make a video later illustrating which timing is better to choose for which music (assuming that I master both on1 and on2 so that I could freely choose depending on the song)? I could be mistaken with my theory though haha
Glad you found me Maryam, and thanks so much! That is a great question and I originally thought along the same lines as you are now, with each song usually connecting better to one timing or the other, at least some of the time. However as I've observed more, and learned more I personally feel that the answer to this question becomes quite personal. There will be people who say things must be a certain way or things definitely fit better a certain way, but ultimately dance is flexible and creative, and the beauty of that is each person brings their own experience and can make their own decisions and develop their own preferences (each getting better, or more refined, as one gets more educated). Long story short, technically you can dance to any song On1 or On2 and I also believe that neither is wrong, it's a personal choice. I also believe you can dance a style like cuban, which is typically danced On1, to On2 as well. Once you learn how to dance both timings, and learn how each connects to the music, you'll likely feel drawn to dance one more than the other to a specific song. And I'm certain that will also change as you go along (it did for me at least). So, the choice and freedom is all on you. Learn both, experiment, experience, have fun and see what happens :) -Robin
lol i had same question too, i used to dance on one, just that i found out the on1 folks keep playing same music after a while became so boring, i.e. there are millions salsa songs out there which they haven't played..something is wrong fundamentally so .., i started to learn on2 and did not disappoint at all. just be aware that the footwork is much faster more improvisation vs fixed patterns because the music is so much richer and posh and yet some tunes are very meditative ..i find on2 musics enlightening, hope that helps
2 years later I am watching this video again, now I dance salsa NY style and I love it with my whole heart, and I can tell I understand so much more in this video XD In 2020 I had really zero idea of what Robin was saying, but I remember it was December 31st, New Years eve and Robin answered my comment right away XDD hahaha I think you really gotta travel, go to congresses, festivals, meet people, and only then you will grasp the difference, because it is barely possible to understand by just watching, you gotta try. Sending much love from Luxembourg
if you're break steps (forward/back) are on the 1 and the 5, you're dancing on1. If you're break steps are on the 2 and the 6 you're dancing on2. If you're not sure how to find the beat this playlist will help: th-cam.com/play/PLzGRdLHrtfBwCPD27hvxH8uvx0pA3ovxM.html - robin
It's hard to see for a newbie. Would have been better to see it from the same side (lead on the left of the screen) and possibly side by side on the counts...
How can one 1 feel faster than on 2. - other than in an imagination - or if I am not stepping actually on time with the counts - which is the whole idea or dance counting to match music counting? It is clear that each count is the same length - like seconds on a clock. It is uniform like inches on a ruler. So - on the seconds - if I tap my hand on the table on seconds 123 , on four nothing, tap 567 with the seconds , on 8 nothing , then it is the SAME speed whether I tap with my right hand, left hand, from an angle, from a small height, from a large height.
It depends on what move you're doing, and you can have more time because of where the slow count lies in the basic step. Dancing on1, if you do the first three steps of the cross body lead your weight is on your 3 in just 3 beats. If you dance on2 and do the first three steps of the cross body lead starting on 6 and ending on 1, that's four beats. Make sense? -Robin
I'm confused. You said "if dancing on 1, the slow happens right before your break (then) step. " You also aid, "when dancing on 2 (break on 2), the slow comes right after your break (then) step, which is the opposite on dancing on 1." Isn't the S for both dancing on 1 or dancing on 2 the 3rd step, actually 3/4 or 7/8 in dancing on 1, and 4/5 or 8/1, when dancing on 2? So in my mind, the pattern is always QQS and the slow happens after the break step? Am I missing something?
Hey Jerry, when you say the slow is on 4/5 and 8/1 you're talking about dancing on2 to counts 2-3-4, 6-7-8 (aka classic mambo or power 2 timing) . I'm talking about dancing on2 to counts 1-2-3, 5-6-7 (the style eddie torres popularized), which uses the same counts as on1. In this case, since both On1 and On2 are danced to the same counts, the "Slow" is on the same counts: 3/4. The reason the slow count moves to a different part of the basic is because you're breaking on different counts On1 vs On2. Make sense? -Robin
I’m probably still confused. Yes, I learned classic mambo timing, so you are correct about the timing I wrote. The way I dance “on 2”, I start by going back with my left foot on the first beat as a slow, then break back on 2 with my right foot as a quick, then step in place with my left foot as a quick. Is that the same as the Eddie Torres method? Just talking slows (S) and quicks (Q), are the breaks always Q Q, and the anchor a S?
@@JSDJerry the reason I think you're confused is because you're talking about classic mambo timing but in the video I don't explain classic mambo timing or where the slow count likes within it. With classic mambo timing you step exactly how you explained on 2-3-4, 6-7-8 while holding the 1 and 5. So based on what you said, the classic mambo timing would be the following: step back on your left on count 8 (holding 1 which makes it slow), break back on your Right foot on 2 (quick), step forward on 3 with your left (quick), etc. And No, this is not Eddie Torres' method of dancing on2. Eddie torres' method is this (for the lead): start by stepping back on the left foot on 1 (quick), break back on the right foot on 2 (quick), step on your left on 3 and hold the 4th beat (slow); step right foot on 5 (quick), break forward on left foot on 6 (quick), step back on right foot on 7 and hold the 8th beat (slow) - this is the eddie torres method that you're seeing in the video. The difference is that Eddie torres' method steps on 1 and 5, whereas in classic mambo you don't step on the 1 and 5 - instead you're holding them as your "slow" counts. Does that help?
Good video overall. However, I'm not sure if I agree with you on the reason why On1 feel different than On2 and vice versa. That is, On1 feels "faster" as you stated. IMHO the feel differ in that most leaders try to finish the dance in sync with the completion of the song or phrase and generally with the end of a turn or pattern. Because 8 is a non stepping beat technically the song ends while both the follower and leader feet are mid way in the air in travel to beat 1 step. However, we know that leaders rush and followers follow the leader to finish the turn and/or pattern by the 8 so that the dance (really turn and/or pattern) ends when the song does. Therefore, On1 dancers are trimming 1 beat out (of the turn/pattern) to sync up their finish with the song. Hell, I even do this when I'm dancing On1. It doesn't look as nice when the music (or phrase) stops and you have one more beat to fully execute the turn/pattern. On2 turns and patterns should generally end (comes out) on the 5 unless the follower is extremely super advanced and can execute turn(s) starting on the 6 or 6&. When the turn/pattern is complete in On2, you have 3 beats in the song and 2 beats stepping left; assuming beat 5 is part of the turn/pattern. All you have to do is some fanfare, accentuation, and easily do something fancy with the remaining beats to end with the song's crescendo...no rush or fast feel. The best way to experience this is to dance the same song On1 and On2. Given how fancy On1 dancers want to be I'm surprised they didn't adopt On2 from the onset. They would have so much more time to really do a grand crescendo. One more thing, all the instruments play on the same beat during the entirety of the song. Unless there's some improvising going on, which in studio recorded songs improvising is rare. Having said that you can attached your dancing to any instrument whether On1 or On2; whatever the person feels most connected to during different time throughout the song.
Thanks for sharing that. Everyone will have their own experience of how it feels for sure. I actually cut out the part where I was going to mention the time you have for turning, as I realized it's probably a little too far into the nitty gritty for most people. It's cool you brought it up though. Anyway, appreciate your comment and thanks for watching! -Robin
Hi Robin You say in video that on2 is danced on same counts as on1 Eddie Torres style i,e 1-2-3 ,. 5-6-7 , but in the video you then showcase that the lead is going forward on 6 and back on 2 ( break steps ) how is that possible , the count would then be 6-7-8, 2-3-4 and not 1-2-3 , 5-6-7
Hey Muzammil, thanks for watching! 2-3-4, 6-7-8 is classic mambo timing (the original timing), but modern mambo (what Eddie Torres popularized) is danced to the same counts as On1: 1-2-3, 5-6-7. If you want to get a more complete history and breakdown, sign-up for the 2 weeks free of our entire salsa course which we're offering right now, go to the Skills & Technique area and do the module on "Ways to Dance On2" - it will break down all the different ways and the history for you: thedancedojo.com/product/salsa-2-week-guest-pass/ Hope you enjoy! Robin
what do you mean by beat of the bar? where are those bars and beats? also, how do I know when 1 is, it all repeats itself periodically, so why not any moment can be considered as 1 and start counting from there...?
I created a whole mini course to explain all of the answers to your questions: th-cam.com/play/PLzGRdLHrtfBwCPD27hvxH8uvx0pA3ovxM.html (Week 1 will be most directly helpful to answer those questions!) -Robin
How can you call yourself a dojo when your center is way off on 1 or on 2 its way crazy might as well get me a frappe from McDonald's with yalls timings
I’m dumb so I wished you had used the exact same dancers from the same angle, then maybe I could see it better. You switched the dancers around which makes everything double opposite. Lol. I told you I’m dumb. Lol
Dance Dojo in the Dominican Republic they dance Bachatta on many beats there is no on one concept, in the states the “one one” to use salsa terms is due a lot I believe due to urban and sensual bachatta popular in the states
@@jakemf1 I won't comment any further on Bachata timing since I've never spent time in DR nor have I deeply explored the roots of bachata or it's timing. All I can say is that the global norm is to teach it with the first step on the 1 beat and that's what Harold and Regan (7x world champions) are teaching in our online lessons. You may very well be right but It's beyond me.
Yeap on 1 its less challenging to the Beginniners . On one the dance looks rushed. On 2 the dance looks more smoorh & elegant. On one ur not dancing to the beat of the Conga, on 2 you are and thats how it should be
To be clear this wasn't a post about what's better but im glad you found your favourite! Dancing On2 Contratiempo to 234-678 feels like dancing On1 and thats the original mambo timing so be aware :) -Robin
Hello Robin how are you I live in Miami I love salsa and I dance salsa I went to school for a whole year to learn how to dance Rumba guaguancó changüich Columbia jlambo so I basically try to go to every single salsa Congress in the world for about a week if I go to New York of course everybody dances on 2 if I go to Chicago Boston a lot of people dance on one Washington d.c. the majority of the people than someone if I had down to Miami everybody dances on one because it's my hometown we danced casino LA California San Diego people dance on one if we go to Cuba everybody dances on one if we go to Puerto Rico everybody dances on one if we go to Dominican Republic everybody dances on one if we go to Colombia everybody dances on one if we go to Venezuela everybody dances on one if we go to Peru everybody dances on one if we go to Panama everybody dances on one now let's go to Europe let's start with Spain everybody dances on one because timba is so big in Spain if we go to Italy everybody dances on one if we go to Russia everybody dances on one if we go to Germany everybody dances on one if we go to France everybody dances on one so I'm not going to take anymore time so in other words there more people in the world dancing on one then I'm too my mother is Brazilian my father is Cuban we love our African roots if I take a pair of Conga to a salsa school and I just played play coga and I tell a students to dancer to this music rhythm they will totally be lost because they have no African Roots where everything started without Africa there's no music without rhythm there's no soul and of course there's no feelings
Sounds like you've travelled a lot! My experience is that most people dance on1 as well, but you'll find people who can dance on2 everywhere as well, normally there's just less of them. You don't need African or Latin roots necessarily, just a teacher that can explain the rhythms and timing to you in a clear way. -Robin
What I liked about this video was that he's articulate,..... lot's of Salsa instructors can dance,..... but lack the vocabulary to convey the message.
Really appreciate that Mario! Had to think a lot about this before filming. It's complicated to explain without a back and forth dialogue 😅🙏🏽 -Robin
would be great if he could say sAlsa as oposed to sOlsa....
All of my teachers have taught on 2, but through social dancing I realized I didn’t quite understand the difference. It’s easy as a follow to just mirror whatever the lead is doing, but this video helped me really understand the musicality. 💜💜
Awesome, so glad it helped Kam!
This explanation is perfect, I danced on2 for a few years, and tried dancing on1 and felt so lost. to this day I prefer dancing on2, although on1 is supposed to be easier, I hear the clave, bajo, and other instruments way better and connect more to the music. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks Max! Yeah, whatever you learn first will probably be easiest since you have nothing else to compare to and you're muscles are all trained on that timing. Appreciate the comment and you watching! Robin
Yeahhh it is easier to connect with the music. But transition is hard. I dance on 1 cause I dance Baile de Casino and I am willing to try on 2 ( Eddie Torres style, ny style). As a cheat I dance Cuban Son if there is no other way to dance. 😅
On 1 is easier if you dance Baile de Casino, salsa caleña.
Robin you're so good at explaining the details of everything. I love your tutorials
Thanks TJ, that means a lot! Appreciate you watching 😀 -Robin
Breaking On2 is the basic Cuban timing (which in Cuba is called "contratiempo") of the dances originating in the Eastern, Afro-Cuban part of Cuba (El Oriente), around Santiago, and date back to the nineteenth century: son, mambo, cha cha cha, pachanga, guajira, guaracha, etc. Breaking On1 is popular because it is easier, and thus takes less time, to learn than breaking On2. When breaking On1 you're dancing to the heavy beats (1,3,5,7) which are easier for the beginner to hear. When breaking On2 you're dancing to the clave and the conga (tumbao), the basic instruments which define the Cuban beat. On1 began fairly recently in Cuba in La Habana, and was taught to tourists (who had less time to invest in learning to dance) at the Hotel Casino de la Playa and the Hotel Casino de La Habana, thus the name of this Habana-based dance: "Casino". In my opinion, breaking On2 is for dancers who are willing to invest the time (years) necessary to learn how to hear the music, and thus reap the rewards of syncopation and just being "more Cuban", or more authentic, let's say. An On2 dancer should have no problem dancing On1 or On3, as they tend to hear the music better, which also implies better musicality. The On1 dancer is pretty much stuck to dancing only On1. Breaking On1 is generally for the person who wants something that's easier to learn, and thus, for dance schools, easier to teach. The latest cellphone generation tends to want what's easier, it seems, and dance schools sometimes find the demand for what's easier is more profitable. Dancing these basically Cuban dances is a tremendous source of pleasure for those who have a genuine, life-long passion for salsa. But today there are an almost infinite number (it seems) of salsa schools and salsa teachers for whom salsa is a potentially tremendous source of income. This apparent conflict is still working its way out, and the results, as far as I'm concerned, are so far very discouraging. Un abrazo salsero!
I really like this video. But I must repeat that if you learn to dance On2 you'll be able to dance on anything, since you hear the music, and the instruments so well. But if you learn to dance On1, you'll be stuck dancing with those partners who also learned On1. So, why in the world learn or teach salsa On1, when learning On2 broadens your possibilities for dancing with so many different partners, and in different parts of the world?
Thanks a lot for sharing this and adding to the discussion William. I really appreciate it. It's always so interesting to know the history, how things have changed/evolved and why. I'm going to pin your comment so more people can read it. 🙏🏽 -Robin
This gringo actually knows his shit about Salsa biggie
Viva la dos....
William Gills hi I wish you were right but all I see is totally the opposite. I started to dance Cuban salsa On1 in Paris 10 years ago. As a lot of Cuban salsa dancer I dance also son Cubano and contratiempo. Since I live in America I learned to dance On2 , Mambo , I educated myself and I love it. But I realized that almost nobody here is able to dance On1. It’s like another language for them.
This is a really great explanation, the best I've found so far!
The biggest problem I'm facing with on2 in Europe though is that while most of on1 teachers use common techniques, on2 teachers tend to teach different things.
Somebody teaches ET style, somebody custom styles, somebody right turns on 2, somebody right turns on 3 and so on, which makes social dancing even harder.
That's why I like your videos, you make on2 more standard and similar to the most rather than a jungle of styles.
So glad to hear that Roberto. Salsa can definitely be confusing and I wanted to do my best to at least clear up some of it. It's not easy to do it without having a discussion with the viewers you're talking to! Thanks for watching man -Robin
Bro we have very similar names 😳
Good explanation need to see more of the dance steps for both
Our channel is full of moves and patterns On1 and On2. Go take a look! Thanks for watching -Robin
Please tell me that I'm not the only one here. I have been trying to understand dancing on 2 and watched all videos available on TH-cam. People comment that some videos are clear and amazing, am I the only one that still doesn't get it and feels so discouraged? I'm thinking about quitting dancing salsa altogether.
Not to mention that many teachers say contradicting things / their own theories "where the 2 is" and I am not sure whom to listen.
A local teacher, when I rejected his invitation to dance (since he dances on 2 and I can not) told me recently something along the lines " if you don't know how to dance on 2, you can not dance salsa /don't call yourself a salsa dancer".
Ok? Then why this whole salsa on 1 industry? Schools lure people with salsa on 1 courses to later tell them it was for nothing since they aren't "real dancers" anyways?
Switching from on 1 to on 2 is not easy.
I recently moved from a typical salsa LA city to a city where the dancefloor is 50/50.
I am a pretty good dancer in salsa cuban, LA, Bachata, kizomba, samba... I understand the concept of on 2, if someone does the counting, i will follow, but it seems impossible to find on 2 rhythm naturally in most songs. It seems like there is no rhythm, no order, everyone is just improvising "something", without structure. That's must be so difficult for followers! The few times an on2 dancer asked me to dance were the worst dances, I really felt frustrated.
I like to dance to music and natural rhythm, I can not imagine dancing and doing math of count 1+1 every time. How can I focus on lady styling, combinations etc?
I also don't understand the social aspect of different styles:
1. If you are asked to dance by someone you do not know, shouldn't the leader always ask the follower is she dances on 1 or 2?
2. If the leader did not ask: Can a follower decline and stop a dance if she sees the leader leads on the count she does not know and is not comfortable with?
3. I saw that some teachers say you can switch between on 1 or on 2 in the middle of the song - cool, but what about the followers? How will they notice?
4. Is there a clear on2 rhythm in all songs, or is it valid that not all salsa song can be danced on2?
Please tell me I am not the only one... What am I not getting??
You probably have a lot more experience than me, but I agree with you. There doesn’t seem to be a definite authority on salsa dancing, but even as an art form, I’m certain there’s something close to a science of dancing on the one and two. I say, keep investigating and experimenting. Almost certainly in most mediocre salsa dance clubs, most dancers are all over the place on the counts.
I understand the frustration. At the end of the day there are no rules, you just have to communicate.
1. If someone starts dancing On2 and you don't dance on2, ask them to dance on1. You don't need to learn both timings, but it allows you to dance with more partners.
2. You can decline whatever you want, it's your life - you decide! Just be respectful.
3. I've never seen anyone switch between on1 and on2 in a song. When dancing on2 there are various ways to dance it, so it would make sense for just dancing on2.
4. Everyone hears music differently. dancing On2 connects well with the conga and the bass. If you hear those strongly dancing On2 might be your preference. If you don't, you can dance on1 or any other timing. It comes down to preference. There's no right or wrong. This is an art where you get to express yourself.
If someone tells you your bad/dumb/not a salsa dancer because you can't dance on2 then that person is ignorant and arrogant. Yes, those people exist, but don't let them rob you of your enjoyment of salsa. Don't give them that power. Find what you enjoy and do that.
I've made a more recent video talking about timing that might help with some more information: th-cam.com/video/CA4ah3AkFuc/w-d-xo.html -Robin
I know this is an old post but I just came back from my first salsa lesson/dance on the east coast. I'm originally from NC but moved to California where I met my wife who used to dance club salsa at UCLA. She taught me on 1 and I got to a point where I was maybe intermediate. We moved back to NC, but today going on 2 was completely opposite to what I was used to. I felt like a beginner all over again and I kept reverting back to on1 and missing the beats. I want to try to eventually learn both but not having danced much salsa the past few years made it quite demoralizing. My wife is much more fluid and picked it up faster than me and also because she just follows. But yea, I'm glad I'm not alone.
Wow, as a musician, dancer and Latin Spanish this explanation is perfect about everything you have said! Congrats
Wow, thank you - i'm really glad you feel it was accurate! -Robin
I was struck about two or three years ago, I was dancing in NYC and I noticed some New Yorkers who were dancing with these ladies who danced On1, were having a very difficult time dancing On1. It felt exactly like On1 dancers when they’re trying to learn On2. Before that for some reason I assumed all or most On2 dancers found it easy to dance On1, but it’s not often the case! It is for people who learn On2 after dancing On1 before! But, in a place like NYC, many dancers start out dancing On2 from the very beginning, or dance so much On2, that On1 is as foreign to them as On2 to many people outside NYC! So as a non-New Yorker who’s learned On2 I thought New Yorkers can switch as easily as I do between the two styles cause I live and dance in a mostly On1 smaller city, but also take On2 classes and dance in NYC when I can. So, I was surprised to see that that transition and mix of styles can be just as challenging for On2 dancers if they mostly dance On2. In my case, I usually spend like two to four weeks in NYC, and when I get back home, it takes me a bit of practice because I often find On1 challenging when I first get back. And even after that, I find I can’t be as creative doing On1 cause most the dancing I do when I really dance the most is on holiday On2 in NYC. So, I’ve danced for a more concentrated and focused time On2, even though I mostly live and dance in an On1 town. When I am in NYC I dance like 5 or 6 nights a week plus classes etc. So, I end up being more creative dancing On2. I’ll try to be as creative On1, but the brain flows better when I do On2, and I like it more. On the other hand, some of the best fun I’ve had in NYC is dancing On1, surprisingly! There’s this Spanish girl, it seems, I’ve found the last few years, and she prefers On1. Not sure what she’s doing in an On2 town when I’ve met her! But I’ve had a blast! And she would often be surprised that I can dance On1 cause she apparently had a challenging time finding New Yorkers who danced or liked dancing On1. But cause I live in a mostly On1 place, I am often able to easily switch to On1. But, it’s probably about muscle memory/brain etc, it takes a bit of practice, but if one practices both styles, one can switch reasonably well, and dance both well!
You're totally right. It's kinda funny how we assume things when really, no matter which way you try to shift your muscle memory, it's a challenge for everyone. Thanks for sharing that and good on ya for learning both and being able to switch! Adaptability is the key life, and more fun! 🙌🏽 -Robin
Absolutely agree
I feel that when I’m in college and when I’m in salsa class or at socials most people will dance on 2 because that’s what we were taught. However, when I go to a regular party where they play salsa, most girls dance on one and won’t let me lead because I struggle with that timing what’s a good way to train in both?
@@williammcalpine2718 its just muscle memory trained with repetition. start without a partner, do basic steps and slowly advance as you can. then try basics w a partner and slowly advance. as you hit the edge of your ability you'll switch to the timing your comfortable with but with more practice you eventually have more concious control. repetition is the game dance a a few songs each on your own. -Robin
@@williammcalpine2718 btw way search my "finding the beat series". any video starting with "ftb" is a part of it. its a 4 week free course on youtube that will help.
That was an excellent break down an explanation! I was very impressed and I'm a teacher myself
Thanks Daka! 😀🙌🏽
I dance both on 1 and 2 but I definitely prefer dancing on 2. I wanted to hear the music while seeing the steps.
I totally understand, and that's why I made this follow up video with more musical reference for the timings: th-cam.com/video/CA4ah3AkFuc/w-d-xo.html -Robin
Interesting! I wish you‘d show the difference by underlying the dance clips with music though. I feel like that would put your theory into 100% practice.
This one should help: th-cam.com/video/CA4ah3AkFuc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=lOnDx7EzyhXZOUxM
I started with 1 for a couple of years. We did one lesson on 2 which I really liked. It felt more natural to me. But al the people I dance with do 1. Now after Corona I start with on 2.
It depends on the music you are dancing to. Some songs are based on the 1st beat so it's better to dance "on 1". Some songs focused on the son clave, or the conga slap and slower tempo, then it's better on NY on 2. Keep in mind that If you are dancing NY on 2, you are still dancing on 1, only differently unless you are dancing the real on 2 style.
This is exactly what I was looking for without knowing what I was looking for
haha gotta love it when that happens hey? glad it was helpful! -robin
Best explanation ever!!!! Greetings from Mexico City
Thanks a lot! Saludos desde medellín! -Robin
I think it would help me understand it better to have their examples done to music so I can see what the difference feels like. But thank you, I learned something.
Great feedback, thanks! Glad it helped a little -Robin
My Salsa teaches tells me "On 2" is what is taught at most Salsa Congresses and On-2 is a more technical style danced more often in Europe while North American tends to use the easier On-1 style for classes for beginners/couples/etc but On-2 is the more challenging version usually taught at congresses, conferences and so-forth. Is that true?
I don't really agree that the reason they teach "on1" in classes is b/c it's easy and the reason they teach "on2" at congresses is b/c it's harder. From my experience, on1 is the most common timing danced around the world, and it can also feel more intuitive to learn because that timing goes with the melody of the music. The reason on2 is often taught at congresses (on1 is taught as well!) is because it's about taking your educational experience deeper. On2 connects with the music/instruments in different ways, and by opening yourself to that new timing you're able to become a more musical dancer. Both timings are enjoyable. One isn't objectively better than the other. But many love on2 for the new possibilities it opens to you in terms of musicality. Naturally, to start, people tend to learn the timing that's most common where they live. There are people who learn On2 first and struggle to learn on1 after. I think whatever you learn first will always feel easier because it's the base your brain has to understand. Changing is tricky cuz it goes against your muscle memory, but it's possible and totally worth it. Hope that helps! -Robin
I grew up in PR, and my experience was that street dancing was always On 1. I tried to learn On2 recently and was a bit lost.
cool thanks for sharing that. and keep at it! fighting against your on1 muscle memory takes time but it'll come. -robin
Damn! Now I understand why I've had so many bad experiences dancing salsa in Europe. I dance ON1 Cuban salsa, to the marrow, and moving on circles, whereas my couples have been dancing ON2 NY style, and moving on lines. I was always unable to lead them the way I wanted. It was really painful, a disaster. The two timings seems largely incompatible to me!
glad it could help! timing is everything and style also has an effect, as you've clearly noticed -robin
There are dedicated parties for cuban party's/casino. At a party where it's mixed it's a gamble.
Oh, the circle vs line thing makes sense
great job explaining the 1 and 2. The best one I have heard. Thank you!
Glad it helped Nissim! thanks for watching and the love 🙌🏽 -Robin
I'll have to listen to this again to understand it...
Take your time, new information takes a while to absorb :) -robin
me too, still don't understand the difference, from minute 1.05 it gets confusing because the distinction isn't clear.
Great video Robin!
At 4:20 I would not mention the Campana as an instrument that helps to hear the 2 since the hits are on 1, 3, 5, 7. It is one of the best instruments to learn how to find the 1 or the 5. For the Clave it is almost the same. Since the Clave hits on 1 and 4 - 6,7 or on 2,3 - 5 and 8 you can use the Clave to learn how to dance on 1/5 (focussing on the first hit of the 3 count) and you can use the Clave to learn how to dance on 2/6 (focussing on the first hit in the part of the two count).
Keep up the great job!
Morry
Salsaventura
Hey Morry thanks for watching and the comment. You make valid points and I agree the campana doesn't directly help find the 2 beat, but if you listen closely again that's not what I was saying 😉
For helping beginners with rhythm recognition I avoid the clave since it's complex, but people who have trained their ears and are familiar with its rhythm can definitely use it. Keep up the great work on your channel 🙌🏽 -Robin
Do not forget that the piano and the trumpets fall on the on1 and the 5.
Examples of moves in both- crossbody lead on 1 then on 2 and so on would help a ton
Hey Jake, we go into full detail breakdowns of every move, both on1 and on2, in our online salsa course if you're interested: thedancedojo.com
thanks a bunch for watching! -Robin
Thank q for your sharing and educating, i learn salsa from my friends, and in my places there were no salsa teacher so this teaching lesson help us to know better, hopefully someday we can learn from salsa teacher.
You're super welcome! Glad the video could help. Keep that attitude of learning however you can and you'll go far :) -Robin
sounds like a proper explanation, I bet u'r good at teaching anything you like Robin. Thanks very much for your videos!!
That's really nice of you to say Carlos, thanks a lot! Hope it could help you a little :) -Robin
A good summary. I enjoy dancing PR On2, NY On2 and On1. I switch depending on the music or the partners preference. I consider NY Salsa On2 to be a hybrid of On1/On2. Although they both break On2, Salsa On2 steps on the "1" but Mambo/Puerto Rico On2 does not step on the "1" beat.
Thanks for sharing that. It confirms what I believed Puerto Rican to be, since I haven't had the opportunity to visit and the info on the internet is often not so reliable. I didn't want to get into too many details in this video about different ways to dance on 2 and the timing of all the styles, but I might make another one going deeper into that. Thanks for watching and your comment! 🙌🏽🙏 - Robin
So to confirm, PR On2 is to beats 2-3-4, 6-7-8 yes? Do you also refer to that as "power 2" or what do you call it? Curious to know if there are other names out there.
@@thedancedojo Yes, PR On2 to beats 234, 678 aka "Power 2". I call it PR style or Mambo because that is how dancers in PR and the Palladium Era dance it. Some use "mambo" and "on2" interchangeably but others don't consider stepping on the 1 to be mambo. Hence "Salsa On2" is a better description of NY style.
@@thedancedojo Check out some of the social dancing in the videos on my channel. I dance all over PR. Most dancers here are capable of different styles/timings but PR style is predominant especially among old school dancers.
@@puertoricosalsa great summary, really appreciate it Mike! I'll definitely check our your channel and if I head to PR I'll hit you up 🙌🏽
Fantastic video! Such a fulfilling answer to the difference between On 1 and On2
So glad it helped Haritha! Thanks a ton. Just trying to share the info that would have helped me when I started :) -robin
This is very well done. I'm going to show this to my students.
That means a lot Joe, thanks for watching man! 🙏🏽 -Robin
Really nice explanation! I’ll add just one little side note. As far as I know, Eddie Torres genuinely invented the NY “break on 2” style (NY On2). He didn’t merely popularize it. And, yes, it is a hybrid. It was back in the early 1980s, roughly 1983, according to my memory of his own postings on his old web site that no longer exist. There was a Salsa surge around the States in the late 1970s (I was there) - which overlapped with the ongoing Hustle fad, which I'm told is why and when Salsa was transformed from the primarily sideways movement of classic Mambo (on the 'slow') to the primarily forward-backward movement of Hustle and therefore modern Salsa. Then in NYC it died out almost completely, as fads tend to do - huger in NYC than other places, and then deader than anywhere else. Eddie was just coming into the now dead, non-existent NY scene then, loved the music that was still being played here and there, and self-taught based on fragments that he saw and heard about and asked the "old timers" about, because there really wasn’t anyone around to teach him. What he happened to come up with for the basic footwork pattern/structure was a hybrid of break-on-1 (1,2,3 _ 5,6,7 _) and the original Mambo that breaks on 2 (2,3,4 _ 6,7,8 _). And it turns out, it works really well, as its popularity shows. Which just goes to show how flexibly we can dance to this music.
He taught folks in NYC, and since he was pretty much the only one teaching, it eventually became really popular and dominant in NYC. And then it spread wider as his students became teachers and some of them moved to other locales.
I personally am a pretty bad dancer of Eddie's NY On2 because I learned classic Mambo and On1 first and my muscles are just too habituated. Eventually I hope to get it. But I'm totally into giving full credit where credit is due.
As far as I know, it’s one of only two partner dance styles in the world where we can actually point to the exact one person who invented it. (The other is an interesting and easy-to-learn style of Waltz created by Richard Powers at Stanford University's huge and excellent social dance program in California.)
Thanks for all that background info Ken. I heard Eddie learned the timing from a ballroom instructor and then he went on to popularize it. I don't know that ballroom instructor's name though. This was info passed on to me by Patrick Moriarity, our head salsa instructor at Dance Dojo so I'm not sure what his source was. Any inaccuracies are my own and not his! -Robin
@@thedancedojo Interesting, but probably false. (Maybe spread by a ballroom studio, heh.) At the time, Ballroom was only teaching classic Mambo, exactly as they had been since the huge Mambo craze around 1954-55 - 'hold' or no step on 1, break on 2,3, sideways step (slow) on 4, 'hold' (no step) on 1. Counted out loud as "two three FOUR [one], two three FOUR [one]" with the "one" called very quietly or not at all. (I was there.) Even the ballroom studios that advertised "Salsa" simply taught classic Mambo but said "Salsa" for marketing. While a rare few taught Break on 1 style. Afaik, no one taught Eddie's style because why would they, it simply didn't exist. Again, afaik, Eddie invented it from scratch, being self-taught during a dead time. But I guess the easiest way to confirm would be to ask Eddie himself.
@@ken_4860 Interesting. yeah you got it. going to the source is always best!
@@thedancedojo You are right Eddie didn't really invent the On2, he promoted it. Eddie Torres teamed up with a ballroom mambo instructor, June LaBerta, who encouraged him to put counts to his dancing, to name his steps, and to come up with a syllabus: an endeavor he compares to “science and poetry coming together” (Torres 2003). It was she who helped him to come up with his famous “on 2” counting system by putting his basic step to a musical count. Aided by his new understanding of music and dance theory, Torres taught mambo classes
@@BeSalsa Kevin thanks so much for chiming in! Do have a source by chance?
Super I am now very clear about dancing on 1 or 2
Many thanks Singapore
My pleasure Joseph, so happy it could help :) -robin
I'm a classic mambo dancer from NY. Most of the old timers like myself prefer the classic style because it allows us to fill the music, I tried the Eddie Torres style which is popular in DC, and in Baltimore, MD they prefer on the one-beat. Whereas while dancing in Puerto Rico the I found the older dancer appreciated the classic Mambo style. There a club I use to frequent in NY called Windows over Harlem and you will see the older dancer doing classic mambo steps.
Absolutely, you just have to dance how you feel the music!
@@thedancedojo Sorry for typo, my AI spell checker got excited, while discussing Mambo, I meant "feel the music."
don't worry. im way ahead of the robots! 😎
@@thedancedojo Here's the way I danced in the Bronx, I recall we are big on the classic back breaking, even when I danced at the Copa, and Wild Palms, etc, this is typical:
th-cam.com/video/ntJqbQIc2yo/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/2FvCtTuJrrU/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/rVKauDzcFhg/w-d-xo.html
@@thedancedojo Here's dancing on 2 Puerto Rican style it's similar to Eddie Torres on 2. When I danced with older dancer the classic mambo steps work well, but then I had to realize the younger crowd follow's Eddie Torres.
th-cam.com/video/KzIYXzbfEyk/w-d-xo.html
Back to Orchard Beach, Bronx, NY: The band Tipica 73, music genre Charanga notice the flute.
th-cam.com/video/JA-rziuGfuI/w-d-xo.html
Here another look at old style Puerto Rican Salsa, the guy is smooth, this is the style I prefer and movement, I combine this with my Classic mambo steps; always study the old timers from the heart and not choregraph:
th-cam.com/video/ioVD04Bb8dE/w-d-xo.html
This is outstanding. As a new Salsa dancer I've been grappling with this. Awesome material. I'm taking careful notes on all of this. 👍👍
Glad it can help, I know it's a confusing topic. I just posted a new article on the website that goes into even more depth if you're interested: thedancedojo.com/salsa-timing-on1-on2-on3/
@@thedancedojo You DA MAN!!
@@alexplotkin3368 thanks my man! -robin
Hi Robin, great video! Two questions. What stops people from dancing to instruments but on1? Is it impossible or just not common? Second question: can I take any on2 sequence and just "shift" the timing to dance it on1? Or will I have to modify it (add some back break in between, etc) to make it work for on1?
Hey Konstantin, thanks!
1) The timing the instruments are played on allows more of them line up with On2 timing - that's why On2 was the original timing that people danced mambo to in the Palladium era (before On1 existed). For example, the slaps of the conga are on 2 and 6, which are the break steps for On2. Yes the conga player hits the conga on other counts, but it just doesn't accent the On1 timing as perfectly as On2. For On1, the instrument that accents the timing the best is the cow bell (campana), which accents 1-3-5-7. On1 was created later, and I need to get the story straight on how it evolved before I share any info on that.
A fantastic explanation. Thank you! It would really be helpful to hear music with the description to connect the concept to practice. So many videos about Salsa dancing and musicality do not include music. Is there a reason for this?
I just didn't want to make the video so long. I mostly wanted to explain the counts with reference to the steps. In this video I show the salsa timings with instruments: th-cam.com/video/CA4ah3AkFuc/w-d-xo.html&themeRefresh=1 -robin
@@thedancedojo this is great! Thank you!
@@thomasscotto my pleasure Tom! glad you enjoyed
Wow bro, you are good. Smooth, relaxed but precise at the same time.
Thanks!
Great video guys, and tons of appreciation for giving context as well ^^
Thanks Alex, really glad you liked it 🙌 -robin
Woah i'm impressed! Definitely subscribed
Thanks Mari! 😀🙌🏽 -Robin
Excellent your explanation
Joseph Spore
Thanks Joseph, glad you found it helpful! -robin
SALSA? WITH ALL DUE RESPECT... LA CLAVE IS THE SECRET. THE CREATORS NEWYORICANS, PUERTO RICANS, JIBAROS, AND THE INFLUENCE OF LATIN JAZZ. PERIOD! I LIVED IT!
Ok boomer
In your opinion lol
Thank you for the explanation. I share this video with friends!!!
Super appreciate that Francisco! glad you liked it. -Robin
Such a good explanation, thank you!
glad you liked it thanks!
Great explanation, however…as I’m a visual + aural learner, can you include music against the step placement?
Thanks Renaye! Hard to include everything here but we have deeper breakdowns in our online course, if it interests you (free 7 day trial, no credit card) thedancedojo.com -robin
just like to add that classical Son timing is NOT ON 2 as implied in this video. It's on 4 (and 8). That's where the emphasis is. If you want to define it according to where the breaking is, yes 2 and 6, but you need to mention that steps fall on 2-3-4,6-7-8, aka contratiempo.
Hence while on2-dancers can dance Son rhythm (contratiempo), so can everybody else (like the on1 people) if they please to learn it. Either one will need to shift their steps back one beat.
Yea, when I refer to timing I'm referring to the break step - I prefer it because it's a constant. I'm aware that some people talk about son as on4.
On 1 rulez !!!
ON 1 for ever!!!
@@ΚωσταςΒασιλειου-π3ν and ever!
Great tutorial as always. Your channel is by far the most useful I have come across, and I wish I had had this to help me out when I was beginning salsa many years ago. Well done! When I transitioned to mambo, it took me a while to figure out what was creating the real difference between the two basic steps. Had I seen this vid back then, the mystery would have been solved.
One minor tip, it would help if the dancers doing the quick-quick-slow demo would count out loud. As it is, they are almost entirely skipping the 4 and 8 so their slow step is barely any longer than the quick ones. That makes the different feel to the dances virtually invisible. I did the same for many years, which was a major reason I had a hard time figuring out the difference.
Thanks man really appreciate the comment. I agree there could be some improvements. Decided to take what footage I had and try to make it work just got get it out for you guys. I'll keep it in mind for next time. Glad to hear you now get to explore both the on1 and on2 worlds. If you run into any noobies who this would help it'd mean a ton if you shared it with them. Thank you again! -Robin
@@thedancedojo Will definitely do that, especially since so many schools don't teach all this useful info but rather just focus on pattern after pattern.
@@CaptainFutureman Can't tell you how much that means 🙏🏽 -Robin
Claro que gostei,amo salsa.Beijinho
Obrigado! -Robin
Lacks a demonstration with music. Still cannot comprehend yet
Check this one out (focus on on1 vs on2 for "a tiempo timing"): th-cam.com/video/CA4ah3AkFuc/w-d-xo.html
@@thedancedojo okay thanks.
You're a beast. Thank you for this !
My pleasure amigo! glad you enjoyed. -Robin
Very Good Explanation with full details.
Thanks Deepak 🙏🙏
Outstanding Explanation!!! TY
Thanks so much, glad it was helpful! -Robin
Excelente explicación
me alegra que te ayudó! -robin
With Colombian I feel I’m dancing ON2 I use the same counts. For example the kick basic is always with the left for the guys
I'm not saying it's not possible, just that it's not typical. As far as I've seen, and I lived in Colombia for a year, the default for colombian style salsa is On1 -Robin
This video was great but I still don't know what beat I dance on lol. I dance socially with family and friends, very well. But I was invited to a "social" in NY once and couldn't dance with a single person. It was super weird. I was following but somehow we were offbeat from one another. I also know I dance circular and they were dancing linear. I am Puerto Rican btw, but I don't think I dance like NY Puerto Ricans.
haha I know what you mean. Growing up and dancing with friends and going to dance schools and socials can be 2 different worlds. I wrote an article about different styles, link below. there's also a link in the article which takes you to another about timing in case it interests you. maybe itll help you identify your timing! thedancedojo.com/salsa-styles/-robin
great video! greetings from argentina :)
Thanks for watching! Saludos desde Medellín! -Robin
Styles was a thing back in 80s. Because of the fact the students of those instructors have moved around the world. La stlye, NY style, PR style is a fusion. There's nothing like that today. I can do lots of dips in NY doesn't mean I'm an la style dancer over NY. I could dance the same way I dance in NY as in PR. Doesn't mean I'm dancing PR style...
Agreed
Would have been good to have seen (or heard) this with music. :)
Thanks for the feedback! I'll probably do another video on timing in the future. I've been doing a deeper dive lately and just wrote a new article on the site if you're interested: thedancedojo.com/salsa-timing-on1-on2-on3/ (I'll be adding videos to the article in the near future) -Robin
I'm still confused lol... I think it would've helped me to compare the two with the same song instead of a muted video
I figured dancing at speed would have been too mich to absorb. but you're right, maybe some slow music or a counting song would have been helpful to add. Thanks! -robin
I live in socal. I have no idea how I would break the habit of stepping on 1 (which I’ve been doing for 8-10 years now)
Slowly, with consistent practice, a dash of frustration and lots of patience.
@@thedancedojo would you say on 2 dancers feel the music in a different way? Or do they just train their feet to be 1 count back?
@@joerouth6255 everyone feels something a bit different. The richness is learning how each timing aligns with different instruments. on1 isnt better or worse than on2 they're just diff eays to connect with the music depensing on what you hear and want to show. -robin
Love it! Thank you!
Thanks Juliette! Glad you enjoyed it -Robin
It seems to me that some shmack some time ago couldn't count properly and when asked, he replied : "oh, I'm just dancing on two". You know, like american imperial vs metric ))
Haha, there's a little more to it than than, but i feel you.
Thank you!
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed! -robin
Great video!
thanks! -Robin
this was excllent
Thanks, really glad it was helpful! - robin
Great explanation
Thank Javier!
But, is it possible to jump between the 1 and 2 salsa? introduce some air and skip to the other? Would not it expand our expressive possibilities?
if you're dancing alone you can do whatever you want. if you're dancing with a partner you should pick one and stick with it. -robin
Ooh, so Im guessing any time I feel like the lead is off beat by 1 and Im having trouble follwiing he must be an on2 person then, since everything Ive learned has me stepping back on the 1.
if you're not sure, you could always just ask the lead too :)
@thedancedojo we don't always speak the same language, and it's often too loud to talk, but yeah. ;)
Or that person just can’t dance…bad timing
I still don’t know what I dance on, I never learned how to count when dancing. I just dance to the rhythm. I guess that lacks structure, not sure. But I learned dancing salsa from family parties & such.
That's really normal, at least for latinos, so I'm not surprised. Once you go to a dance school you'll have to put counts to that feeling you have. We all start at different places, but if you keep learning eventually we all learn about counts and instruments. -Robin
@@thedancedojo thank you so much!
Counts are just a point of reference for when you make a particular step… I only dance on 1 it’s not that deep for me I know how to move in time to-any music learning salsa for me was just about learning what do when the lead gives a particular signal
thkq v much
Thanks for watching! -Robin
Clave for Salsa on 1 is 3/2? and for Salsa on 2 is 2/3?
There is no such thing as an on1 or on2 salsa song. You can dance to any song on any timing you like. Musicians don't think of dancers when they make music. And a song might be 2/3 clave or 3/2 clave - you can dance any timing for either. No rules! Just do what feels best and learn as much as you can as you go. -robin
I have been trying to learn Cuban Timba and was so confused by the beat and changes between phrases. I was dancing each phrase and some were 10, 11, 8 and 14 so I never knew when to change the steps from one phrase to another. Upsetting as my brain is not learning to change direction at the right time ? Now I have a jumbled sequence. When do you change steps between each phrase in a sequence ?
Hey Gaye. I'm not 100% sure on which part is confusing you but in general, in salsa, you can change steps whenever you want - as long as you finish the current 8 count you can change on the 1 beat. Does that help? i'm not sure what you've learned. -Robin
I have a Cuban Timba teacher so she changes the timing of the steps at different times. I am used to learning sequences in Calenan salsa which was easy on 2 as we learnt scores as phrases on clave. I also learnt Cuban son. I dance samba no pe to the music and percussion at different speeds which is also fine. I am a trained dancer. The current teacher seems to make it up as she couldn’t explain what she was doing . I wanted to know where the breaks are and changes so I can follow on step in time. At the moment I am missing the changes as I don’t know when she is going to change so am 1 or 2 beats and steps behind. I need to hear the beat, then break it down first into steps and mark the breaks with claps on the change.
Hi, a girl told me that I wasn’t dancing correctly. She was dancing on 1 and I was dancing on 2. What should I do in this case?
as the lead you need to dance to a timing that the follow knows, and adjust to her. did you k ow you're dancing on 2? if so thats fine, you can learn on 1. if you dont know what timing you're dancing on look for my finding the beat playlist here on youtube to improve your awareness of musoc and timing. its great to know both on1 and on2. you can also try our online course free for a week. link in description. -robin
You rock!
Thanks miss! 😁 -Robin
If you have friends who dance cuban salsa, and you only know on2...do you have to learn cuban as a whole different dance? Or, is there ways to adapt to that style, even if it is basic?
You can adapt to cuban salsa once you adjust to the timing/style differences. I originally danced NYon2 but adapted to PR salsa and on1. Its not a whole different dance but you'll express it in a different way.
like Mambo Mike said, the ideas and concepts transfer, but cuban is stylistically different so you'll have to learn and experience those differences to see for yourself. Most importantly, be able to adjust to on1 timing if that's what they're dancing on.
Finding the beat - playlist?
Hey Robin, tried to find your playlist 'finding the beat' on Spotify.. but failed... Is there anything public to dive deeper?
Here's the playlist link: open.spotify.com/playlist/0ehSX7enYlCA3copkp0zDb
-Robin
@@thedancedojo awesome buddy :)) thanks alot!!! and a happy new year
If you srep on 123 567 you are still dancing to the tiempo and therefore on1. Braking on2 is not the same as dancing on 2. Breaking on2 is breaking on2. On 2 you dance to the contratiemp of the music which is on 234 678. The layback and smooth feeling and the connection to the music you are talking about is only in your mind. He does not know what he is talking about if he thinks that Eddie Torres style is on2.
Dancing on 2 means you break on2 and 6. Yes you can dance on2 to contratiempo 2-3-4, 6-7-8 and you can also dance it "a tiempo" to 1-2-3, 5-6-7. when dancing "a tiempo" to 1-2-3, 5-6-7 you have two options: dance on1 or dance on2 the way eddie torres taught it. I explain in more depth on IG here instagram.com/p/CTSXz4nJ7p-/? -Robin
@@thedancedojo we dance to the beat of the musical instruments. You do not dance on 2 on the tiempo of the music. If you step on 1 3 5 7 you are still dancing on1. Any knowledgeable instructor knows that ET style " on2" is on1. Yout really do not know what you are talking about if you think that you can dance on2 by stepping on the 1 3 5 7. Again, and I am repeating myself, on2 you step on the 2 4 6 and 8 which goes with the congas, and therefore dancing to the beat of the congas. The 1 3 5 7 is the tiempo of the music and goes with the cowbell, the piano, and the singer. If you want to dance with the congas step on the 2 4 6 and 8, which is the contratiempo and you can say you are dancing on2
Hi Robin, did u say that on 2 , you actually step the 1step on beat 2? meaning u dance on 2.3.4 then 6.7.8 . And there is a section the video shows the mambo on 1.2.3. ..5.6.7. Is this style still on 2 ? Or if you must always step on 2.3.4...6. 7. 8.. (like on 1 is always 1st step on beat 1 )
The first step is always beat 1, when you dance On1 or On2 to modern mambo timing (the 1 is just not the break step). That said, yes there are different ways to dance On2. 2-3-4, 6-7-8 is classic/original mambo timing and 1-2-3, 5-6-7 is modern mambo timing, popularized by eddie torres (both work fine!). Classic mambo timing doesn't step on the 1 or 5. -Robin
@@thedancedojo mmmm well if 123, 567 is fine for dancing on 2, I don't see the point of it. You mentioned before as have others that the conga is commonly on 2 and 6 for the accent, so yes stepping and starting the basic pattern which is step, step, step, pause - but starting on 2 and 6 would match that part of the conga pattern.
But if you are dancing 123, 567 that sounds like just dancing on 1. Maybe a different foot goes forward instead of backward, but that is not worth noting in terms of the idea of on 2, lining up with the instruments.
Even if it arranged where the break step is on 2 and 6, hardly any dancers are going to have an amount of musical and percussion knowledge to get benefit from this as matching the conga - which by the way is often hard to pick out as it is played more softly or covered by many other instruments, and often only has the accent on 2 and not on 6. IMHO
I do have on question. If I lead 234, 678, do I typically do "setups/preps" on 234, and travel on 678 or do I typically setup/prep on 678 and travel on 234. I am , to be clear, talking about 234, 678 in the music being played. How do I pair my setups and travels when dancing on 2?
Neither one makes a difference if the lead is not heeding to the music 😐 Musicality is paramount to good dancing but so often neglected
What's the point of the lead stepping back on 2 and not forward on 2? it's still going to be on 2
Agreed. And that's just the way eddie torres popularized it. it's a convention. there are places/people that break forward on2. Puerto rico is an example. Nothing wrong with it! -robin
Explanation is great, but the dancers really seem to dance the slow step far too quickly… o.O
Are you watching the steps to music? I don't think I showed steps to music in this video so you wouldn't be able to judge the timing. -Robin
Could you explain what is the “sticato” thing?
Think of it as feeling quicker/sharper movement
What is the definition of a “slow” count and a “quick” count?
A "quick" is a step that takes 1 beat. A slow is a step that takes 1 beat and then his held for 1 more (2 beats total). For example, when dancing salsa On 1 you step on the 1 (quick), 2 (quick), and then step on the 3 and hold it for the 4th beat (making it "slow"). So that's why you hear people count "1-2-3, 5-6-7" (because those are the counts you step on) and the counts you're holding (4 and 8) are often not spoken out loud, but they exist. You will also hear people say "quick-quick-slow" to describe the rhythm and now you know why. does that make more sense now? -Robin
Cuban style is either on1 or on5 :)
Agreed. On1 and on5 are basically the same thing musically so I just said on1 :)
@@thedancedojo actually, I don’t think Cuban style is either On1 or On5, Cubans do not need to count to be able to dance; I think the on1, on2, etc appeared to help people to dance on the music, but if you already dance on the music like Cubans I guess that doesn’t matter anymore 😃. I am not Cuban by the way.
@@RoSs0nErI85 Sure you're totally right that someone can dance on any beat they want but regardless of what timing the person is dancing on it can still be identified by a number. That's how music works, it has timing and counts. If it didn't, the musicians couldn't create music together. -robin
Great explanation, Robin! You can't imagine how much stuff I had to watch before I found you, and only now I understand...
So, one question. Is it true that to some music/songs On2 fits better, and to some songs - on1? If yes, could you please make a video later illustrating which timing is better to choose for which music (assuming that I master both on1 and on2 so that I could freely choose depending on the song)?
I could be mistaken with my theory though haha
Glad you found me Maryam, and thanks so much! That is a great question and I originally thought along the same lines as you are now, with each song usually connecting better to one timing or the other, at least some of the time. However as I've observed more, and learned more I personally feel that the answer to this question becomes quite personal. There will be people who say things must be a certain way or things definitely fit better a certain way, but ultimately dance is flexible and creative, and the beauty of that is each person brings their own experience and can make their own decisions and develop their own preferences (each getting better, or more refined, as one gets more educated). Long story short, technically you can dance to any song On1 or On2 and I also believe that neither is wrong, it's a personal choice. I also believe you can dance a style like cuban, which is typically danced On1, to On2 as well. Once you learn how to dance both timings, and learn how each connects to the music, you'll likely feel drawn to dance one more than the other to a specific song. And I'm certain that will also change as you go along (it did for me at least).
So, the choice and freedom is all on you. Learn both, experiment, experience, have fun and see what happens :) -Robin
You are amazing, Robin! 💜 my best wishes for 2020 to you! May you enjoy every moment of it!👑
@@Scarlett1351 Happy new year to you as well!
lol i had same question too, i used to dance on one, just that i found out the on1 folks keep playing same music after a while became so boring, i.e. there are millions salsa songs out there which they haven't played..something is wrong fundamentally so .., i started to learn on2 and did not disappoint at all. just be aware that the footwork is much faster more improvisation vs fixed patterns because the music is so much richer and posh and yet some tunes are very meditative ..i find on2 musics enlightening, hope that helps
2 years later I am watching this video again, now I dance salsa NY style and I love it with my whole heart, and I can tell I understand so much more in this video XD In 2020 I had really zero idea of what Robin was saying, but I remember it was December 31st, New Years eve and Robin answered my comment right away XDD hahaha I think you really gotta travel, go to congresses, festivals, meet people, and only then you will grasp the difference, because it is barely possible to understand by just watching, you gotta try. Sending much love from Luxembourg
I dont even know if i am dancing on 1 or 2 🤔only thing i know is that i was thought cuba but am struggeling sometimes with LA dancers
if you're break steps (forward/back) are on the 1 and the 5, you're dancing on1. If you're break steps are on the 2 and the 6 you're dancing on2. If you're not sure how to find the beat this playlist will help: th-cam.com/play/PLzGRdLHrtfBwCPD27hvxH8uvx0pA3ovxM.html - robin
It's hard to see for a newbie. Would have been better to see it from the same side (lead on the left of the screen) and possibly side by side on the counts...
ill be doin more videos on timing soon
How can one 1 feel faster than on 2. - other than in an imagination - or if I am not stepping actually on time with the counts - which is the whole idea or dance counting to match music counting?
It is clear that each count is the same length - like seconds on a clock. It is uniform like inches on a ruler. So - on the seconds - if I tap my hand on the table on seconds 123 , on four nothing, tap 567 with the seconds , on 8 nothing , then it is the SAME speed whether I tap with my right hand, left hand, from an angle, from a small height, from a large height.
It depends on what move you're doing, and you can have more time because of where the slow count lies in the basic step. Dancing on1, if you do the first three steps of the cross body lead your weight is on your 3 in just 3 beats. If you dance on2 and do the first three steps of the cross body lead starting on 6 and ending on 1, that's four beats. Make sense? -Robin
Great
glad u enjoyed!
I'm confused. You said "if dancing on 1, the slow happens right before your break (then) step. " You also aid, "when dancing on 2 (break on 2), the slow comes right after your break (then) step, which is the opposite on dancing on 1." Isn't the S for both dancing on 1 or dancing on 2 the 3rd step, actually 3/4 or 7/8 in dancing on 1, and 4/5 or 8/1, when dancing on 2? So in my mind, the pattern is always QQS and the slow happens after the break step? Am I missing something?
Hey Jerry, when you say the slow is on 4/5 and 8/1 you're talking about dancing on2 to counts 2-3-4, 6-7-8 (aka classic mambo or power 2 timing) . I'm talking about dancing on2 to counts 1-2-3, 5-6-7 (the style eddie torres popularized), which uses the same counts as on1. In this case, since both On1 and On2 are danced to the same counts, the "Slow" is on the same counts: 3/4. The reason the slow count moves to a different part of the basic is because you're breaking on different counts On1 vs On2. Make sense? -Robin
I’m probably still confused. Yes, I learned classic mambo timing, so you are correct about the timing I wrote. The way I dance “on 2”, I start by going back with my left foot on the first beat as a slow, then break back on 2 with my right foot as a quick, then step in place with my left foot as a quick. Is that the same as the Eddie Torres method? Just talking slows (S) and quicks (Q), are the breaks always Q Q, and the anchor a S?
@@JSDJerry the reason I think you're confused is because you're talking about classic mambo timing but in the video I don't explain classic mambo timing or where the slow count likes within it. With classic mambo timing you step exactly how you explained on 2-3-4, 6-7-8 while holding the 1 and 5. So based on what you said, the classic mambo timing would be the following: step back on your left on count 8 (holding 1 which makes it slow), break back on your Right foot on 2 (quick), step forward on 3 with your left (quick), etc. And No, this is not Eddie Torres' method of dancing on2. Eddie torres' method is this (for the lead): start by stepping back on the left foot on 1 (quick), break back on the right foot on 2 (quick), step on your left on 3 and hold the 4th beat (slow); step right foot on 5 (quick), break forward on left foot on 6 (quick), step back on right foot on 7 and hold the 8th beat (slow) - this is the eddie torres method that you're seeing in the video. The difference is that Eddie torres' method steps on 1 and 5, whereas in classic mambo you don't step on the 1 and 5 - instead you're holding them as your "slow" counts. Does that help?
@@thedancedojo thanks. It does help
@@JSDJerry Great to hear! Thanks for watching 😀🙏
Good video overall. However, I'm not sure if I agree with you on the reason why On1 feel different than On2 and vice versa. That is, On1 feels "faster" as you stated. IMHO the feel differ in that most leaders try to finish the dance in sync with the completion of the song or phrase and generally with the end of a turn or pattern. Because 8 is a non stepping beat technically the song ends while both the follower and leader feet are mid way in the air in travel to beat 1 step. However, we know that leaders rush and followers follow the leader to finish the turn and/or pattern by the 8 so that the dance (really turn and/or pattern) ends when the song does. Therefore, On1 dancers are trimming 1 beat out (of the turn/pattern) to sync up their finish with the song. Hell, I even do this when I'm dancing On1. It doesn't look as nice when the music (or phrase) stops and you have one more beat to fully execute the turn/pattern. On2 turns and patterns should generally end (comes out) on the 5 unless the follower is extremely super advanced and can execute turn(s) starting on the 6 or 6&. When the turn/pattern is complete in On2, you have 3 beats in the song and 2 beats stepping left; assuming beat 5 is part of the turn/pattern. All you have to do is some fanfare, accentuation, and easily do something fancy with the remaining beats to end with the song's crescendo...no rush or fast feel. The best way to experience this is to dance the same song On1 and On2. Given how fancy On1 dancers want to be I'm surprised they didn't adopt On2 from the onset. They would have so much more time to really do a grand crescendo. One more thing, all the instruments play on the same beat during the entirety of the song. Unless there's some improvising going on, which in studio recorded songs improvising is rare. Having said that you can attached your dancing to any instrument whether On1 or On2; whatever the person feels most connected to during different time throughout the song.
Thanks for sharing that. Everyone will have their own experience of how it feels for sure. I actually cut out the part where I was going to mention the time you have for turning, as I realized it's probably a little too far into the nitty gritty for most people. It's cool you brought it up though. Anyway, appreciate your comment and thanks for watching! -Robin
Hi Robin
You say in video that on2 is danced on same counts as on1 Eddie Torres style i,e 1-2-3 ,. 5-6-7 , but in the video you then showcase that the lead is going forward on 6 and back on 2 ( break steps ) how is that possible , the count would then be 6-7-8, 2-3-4 and not 1-2-3 , 5-6-7
Hey Muzammil, thanks for watching! 2-3-4, 6-7-8 is classic mambo timing (the original timing), but modern mambo (what Eddie Torres popularized) is danced to the same counts as On1: 1-2-3, 5-6-7.
If you want to get a more complete history and breakdown, sign-up for the 2 weeks free of our entire salsa course which we're offering right now, go to the Skills & Technique area and do the module on "Ways to Dance On2" - it will break down all the different ways and the history for you: thedancedojo.com/product/salsa-2-week-guest-pass/
Hope you enjoy! Robin
ET New York style still on1. That is a better explanation. Braking on 2 is not dancing on2. Braking on2 is braking on2. Sorry for the tautology. .
Porque todos los comentarios estan en ingles si el titulo del video esta en español??
El original es inglés y está traducido a español -robin
what do you mean by beat of the bar? where are those bars and beats? also, how do I know when 1 is, it all repeats itself periodically, so why not any moment can be considered as 1 and start counting from there...?
I created a whole mini course to explain all of the answers to your questions: th-cam.com/play/PLzGRdLHrtfBwCPD27hvxH8uvx0pA3ovxM.html (Week 1 will be most directly helpful to answer those questions!) -Robin
@@thedancedojo thank you! Feels like I need to know the music theory just to to figure out where the bloody '2' is, before starting mambo. Subscribed.
How can you call yourself a dojo when your center is way off on 1 or on 2 its way crazy might as well get me a frappe from McDonald's with yalls timings
hahahahah this was a great comment. thank you
I’m dumb so I wished you had used the exact same dancers from the same angle, then maybe I could see it better. You switched the dancers around which makes everything double opposite. Lol. I told you I’m dumb. Lol
Hahah, good thing you can stop and watch it again in slow motion. You'll absorb it with a few more views :) -robin
If dancing together ON the beat, that is is already an accomplishment for any couple dancers. WOuld you dance bachata on 2?
I am only aware of bachata on1. Thanks for watching Miguel! -Robin
Dance Dojo in the Dominican Republic they dance Bachatta on many beats there is no on one concept, in the states the “one one” to use salsa terms is due a lot I believe due to urban and sensual bachatta popular in the states
@@jakemf1 I won't comment any further on Bachata timing since I've never spent time in DR nor have I deeply explored the roots of bachata or it's timing. All I can say is that the global norm is to teach it with the first step on the 1 beat and that's what Harold and Regan (7x world champions) are teaching in our online lessons. You may very well be right but It's beyond me.
you can dance dominican bachata on any beat, but the standard for modern or sensual bachata is on1
@@stupot295 Thanks Stuart! I look forward to learning more about the roots and history of bachata. -Robin
So another words there more people in the world dancing on one then on two
I would say so, yes
Yeap on 1 its less challenging to the Beginniners . On one the dance looks rushed. On 2 the dance looks more smoorh & elegant. On one ur not dancing to the beat of the Conga, on 2 you are and thats how it should be
To be clear this wasn't a post about what's better but im glad you found your favourite! Dancing On2 Contratiempo to 234-678 feels like dancing On1 and thats the original mambo timing so be aware :) -Robin
@@thedancedojo lol. Well on 2 looks way more stylish cause it is and it feels like it 2. Ive done both 😎
Hello Robin how are you I live in Miami I love salsa and I dance salsa I went to school for a whole year to learn how to dance Rumba guaguancó changüich Columbia jlambo so I basically try to go to every single salsa Congress in the world for about a week if I go to New York of course everybody dances on 2 if I go to Chicago Boston a lot of people dance on one Washington d.c. the majority of the people than someone if I had down to Miami everybody dances on one because it's my hometown we danced casino LA California San Diego people dance on one if we go to Cuba everybody dances on one if we go to Puerto Rico everybody dances on one if we go to Dominican Republic everybody dances on one if we go to Colombia everybody dances on one if we go to Venezuela everybody dances on one if we go to Peru everybody dances on one if we go to Panama everybody dances on one now let's go to Europe let's start with Spain everybody dances on one because timba is so big in Spain if we go to Italy everybody dances on one if we go to Russia everybody dances on one if we go to Germany everybody dances on one if we go to France everybody dances on one so I'm not going to take anymore time so in other words there more people in the world dancing on one then I'm too my mother is Brazilian my father is Cuban we love our African roots if I take a pair of Conga to a salsa school and I just played play coga and I tell a students to dancer to this music rhythm they will totally be lost because they have no African Roots where everything started without Africa there's no music without rhythm there's no soul and of course there's no feelings
Sounds like you've travelled a lot! My experience is that most people dance on1 as well, but you'll find people who can dance on2 everywhere as well, normally there's just less of them. You don't need African or Latin roots necessarily, just a teacher that can explain the rhythms and timing to you in a clear way. -Robin