Are you an On1 Salsa dancer wanting to switch to dancing On2 salsa timing? In this article I will give you some of my simply tricks to make your transition smoother and easier.
Many people consider dancing On2 harder than dancing On1. I think there is truth to that statement, especially in the beginning of your dance career. What makes dancing On1 easier, in my opinion, is that in the beginning as you learn to count the music it is often easier to recognize the first beat of the music and therefore emphasize it. Often the singer in a salsa song begins singing in the beginning of the phrase of the music on the count one. In many salsa songs the core beats 1,3,5, and 7 are emphasized very heavily with instruments like the cow bell, which makes dancing On1 and emphasizing the 1st and 5th beat of the music often much easier.
However, once you actually learn to count the music, in my opinion, it becomes very easy to dance both On1 and On2. And if you are already dancing On1 switching to dancing On2 salsa timing can be very easy. Here is why.
Once you learn to recognize the first beat of the music, you simply have to switch your steps and practice emphasizing the second and sixth beat of the music instead. The way I switched from dancing On1 to dancing On2 literally almost over night was simply recognizing the first beat of the music in a song, taking my step in place and then stepping forward on the second beat of the music.
For many, the hardest part in learning to dance salsa is often learning to count the music and recognizing the rhythm, but once you have learned to count the music, it becomes very easy for you to dance On1 or On2. Think about it, there are thousands of beginner dancers who mastered On2 dancing in New York or Puerto Rico from the beginning. There is no reason why you could not do it too, especially if you already know how to count the music. Simply make a mental note on which way you want to dance to the music and just practice your On2 steps over and over again. Even the same complicated turn patterns that you have learned On1 will soon become easy to execute them On2.
Of course there is something to be said about your habits and your ability to be adaptable to change. For example, just a while ago on a salsa club I tried to dance with a great follower on breaking forward on the fifth beat of the music (RicaSalsa style). And although I consider myself being able to switch from dancing LA style (On1) to New York style (On2) and vice versa fairly easily, as I was intending to step forward on the fifth beat and back on the first beat of the music I found myself on several occasions stepping forward on the sixth and back on the second beat of the music instead (dancing New York Style salsa).
But I believe at this point I could easily be able to switch to emphasizing the fifth beat of the music also with just practice. If you think about the ballroom dancers, they master many different dance types and have to be able to switch from one form to another in an instant. In the end it is practice that makes the difference.
For some additional help, there are also many software programs that allows you to breaks down the different instruments and rhythms that can be very helpful for increase your understanding of the different salsa rhythms. Obviously, salsa DVD’s, taking group and private classes will always be very helpful to develop you as a dancer whether you dance On1 or On2 or both.
And there you have it, some of my simply tips to switch from dancing On1 to On2 salsa timing.
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