Salsa City Forum » Salsa Music and Dance » Dancing on the 1 or the 2?

Hi, I've been taught to Dance on the 1 and am now at the changeover point of improver to intermediate level. I'd really like to also learn about dancing on the 2. Would I need to go back to a beginner level and work my way up to improver then intermediate all on 2? I have a friend of mine who is also interested in Salsa. Can a beginner start from scratch on the 2 and progress onwards, will they then have difficulty trying to dance on the 1? Any advice appreciated!

Follow this link - Salsa Bitches - scroll down to where it says "on two - on clave" and read it before you decide if you realy want to dance on two (sad sad sad - saying that - it's worth knowing how to do it I suppose)

Phil Heath from Bath - www.salseros.com - teaches salsa on two sometimes. He learnt by Eddi Torez I think.

Thanks Wizzy for the Salsamafia link... very interesting...! I guess dancing on 2 really is a bit of a 'marmite' issue. Are there any 2-Steppers out there who can argue for it?

Hi Maria, thanks for introducing this topic. I knew it was only a matter of time :) Here are my quick thoughts on the subject.

Dancing "on 2" is just the same as dancing "on 1", just shifted one beat in the bar. It's just a matter of training and preference. There's nothing magical about dancing on 2, it doesn't mean you're a better dancer or more connected to the music or the tradition or anything, whatever some people might want you to believe.

It's like: some women always dance in a skirt, some women always dance in trousers, and some women sometimes wear skirts and sometimes wear trousers. It doesn't make any difference to the quality of their dancing.

As a woman, anyway, you don't have to worry about it at all. Just follow your partner, whether he's dancing "on 1" or "on 2". The style and skill-level of peoples' dancing varies so much anyway, the beat one wants to dance on is just another variable in the mix.

Hi Hugh, good way to put it. Will continue on into intermediate and look out for an 'on 2' dancer as I'd like to experience it myself some time. I'll also tell my friend to just get stuck in to beginners Salsa asap! THANKS!

Sorry Hugh, but you're only giving a partial explanation. Some people dance "on 2" just by doing the same steps a beat later, but for most On2 dancers its the same beats being used (as us ON1 dancers use), but a different order of steps (in place on 1, break back on 2 for the lead, etc). As a result, its not as easy as you suggest to pick up.

Well, Alun, dancing on 2 is by definition "doing the same steps a beat later" and (as far as I can understand it) that's exactly what you are describing. I didn't say it was easy (or difficult) to pick up, I just suggested a strategy for women who usually dance on 1 when dancing with a partner who dances on 2: take all you cues from your partner rather than your accustomed music cues.

There are two common ways of dancing on 2. There is the way Hugh is describing where you step -234-678. This is sometimes called power 2 or cuban on2 (same steps as son). Most on 2 dancers in this country however seem to dance Eddie Torres style which is stepping 123-567- but the big step (break) is on the 2 and the 6. There's a slightly different feel to the Eddie Torres style and you seem to get a bit more time as you can use the pause for turns and/or moving which you can't do as easily on 1.

Hi folks, just to add my 20 cents.

It is unfortunately not as simple as just shifting the beat one measure, because there are actually two methods of dancing On2. The simplest is the ballroom method where you do just shift 1 beat.
However the most common worldwide method of On2 (commonly know as the 'Eddie Torres' method) is still danced to the 123 rhythm with the first step on the spot and the second step as your 'break' step, either forward or back. This radically changes the timing for your turns and also your leads.
Some moves are not easily interchangeable between the On1 and On2 styles.

To sum up if you want to learn to dance On2 you do need to start from the basics. Although your progress will be quicker than before as you will already possess transferable skills such as leading/following, rhythm etc.

As an addition, music is still the driving force for all styles of dance. Mambo or On2 is a specific style of music with more emphasis on the 'downbeat' than the 'upbeat' of for example Cumbia. Music with a heavy accent on the Cowbell, is generally easier to dance On1 than music with more emphasis on the Conga which more easily accents the On2 downbeat.

I have danced and taught On2. If anybody in the Cardiff/Bristol area is interested have a chat with me and I'll put together a workshop. We did one last year in Bristol which went down very well. Or come and ask me and I'll show you the differences.

Hope this helps.

I've analyzed the Eddie Torres video very closely and, while his explanation of the steps is rather confusing, if you look at what the dancers are actually doing when they dance, they are just "doing the same steps a beat later". With the greatest respect, Brendan, this stuff about "you seem to get a bit more time" is nonsense. "Y'cannae change the laws of physics, Jim!"