When, I started dancing salsa, I first learned On1. It was only after couple of years after I had become proficient at dancing On1 that I made the switch to dancing On2. In this article, I am going to give you 5 tips to help you to go from On1
salsa timing to On2 salsa timing in one day. I still remember that one day I simply decided that I wanted to learn On2. Here is shortly how I did it.
Tip # 1 - Find The 2nd Beat By First Listening To The First Beat
If you can already hear the first beat of the music, realize that this means that you can then also easily find the second beat of the music. As you count the music, the second beat comes after the first one. When I simply state this it sound simple, right? That is because finding the second beat of the music really can be that simple. When you want to start to dance On2, rather than try to first trying to find the second beat of the music, simply find the first beat and then continue to counting the music and finding the second beat of the music will become easy.
Tip # 2 - Think Of Dancing On2 In Terms Of On1
When you first switch from On1 to On2 and you think that you now have to learn to hear and be able to find the second beat of the music, you will have made the process of switching timing much harder than it has to be. When I went from dancing from On1 to On2 in one day, I did it by first emphasizing the first beat of the music also with my feet.
In other words, I still counted the first beat of the music, but instead of stepping forward with my left foot (as a leader) on the first beat of the music, I simply stepped in place with my left foot. I had mastered finding the first beat of the music, so I just thought of the entire process in terms of emphasizing the first beat of the music, but just taking that step in place with my left foot and then continued by taking my second step back with my right foot on the second beat (This are the steps for a leader in New York Style when dancing with a partner).
So rather than trying to master emphasizing the second beat right away, start by emphasizing the first beat in your mind, and then simply proceeding with the correct steps from there.
Tip # 3 - Learn To Recognize The Tumbao
Tumbao is a rhythm that is played with the Congas. If I tried to make the sound into words, it might sound something like: "Cu,Cum.. Pa, Cu, Cum.. Pa". With counting it would go, 8,and, 2,4,and,6. The Pa sound is always on the the counts 2 and 6. Since dancing On2 emphasizes the second and the sixth beat of the music, eventually learning to recognize this rhythm will help you stay on count and add more feeling to your dancing. Once you become familiar with
salsa timing and rhythm, learning to recognize and emphasize certain rhythms in the music will make salsa more enjoyable for you and will continue to help you toward mastery of the dance and music.
Tip # 4 - Practice, Practice, Practice
Although, I went from dancing On1 to On2 in one day, it took me much longer to actually get more and more comfortable with emphasizing the second and the sixth beat of the music. One of the ways I got better quickly was simply practicing the counting and the correct steps consciously over and over again. When I was cleaning the house, I put some salsa on and practiced my steps or when I went to a salsa club out of town, I took every opportunity I could to ask as many followers to dance with me to continue practicing my steps.
And there you have it. Learn and apply these simple tips and I promise you will be able to master any
salsa timing and count you want with ease.
