Tips for going from Salsa On 1 to Salsa On 2

Now that we only teach salsa on 2, we often get asked what the differences are between on 1 and on 2, and how to go from dancing on 1 to on 2. This video breaks down the similarities and differences in footwork and partnering, and gives you lots of tips and exercises for translating your on 1 moves to on 2 timing.
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Intro
0:30 - Footwork
7:33 - Partnering
12:52 - Practice Tips
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YOUR INSTRUCTORS:
Ana: www.azucarottawa.com/ana/
Talek: www.azucarottawa.com/talek/
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CONNECT WITH US:
Facebook - / azucarottawa
Instagram - / azucarottawa
Website - azucarottawa.com/

[@annakoliber2079]

The best video I have found so far. Very well explained

[@aaronchandler-worth6664]

This video is fantastic!! BUMP!! The best explanation both visual and verbal of the differences and similarities between on 1 and on 2 timing. I just started making the switch and came here for answers and you did NOT disappoint.

[@Rinzlov]

This is the first video on this topic that I actually found to have a good explanation at all, and in your case even very good with all the additional detail, thanks! 😊

[@hyru123]

I actually really love the lead on1 / follow on2 demo!! It actually helped me understand the timing difference very clearly!

[@worldswithinus795]

I really appreciate the quality of teaching you two are providing. I learned a lot from this that I haven't been able to learn or grasp anywhere else. I feel so much better and am excited to finally grow in this area. Thank you so much!

[@AzucarLatinDanceCompany]

Thanks, Sara! So glad to hear the video helped. Lots more coming :)

[@Simplentertainments]

This video is so underrated! Great demo guys!

[@danielcahen6209]

Deserves more views

[@jdelacruz6854]

Great video thank you

[@tank618]

Excellent video and explanation 🙌🕺💃

[@yuliakara3750]

Great video!

[@Yy-rv5dc]

Very professional vídeo, thanks

[@jimmytorres1361]

OMG! THANK YOU MUCH.

[@anmusic700]

This was sooo helpful! I’ve looked through so many that actually helped from 1 to on 2 and man idk how no one explained the syncopation of counting + 23 but as 123. This clicked. Hoping my on 2 doesn’t look like 1 anymore🙌 thinking about the music different! Ty!

[@aa-ql3gu]

Thank you!

[@fegsanchez7344]

Superb! 👏

[@ZFRMilano5921]

I really appreciate

[@AsherBarkin]

Solid video

[@eusuntaceleusunt]

Actually...most leading dancers on 2 step on the second beat with their RIGHT FOOT BACKWARDS and this is a big difference between salsa on 1 and 2 which creates most bruised toes

[@danceking40]

I wish you would have demonstrations with music.

[@MrTonioperez]

Thank you for this video. Question; can you explain how the leader go into his turn?

[@AzucarLatinDanceCompany]

The footwork is the same for both leads and follows, the only thing that changes is the count. Two ways to think about this: 1. Your turns start on your forward rock step - for leads, that's your 6; for follows, that's your 2. Whenever your left foot goes forward into a rock step, you can turn that rock step into a turn. 2. Take the follow's timing and swap the two halves of the bar - your "1-2-3" becomes your "5-6-7" and vice versa. Again, the steps don't change, only the numbers do. Hope this helps!

[@martinarce8138]

Amazing explanations but having lead on1 & follow on 2 examples at the same time is more confusing than helping. The diagrams explaining the on2 timing are extremely helpful but it would help us to understand it better if it was longer on the screen as it just flashes for a couple of seconds. So some longer examples would help¡ however it’s one of the best explanations on the topic I’ve found¡ thanks a lot¡

[@italic-]

Thanks Martin :) I'll talk to Ana about maybe doing a general 'how to dance on2' video with long examples which I think may help. Feel free to pause/rewatch sections as needed and if you have any other feedback, feel free to send it our way. www.azucarottawa.com/

[@alejandrolimache9518]

I think dancing on1 is not necesarily rigid as you imply in the video. You dont need to precisely step on 123-567. You can dance on1 with cadency too. That means when dancing on1 you can step: 12-slow 56slow. Using similar notation that you use in the video will be: 123& -567&.

[@WalterDeRooij]

I've tried to have this same discussion with on2 dancers but it seems they don't want to understand this.

[@cesarflores7080]

8:12 Here is one mystery that makes no sense to me. Why do men start moving forward when dancing on 1, but back when dancing on 2? In Puerto Rico we dance mostly on two but the leaders move forward, not backward. We start with the right foot on 1, either stepping in place or forward and then breaking on 2 with the left foot. The on 2 feel is there just the same. Standardizing this aspect of dance would be helpful.

[@courtneypike350]

A lot of schools teach that leaders always have to step first with their left and followers always with their right, regardless of whether you're dancing on1 or on2. So for on2, this "left first" rule necessitates that the leader step backward first on 1 (or maybe a step in place) so their right foot will break backward on count 2. I think your way sounds simpler to teach, though!

[@farshadsh3454]

I thought salsa is fun but as I search more, I realize is not! Why then we have ON1 if the intention is transition to ON2?

[@47967]

Well, I have lots of fun dancing On1... I believe, that most songs feel right On1, some songs call for On2 but i dont find them often... not in my day to day dancing. I also find that most of those dancing On2 are Pros... I dont remember my mom or brother teaching me how to dance like: “Everything that you know, let’s now do it ON2”... Dont let all the pros, flashy turns, spins, shinings, foot work, discourage you from enjoying your day to day Salsa Dancing. Dont get me wrong, It is fun to incorporate some of the flashy stuff into your dancing... but i do believe the passion of latin dancing is left behind when the song having even started and we start the turns one after the other. 😂

[@ThePatoman10]

8 and? where is the 1?You guys are confusing dancers.

[@AzucarLatinDanceCompany]

I believe we explain the concept of syncopations briefly in the video. Essentially, there is time in between the beats, and that time can be subdivided in a number of ways. The simplest is to create "half-counts" which we count as "and". The half-count between beat 8 and beat 1 is "8 and" (think of it as short for "8 and a half" or "8.5"), and the "1" count comes around after it. In Salsa On 2 syncopated time, we do not, strictly speaking, step on the "1" count, we step the step commonly called the "1" on the syncopation before it, so on the "8 and". We do that to synchronize with the two open tones of the tumbao. If the music theory is confusing, you're welcome to count the "8 and" as "1" and the "4 and" as "5". The inclusion of syncopated steps was there to explain why the rhythm of salsa on 2 feels different than salsa on 1.