On one, On two, On for Salsa!

When it comes to dancing, there’s a rhythm that always stands out, not only because of its joyful music, divided into sections of conga, timpani, trumpet and drum sounds but also because of its lively movements. It is also the dance style most danced around the world, do you know which one is it? Well, all those Salsa lovers might have the answer, right?…

Salsa has been an essential component throughout history. It has the largest mix of rhythms than any other type of music, among these you find Jazz, Son, Mambo, Bomba, Danzón, and more. The idea of fusing these rhythms was to avoid misinterpretations and be able to understand it better, however, it is still very difficult for a person who is listening to it for the first time to find the beat.

Salsa is a mix of many Caribbean and African sounds but there has been a huge controversy related to its origins since no one exactly knows where it first started, some might say in Cuba, some others in Puerto Rico and others in New York. We think it isn’t fair to attribute the creation of this genre to a specific country. We know it has been highly influenced by several cultures. Let’s go over the most impactful events in the history of Salsa.

Most Salsa songs from that time are about problems of the lower class. Its lyrics allude to subjects like violence and inequality. This is because many popular musicians were from communities with disadvantages. Some of the most famous Salsa artists were Hector Lavoe, Tito Puente, Willie Colón, Ray Baretto, Tito Rodriguez, Johnny Pacheco, Jerry Masucci, among others.

Salsa, as well as many other musical genres, evolved. It is nothing more than the result of a series of social events that progressed into rhythms and melodies. Talking about the music itself, it incorporated other instruments like piano, flute, and saxophone, and talking about the dancing, different types, or classifications emerged, depending on the movements of the dancers and the timing of their steps.

Cuban Salsa:

As well, known as Salsa Casino, is one of the easiest to dance and very enjoyable among the masses, its structure is composed by a circular movement, giving a lot of freedom to dancers so they can add a lot of styling, which turns out as their own expression.

Salsa in line:

It arose in the United States, and its structure, just as its name says it, is danced in a line, meaning that dancers can perform all the figures within an imaginary straight line. It is very common on Salsa shows since its figures tend to be more complicated than in other Salsa styles.

Salsa on 1:

This way of dancing Salsa is very popular in Spain, is characterized because in the first count the male dancer steps forward with his left leg and the female dancer steps backward with her right leg, when dancing together, with an embrace; however when dancing solo, both leaders and followers, dance on the leader’s timing, performing the common shines. If you want to learn some easy to follow shines on one, to show them off on the dance floor, you can take this StepFlix Salsa class, that will teach you some basic footwork that you can apply when dancing by yourself, like Suzy Q, crosses and more.

[pexyoutube pex_attr_src=”https://youtu.be/Yivct0Z_JeI”][/pexyoutube]

L.A. Salsa:

It is the same Salsa in line, danced on 1. Nowadays it is one of the most popular types. It is danced by many people in the world, you can learn it from beginner level to advanced level in our StepFlix YouTube channel. If you want to do so, here’s the first-class in which we go over the basic steps.

Salsa on two:

It is danced in a different timing, with the strong accents on the beat 2 and 6, it uses syncopated and “the Son dance” as a base reference.

Puerto Rican Salsa:

It is generally danced on two, and it is characterized by performing simpler figures, but with more foot, shoulder, and hip emphasis.

New York Style:

It is danced on two like Mambo, the person who popularized it was Eddie Torres, and it is characterized by a closer dance space and emphasizing on performing “shines”, which are when dancers separate themselves and dance solo with footwork and styling. Those were inspired on swing dance and New York tap.

Here’s an example of Mambo dance; as you can see, it is danced on two

[pexyoutube pex_attr_src=” https://youtu.be/LPNoL9keTfY”][/pexyoutube]

Also read: A journey through Mambos’s history

Colombian Salsa:

There are two types, one known as Salsa Caleña, because it comes from Cali, Colombia, is considered one the most difficult ones, because of its fast footwork and stunts. They step the full 8 counts. The second one is inspired in Cumbia dance and has open figures and is led with only one hand.

Salsa kept developing along the years and now has become so popular that it is danced anywhere around the world, even in small countries like Croatia you can now find Salsa congresses. It is satisfactory to know that Salsa remains alive among us, uniting all cultures and ages, and giving us the freedom to dance it however we want.

Also read: 5 reasons to dance Cha Cha Cha before than Salsa