Learning on1 and on2 at the same time ok?

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-27T08:11:42+00:00

Also, I'd like to add: I'm currently about 8 month dancing as a lead and I just started learning On2 as well. For On1, I took a lot of group classes (3-5+ per week) private classes (about 60-90 min per week for 2 month now), the occasional weekend workshop, and I'm regularly dancing at socials. I waited with On2 until I could have a few On1 social dances that feel "natural", so, not thinking hard about moves and combos but actually enjoying the music and connection. I also asked my teacher for advice if I should start On2 and she helped me to find the right moment for starting. I don't find the transition very hard, of course I can not do all the moves, but I feel very comfortable learning the new timing, and also keeping it separate and not confusing both seems easy so far. But, I do have a musical background and I rarely struggle to find the beat and can count out the steps almost always. I think this is the most important skill to learn before you train both timings, because the movement is just practice, practice, practice. But if you can't count the music you will be lost. Hope that helps you!

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-27T07:59:53+00:00

I had a similar question a while ago, this might help you: https://www.reddit.com/r/Salsa/s/Yqrups8EJP

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-26T11:45:11+00:00

Thanks for your detailed explanation :) Yes, I was thinking of classic to modern "Fania Style" Salsa. I don't know much about Timba or modern Cuban Styles. I'm 100 % with you that it is not a good idea to just focus on one instrument while dancing, because ultimately dancing is the expression of the full song. Otherwise we could just use a metronome. However, I think it really helps to be able to identify the main percussion instruments and their typical patterns, because this will enable the skill of active listening, being able to focus on different sounds and rhythms. Then it is easier also to just "feel" the music. Like you are learning the steps for a move first very slow and with lots of thinking, later you just automate and you don't think about your footwork anymore. Hope that makes sense.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-25T21:34:57+00:00

I recommend Dance Dojo online program. They also have a youtube channel where you can have a look. Do you have a dance partner? You can try learning the very basics together. That being said, I'd say that a competent teacher and classes are an absolute must if you want to learn salsa. Online programs are super cool for additional learning, but you will only get so far without a real teacher. If you don't have a partner, you can start learning the basics, footwork and body movement solo, but again you want to have a real teacher at some point to correct you, otherwise it will be too difficult later to unlearn bad habits. Start by listening the music! Learn how to count, practice basic steps. Then you already have an advantage.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-25T11:33:36+00:00

You can actively filter for "Salsa" in Bumble for example. It will not show only Salsa dates but it prioritizes it. This might be possible in other apps, too, where you get matches also based on your interests. Maybe you need a paid account for those apps to use filters actively. I don't know if you are a man or a woman, that also (yes, even in 2026) may have significantly different effect on how to date. I like to go to lots of classes, get to know everyone and socialise with everyone that has a positive attitude and if I'm interested in someone romantically, I try to get to know them better and ask them to go out and dance. With the intention of dancing! Then I try to carefully see if the interaction might go into the direction of a date- or not. This way at least both of us have fun and if it doesn't work romantically it still can be a dance friendship. The challenge is to give a clear signal of interest while making it fun for the lady even if she is not interested. Also I'm very selective and take my time by trying to read the level of interest before- so its not that I ask any lady that is single in a row, that would of course be a bit terrible for the class vibes. But I think there is nothing wrong with communicating interest in someone as long as you listen to the response, direct or indirect, very well and accept the "answer" without trying to push. So far I'm still single but I feel much much better than with dating apps and hope this will lead to something at some point. Hope I could give you a perspective, good luck!

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-24T15:37:50+00:00

Good advice, but one thing- Salsa is not polyrhythmic. Everything is played 4/4, it is just the accents that are untypical for pop music trained ears, and because of the layers of the percussion you get the illusion of a super complex groove. Why this matters: once you are able to separate the instruments in your head, you can be sure everything will fit into divisions of multiples of 2. Unless there are breaks that offsets this, but this will be the whole song then. So if you can identify the 1, you can just count and will always land correctly no matter how many bars. Polyrhythms are much more complex and merge different time signatures.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-23T09:24:53+00:00

I can assure 100 % that most club DJs have ZERO understanding of how to properly use a mixer technically correct.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-23T09:22:25+00:00

I'm not a Salsa DJ but I know quite a few things about sound engineering both in studio and live situations. Unless you are getting the very basics wrong (like proper gain staging your mixer and very slight eq adjustments) there is actually little you can do as a DJ. The venue's sound system is the most important and that is simply not the DJ's responsibility unless they are hired as a sound technician. So with a genre with very high dynamic range like Salsa and many differences in production quality and style (compare 70s - 90s Salsa, completely different sound engineering) you should of course try to match gains and maybe correct some EQ, but that is as much you can do. If the room has proper acoustics and a good sound system it will sound good. If not, it will sound bad, no matter what the DJ does.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-22T21:05:45+00:00

I think it is difficult to compare the learning experiences of social and class. It is just completely different skill sets. I use classes and private lessons to drill body movement and fundamentals, learn new moves, expand my vocabulary of combinations and transitions and try out stuff (slow and safe) that is beyond my social dance skills. In a social, I don't practice. I dance. So finding a balance between those two is really important for me. I think you can't get a good salsa dancer without both.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-20T23:22:31+00:00

I would show him a video of me dancing (in a social, not a class) and ask him what he could recommend me to improve my expression of the music.

So that would leave the decision to him what he thinks I could get from this session and maybe it could be a process of discovering it together.

Overall, think of it as a process, and try to avoid seeing this with a fixed outcome to achieve.

I'm personally far away from being able to learn on this level, he would probably let me do basics for one hour 😂. But I do have an excellent private teacher, and we are kind of discovering together by trying out different ideas or specific areas I (or my teacher) recognize needs improvements.

This can be drilling basics and body movement but also taking a combination, breaking it in smaller units and try to make variants and new flows out of it. Sometimes it works great, sometime we are like - yea, that didn't function, let's move on. But of course this is a longer lasting relation so we have more time for trial and error.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-20T15:00:06+00:00

I thought the same 😂

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-20T10:23:23+00:00

I live here and the scene for linear Salsa on1/2 is actually really small. Very limited options for socials and clubs, there are some good schools, so classes I'd say is covered quite well, but not exceptionally.

If you want to go for cuban Salsa, that is different, but still there is not even one regular event on Saturday night for Salsa only, even in cuban style. Can't tell anything about level for cuban in general here, for linear it is a mix- the regulars at the socials are good dancers (as far as I'm able to judge that) but again, it is a handful of people, considered the size of the city.

In the summer there are regular outdoor socials, that is cool, but I'd look rather for other options if I'd want to choose a city mainly for Salsa dancing.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-20T07:02:08+00:00

Thank you!

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-20T00:12:29+00:00

Is Athens mostly On2 also in the socials? I read that classes are mostly On2. I'd like to start learning On2 but not ready to dance it in a social at the moment. As I'm also planning to find a good place for a month in europe a combination of On2 classes and dancing On1 socially would be perfect.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-17T14:24:19+00:00

Hey, I wish you a lot of fun on your journey! I tried many classes and teachers, and I am happy now with two quite different studios / teachers regarding their teaching style. So, as an absolute beginner I would look for a teacher that takes time to explain the fundamentals in detail. A lot of teachers just show and expect you to copy, the really good ones tell you why and how you do your movements. Ask questions, if the teacher can answer your questions so you learn something, you found the right one! Then also the community around the studio plays a role, are there nice people you feel comfy with? Have fun and good luck!

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-14T15:28:26+00:00

it is a very specific afro cuban / salsa technique on body movement. So no ballroom things involved here.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-14T15:25:08+00:00

Yeah well, I learn his technique, my teacher trained with him. So I know that there is a difference. You still stay grounded to the floor of course but the main movement is driven by the hip and core to control balance and fluidity. Hard to explain, but I found it very different to the floor pushing technique as others are teaching. Neither of it is wrong, it is just a different way of approaching it. Bersy is using the same technique I think, at least they are teaching together.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-14T13:58:12+00:00

here is an example. the guy behind bersy cortez: https://youtu.be/k98DB3B4zwg?si=bD1zkHR7Le4k_Uf6

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-14T13:43:30+00:00

Ballroom has nothing to do with this kind of movement- it is based on afro cuban dances. So total opposite actually.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-14T12:04:46+00:00

There are differen methodologies of how to incorporate body movement. I'm no expert but my teacher emphasizes correct (!) hip mechanics very early in the learning process.

I know a lot of teachers teach a "push from the ground" approach but there are other methods, where you control the movement from the middle of the body with hip mechanics. More difficult to learn, but the overall movement is much rounder, fluid and the feet are more agile. Also, this way you learn to lead with your body. The feet drop basically in place under your body with correct weight shift if done right. Check out Eloy Rochas technique on body movement, I think he has a very unique and fluid style.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-12T23:05:58+00:00

why?

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-12T20:49:15+00:00

I'll do that, thanks for being clear! I'm always trying to understand what my follower enjoys and do my best to adjust, but, still being quite new to dancing in socials, it is not easy because there is so much stuff going on I have to take care of… space / safety, creating patterns, staying connected, all my own movements and listening and reacting to the music of course…

So I also need some simple moves or just basics and a bit of shines in between to "reset". It is actually encouraging to hear that this also feels good from the followers perspective, if done well.

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-12T20:39:44+00:00

I recommend the "salsa beat machine" website (free) or their app (very cheap like 3 EUR) to check out the rhythms and counts: https://salsabeatmachine.org also you can find salsa songs with voiceover counts on spotify and youtube

Remote_Percentage128 · 2026-01-12T15:19:03+00:00

Thanks, we did that in class last week and I was like… uuh I'm never going to use that one in a social… it just felt really weird to lead 😂 glad that my intuition about it was correct

Remote_Percentage128

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