Posts Tagged ‘on2’

Starlite Dance Studio Of The Bronx
2001 Westchester Avenue Bronx,NY 10462
Admission:$10
Time: 9pm-1am
Date: APRIL 10

COME TO THE HOME OF DAVID MELENDEZ IN THE BOOGIE DOWN BRONX AT STARLITE DANCE STUDIO SPREAD THE WORD! “APRIL 10” Hey come to THE EAST SIDE EDITION Social .

Music by DJ BRIAN!

There will be great performances and more… come support the newest generation of the salsa community!!! 2001 Westchester Avenue Bronx,NY 10462 Corner of Westchester Ave & Pugsley Ave Admission: $10

WE WISH ALL OF OUR SUPPORTERS SHOW SOME LOVE

East Side Edition Performance @ the CT Salsa Fest 2009!

This post was submitted by East Side Edition.

Our lesson from last week at PSU – thanks to the iPhone!! We’re prepping our class for the New Jersey International Salsa Congress, and want to ramp up some understanding of On2 dancing. BTW, you can get 10% off your congress passes through the link above; use the coupon code ILIVESALSA10. Enjoy!

We returned to On2 this week after a long thanksgiving break. It’s not as long as some of our other routines but can be a little challenging. Enjoy! And viva la salsa!

Check out our Quick Fix Salsa Lessons page for more. And don’t forget about our [intlink id="6" type="page"]in-depth salsa lessons[/intlink].

The origin of salsa, the dance, stems from the same beginnings. The dances of the countryside, Contra-Danze and later Danzon, largely came as a byproduct of the settlers from England and France with a mixing of the Rhumbas of Africa. As the societies became more connected, the dance and music styles became more refined. Building upon the old, new forms of dance sprang up and saturated the countryside, eventually moving into modern times.

Largely influenced by Son, salsa is an 8 count step with 3 weight changes per 4 beats with either a tap, kick, or pause between them. Various styles exist in salsa with the primary two being On1 and On2 salsa.

To a novice, Salsa will look pretty much the same no matter what part of the country they are in. A few differences can be immediately identified between club dancing and stage performances, but for the most part it is a blur of hands, feet, and other body parts. However there are many variations underneath the surface of salsa, mostly dependent on geographic origin. The characteristics of a style include: the basic footwork, the frame or handhold, timing, moves, attitude, slight variance in music, and connection. Below we have identified the most well known styles of salsa.

New York Style

Instructor Eddie Torres popularized this style which emphasizes efficiency of movement, elegance, and body isolations. Alternatively known as dancing “On 2″, this label refers to the beat the followers break forward on and the leaders break back on. It is often referred to as Mambo, although this is somewhat of a misnomer as Mambo is always danced On 2 and has a slightly different beat. New York Style “On 2″ timing is firmly connected with the tumbao pattern of the conga drum and the bass guitar. Practitioners place great emphasis on “shines” by which both dancers separate and showcase their individuality through complex footwork and body movements; NY On2 Dancers are said to “dance with the beat”. The connection between the dancers and the music is strong enough to warrant a specific type of salsa music known as Salsa Dura (Hard Salsa). These are medium to fast tempo songs with a predominance for percussion and musicality. New York Style is the style of choice for most professional dancers at any Salsa Congress. The styling in the video below is awesome. And for those of you who think this is a choreographed routine, guess again. That’s all leadable stuff and it is amazing!

An example of New York Style Salsa (On2)

L.A. Style

On the opposite side of the country, L.A. Style reigns supreme. L.A. style focuses on theatricality, acrobatics, musicality, sensuality, and high energy. Danced On1, this style also has roots in Mambo but takes some styling from Swing. Compared to their NY counterpart, those who dance LA style are said to “dance to the beat”. Today this style can be seen on such popular shows as ‘Dancing with The Stars’ and ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ due to its flashiness and commercial appeal. The main proponents of this style are the Vazquez Brothers (Johnny, Francisco, and Luis), Alex Da Silva, Joby Martibez, and many others. The music accompaniment is often high tempo salsa songs sometimes to ridiculous speeds. While I feel the sensuality is somewhat stripped away in LA Style, the sheer complexity and excitement from their incredible routines is admirable.

An example of LA Style Salsa

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