LEARNING TO DANCE AND TO FEEL THE MUSIC

The time has come at last!

  • You’ve taken the time to find a place to take those dance classes you’ve always wanted.
    You will have to set aside at least a couple of hours a week to be able to attend those classes regularly, so you can enjoy your progress.
    You face your first day of class, how exciting! You don’t know anyone, and you feel awkward and insecure, but we will quickly make you feel at home, part of the family.
    Little by little you will progress together with your classmates, but you have to be aware that everyone has a different learning capacity and skills. Don’t compare yourself with others, do it with yourself and you will see how good you feel.
    Once you have mastered the basic steps, you will move on to the next level.
    At first, you will feel overwhelmed, because you will be used to slower classes. But at the same time, you will have fun, as the classes are now more dynamic.

  • When you feel comfortable at that level, you will move to the next level, where you will learn more complicated figures, shines and body movements.
    You will have to concentrate on improving your technique to make it enjoyable to dance with you.

    But there is something you haven’t paid much attention to so far, because you were concentrating on the steps and figures:

    THE MUSIC.

    The music is what turns the dance into magic.
    At first, you don’t distinguish Salsa from Bachata, Merengue or Chachacha. It all sounds similar.
    If you consciously listen to the music, you will gradually discover the differences and nuances of each style, and you will want to dance to the rhythm of those instruments that invite you to move. For it is at that moment, when the dancer becomes just another instrument in the music, that the magic happens.

TIMING AND COUNTING IN SALSA

  • The first thing to worry about is dancing in time with the music.

    All the styles we dance are 4/4 time measures, but each style has a different step pattern:

  • SALSA, BACHATA & CHACHACHA

    For all these dances, 2 bars are used to perform the step.

SALSA ON 1


  • The beginning of the step is on the first beat of the first bar.

  • Salsa on 1 (Cuba, Los Ángeles)
    Of the 4 beats of each measure, we step on only the first 3 (we step on three beats each time).
    The count is: 1,2,3 … 5,6,7.
    The beginning of the step is on the first beat of the first bar.

  • Salsa on 1 Colombia
    All the beats of the two measures are stepped (four beats at a time).
    The beginning of the step is on the first beat of the first bar.
    The count is: 1,2,3,4 … 5,6,7,8.

SALSA ON 2

  • Salsa on 2 Cuba (the original and authentic one, called ‘Son’)
    Of the 4 beats of each bar, you step on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th beats.
    The beginning of the ‘Son’ step is on the 2nd beat of the first bar.
    The man steps forward on the 2nd beat with his left and the woman steps back with her right.
    The count is 2,3,4 … 6,7,8 (neither 1 nor 5 are stepped on).

  • Salsa on 2 Puerto Rico
    Unlike the Son, here if they step on 1,2,3 … 5,6,7, although the man moves forward on 2 with his left and the woman moves back with her right. Because of this emphasis on beat 2, it is catalogued as salsa on 2, although in reality, they are stepping on the beats of salsa on 1.

  • Salsa on 2 New York
    It is the same as Salsa On 2 Puerto Rico in terms of counting, but the difference is that the man goes backwards on 2 with his right and the woman goes forwards with her left.
    The count is: 1,2,3…5,6,7.

BEATS AND COUNTING IN BACHATA AND CHACHACHA

  • BACHATA

  • Dominican Bachata
    Of the four beats of each measure, the first three are stepped on and a syncopated is marked on four and four-and-a-half.
    The count is:
    one, two, three, four-and … five, six, seven, eight-and.

  • Bachata (rest of the styles)
    Of the four beats of each measure, the first three are stepped on and the fourth beat is marked.
    The count is 1,2,3,4…. 5,6,7,8.

CHACHACHA

  • Chachacha Cuba
    Of the four beats of each bar, we step on the second, third and 3 quick steps marking a syncopation on beats four, four-and-a-half and the first beat of the next bar.
    The man advances on the second beat with his left and the woman moves back with her right.
    The count is two, three, four-and-five … six, seven, eight-and-one. In other words:
    2,3 cha cha cha … 6,7 cha cha cha.

  • Chachacha New York
    It is the same as the previous one but differs in that the man moves backwards in 2 with his right and the woman moves forward with her left.

INSTRUMENTS

  • Instruments are like layers that are added to a base.
    This base is defined by the harpsichord.
    To go deeper into this subject, I propose a video where you will understand it perfectly, made by Anichi Pérez.

    I suggest that you dedicate time and effort to educate your ear for music. You will see how, little by little, you will understand it better and finally, you will be able to interpret it as you wish.

    You will also be helped by a mobile app where you can interact with the different instruments:
    Salsa Rhythm

    GO FOR IT!