Salsa Style - which one is good for me?

Not sure about you, but I’ve encountered situations like this when inviting someone to dance; “Which style do you dance?”, asked the lady. “On-1“, I answered. “Oh, no thanks, I do On-2!“, replied the lady. Similarly, Cuban style dancers also don’t mix well with On-1/2 folks. Smaller Salsa clubs tend to have focus on a certain style whilst larger Salsa club have natural division of areas with the similar-style salseros. Picking a certain style becomes an important decision from the get-go, and it has many implications: who you take lessons from, where you go dancing, which crowd you dance with, etc... This decision can be simple if most of your friend dance a certain style, or your local school and/or clubs promote one style. But in a larger city, the selection process becomes more confusing. Here are some suggestions for beginners:

1.  Do What Your Friend Does — Having fun with your buddy always provides the extra boost of energy and motivation.

2. Follow The Teacher — If you know of a good teacher/school, admire and respect their work, then take lesson from them and follow their advice.

3. Go With What Pleases Your Eyes — Before you decide, watch top dancers with different styles. See which one you enjoy, which type of performance excite you the most.

4.  Is Calories Burning Important? — This is still open to debate, the Cuban style dancing does not burn as much calories as the NY/LA style(read my article “Sweat It Out!” with more discussion).

Picking between On-1 & On-2 can be quite daunting for beginners, especially when one can’t even count the Salsa music beats as yet. The good news is: the patterns, technique, and styling are very similar between On-1 & On-2. So the more important question is “Cuban or On-1/2?“.  One of my student had solid dance background in ballet, jazz, and some ballroom, she prefers On-1 style because there is more requirement on Lady Styling, where her technical background is completely applicable.  

Cuban style in generally considered more relaxed and fun; it does not focus on the complex and lighting fast patterns as observed in NY/LA style. Originated from Cuba, Salsa is part of its culture, way of life. It is the trouble-free, don’t-worry-be-happy attitute. Additionally, Cuban dancers also enjoy the group Salsa dance form called “Rueda de Casino”. Whereas two or more couples can dance together in one (or more) circle. Rueda Salsa is very popular in Shanghai China. They intend to break the Guinness Record of “The Largest Rueda Circle” in 2010, when the World Expo will be held in Shanghai. The previous record was set in Singapore October 17, 2006 with 176 couples.

For social dancers, I’d encourage you to try out different styles if possible. The basic steps are all similar, the differences are in some patterns and turns. Keep an open mind, try something new. Being able to dance different styles will make your salsa dancing experience more enjoyable. No matter where you go, who you dance with, you will be able to feel right at home.