What is Salsa Dancing?
Salsa dancing is a dance style associated with latin jazz music, suitable for dancing to. This style of music is now popular worldwide. Salsa music has its origins sometime in the 1950s from Cuba and in the 1970s, a distinct salsa style came out of New York.. The music blends a number of Cuban styles, in particular the son. It also draws from other Latin American musical styles. Today you will also hear French, Asian, Greek, Arabic, Italian influences and more.
Salsa is danced to eight-beat phrase in the music. Dancers accent three beats, pause for one beat, accent three beats, and pausing for one beat. The rhythm is quick-quick-slow, quick, quick-slow. During the dance, dancers apply movement of their legs and upper bodies to convey the energy of the dance.
Salsa dancing has become extremely popular throughout Latin America, Europe, Asia, United States and of course Australia, just to name a few. In the bigger cities many clubs specialize in salsa music and most towns offer classes in salsa dancing. Then with television shows like "Dancing with the Stars", it is no wonder you see Salsa on just about every dance floor in the World.
Salsa is challenging but nor difficult to learn. Most find the traditionally fast tempo tricky but dancers of all skill levels usually find themselves efficiently within a matter of months.
What is LA Style Salsa?
L.A. style SALSA is danced "on the 1" or the first beat (as opposed to the "2" or second beat, like New York Salsa or Mambo.
L.A. style is more flashy and show like (just like Hollywood) and can incorporate flips, dips, tricks, shines and lots of styling! Of course don't expect this is the beginning stages and even then, not all of these moves are practical for the social dance floor. Average dance students find many of the step patterns to be fun, unique and easy enough to master.
What are Salsa Shines?
In addition to the regular step patterns of salsa, dancers may also add solo or partnered breaks known as "shines". This is a way for the dancers to take a break, appreciate the percussion section of the music or to help find the beat. again.
Shines involve lots of stylish body movement and fancy footwork and are intended as a way for a dancer to show off their own personality, flavour and talent, otherwise known as "Sabor".. Shines are usually improvisational, there are many standard shines which dancers learn and can fall back on.
What does On1 mean?
Put simply, the dancer begins dancing on the first beat of the phrase in the music. This style is known as On1. If the dancers begin their movement on the second beat of the phrase of music, the style is known as On2. Some prefer one style over another, but which is better, well neither really, some just feel better dancing one style to another.
However the On1 style is usually danced by LA style, Colombian and Cuban style dancers. The On2 style is usually danced by balllroom mambo, or New York Style dancers.
Parts of this article are referenced to
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-salsa-dancing.htm
