UKSALSA CHAT | SUZYQ CHAT 

Subject: What is on2
From: Sandro
Date: 22nd Jun 2005, 10:50 am

the confusion is simply its name, it shouldn't have Salsa in it as its not really Salsa is it? its Mambo .... I am not criticising the dance and not comparing which is better, each to there own is what I say, but what I disagree with is calling it something its not, I mean its like calling Merengue, Dominican Republic Style Salsa.

  My guess from changing its name from simply Mambo to New York Salsa is for marketing reasons, isn't everything? as Salsa is/was the fastest growing partner dance in the world, Mambo simply jumped on the bandwagon by calling it New York Salsa, and so the confusion started, this is what I believe and Eddie Torres I suppose is the culprit.

I was at a salsa club last night and was speaking with a beginner who asked me what he had just been taught as he has been doing New York Salsa for 3 months and basically struggled with the basic steps, which goes to show how confusing this is for the new members of the Salsa Scene. So stop calling it New York Salsa, On2 Salsa, Eddie Torres Salsa or any other stupid names you can up with and simply call it what it is...... Mambo ......

Maybe I'm wrong but an opinion is like an ass hole, everyone has one.

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... but don't practise THAT if you want to dance on2 the way it's danced in the clubs! That's called Razzmatazz timing, and is pretty rare. The regular "on2" you see in the UK is Eddie Torres (or Palladium IIRC) style, which is hard to explain, but fortunately I don't have to

http://www.salsanewyork.com/ourdancemusic.htm#DEFINITION

The timing of steps on1 and on2 is the same: 1,2,3; 5,6,7.

It's where the steps go that is different (women's mambo)

On1: Back Forward Together; Forward Backward Together;

On2: Forward Forward Back; Back Back Forward

For men's timing reverse the directions. As to left or right foot, it's the same both styles.

The reason it's called on2 is 'cos you BREAK (= change direction) on 2 and 6, rather than 1 and 5.

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