Our learning concept for Salsa On2 is structured in absolute beginner workshops and 3 Levels of regular classes. All our classes can be booked without partner, because we rotate partners to improve our social dance skills. Social dance means adapting to new dance partners, interpreting the music, improvising and reacting to our dance partners decisions. If you want to join our regular classes with former experience in Salsa, we would like to get to know you in person before the course to be able to suggest the most appropriate Level for you. Our objective is to guarantee the best learning quality for you and for all our students. To improve your dance skills, we recommend to practice regularly in social dance with different partners. Please have in mind, that the meaning of social dance is that BOTH partners ENJOY the dance. Therefore, the most important social dance skill is CONNECTION and respect. If you practice new movements in social dance, make sure to respect your partners level, their limits and remember to make your partner ENJOY the dance. This applies for leader and follower.
Absolute beginner Workshop
This Workshop is an introduction to Salsa New York Style and doesn’t require any experience in Salsa or other dance styles. In this intensive Workshop you will learn the most essential basics to start off with your Salsa journey.
Content Solo (without partner): Salsa rhythm and Salsa On2 timing, basic step, side to side, right turn, left turn, open break
Content partnerwork: Basic, side to side, right turn follower & leader, left turn leader, open break, turn together, crossbody, crossbody with inside turn, lasso
Technique lead & follow: hand connection & positioning, distance with your partner, upper body frame, closed and open position
Level 1
Requirements: Content of Absolute Beginner Workshop or similar experience in another Salsa style (Cuban/ On1)
In Level 1 you will learn and improve the foundations of Salsa New York Style. This Level focuses on lead and follow technique, basic turn technique and music interpretation. Of course, you will also learn new steps and partnerwork elements. But it is important to understand, that learning many steps without being confident in the foundations of Salsa dancing, will not make you a good dancer. A good dancer can make a basic step look amazing and make their partner enjoy a lot with connection, great lead & follow technique and musicality.
Content Solo (without partner): Movement of arms in basic step, basic step variations, Susi Q variations, Mambo, Around the world, single pivot turn, combinations with kicks, pauses and body movement. You will learn short combinations of steps to combine and freestyle in your social dance.
Content partnerwork: Double turn for followers, walk through, crossbody outside turn, 360, touch & go, scoop, copa, vacilala, titanic, “arm break”, son, hand throw and catch, and more.
Level 2
Requirement: Content of Level 2; Confidence in Salsa On2 timing and musicality
Level 2 is all about variations, musicality, improvisation and freestyle (so called shines). You will learn to apply your skills to faster music and make it look easy and smooth, improve your musicality and interaction with your partner. In this Level your dancing will get more dynamic and we will work on that Salsa New York Style “flow” which is the reason why this style is so popular worldwide.
Content Solo: Body isolations, weight change for fast movements, turn techniques and double pivot turns, dynamic combinations of steps and movements with focus on musicality
Content partnerwork: Dynamic combinations of partnerwork elements, double turn for followers, cross body with double turn, arm tricks (flipping, hand changes, drop and catch), visual effect tricks, variations of letting go and connect for freestyle (shines), and more.
Level 3 – coming soon
In September 2024 we start with 2 groups of Level 2 in order to get to know our students and make sure that the ones who want to enter Level 3 are confident in our requirements for this Level.