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Making the move from on1 to on2 easier

A lot of people seem to experience a misguided and unnecessary rabbit-in-the-headlights panic about switching from dancing salsa on1 to on2 -- but in case you don't yet know what this means, it is simply a transference from accentuating (eg taking a bigger step on) the clave on the 1st and 5th beats of the rhythm to accentuating the congas on the 2nd and 6th beats, which is usually danced in a cross-body pattern and referred to as NY-style salsa or, more properly, mambo (and a key thing to remember here is that while all mambo music and dance is salsa, not all salsa music and dance is mambo... but that's another article I have yet to write!).

Meanwhile, suffice to say that while mambo is properly a dance style and a music genre in itself (which some would describe as having a slower, more 'jazzy' sound), which first became popular in New York in the 1950s and has permanently influenced the style of salsa danced there, it is also highly intermeshed with salsa, and is also becoming increasingly common and more popular around the world. If you haven't yet encountered on2 dancers at your local salsa club, or been dancing with someone and suddenly realised they seemed to be dancing fluently but on a completely different beat to you, it is certainly bound to happen soon. So how can you deal with this, and even make the transition yourself?

The first thing you should note here is that the emphasis is on different beat -- NOT better, although plenty of salsero/as will tell you they prefer it because it gives them 'more time' to execute shines and/or express themselves to the various instruments in the music, so in that way, perhaps it is 'better' -- but that is no relfection on your dancing if you prefer and are quite adept at dancing on1. However, because understanding the music and its timing can only come after fairly intensive saturation in absorbing all of the various instrumental flavours that go into creating salsa (literally, 'sauce') music, this is only likely to happen to more seasoned or advanced salsa dancers -- but that is not to say that earlier learners cannot easily learn to distinguish these elements. There are plenty of courses and workshops in musicality that feature isolating the various percussive, etc instruments that go into the music; these are highly advantageous to a proper understanding of the music, and recommended wherever you are on your dance journey.

While it is probably true that most people who feel they can dance competently on the 1 and can easily recognise the clave may struggle to hear the congas, it is equally true that for some, hearing and dancing to the slap of the congas on 2 is actually a more natural way of responding to the rhythm. It is also true that many struggle to hear the rhythm at all! But presuming one is relatively regular in attending classes and then practising with the music, hearing the constant repetition by most teachers of the 1-2-3...5-6-7 to mark the rhythm and enable learners to access steps and turn patterns does eventually catch on with time, especially if one makes the effort to listen properly to the music regularly to recognise this basic rhythm pattern.

Personally, after years of teaching and breaking down the rhythm for students, I don't find it difficult to know where the clave occurs on the 1st and 5th beats, and therefore I can easily work out where the 2 is. Although I have attended the odd on2 class over the years and have listened attentively for the congas, what has really enabled me to switch to dancing on2 is that, as I can always hear the one (clave), I know that the congas will follow immediately -- and I have trained myself to alter my steps, meaning I now take my small step forward (proper ladies' timing for mambo; the men's steps are the reverse of these) on the right on 1, then my larger step forward on the left on 2, then replace the weight on the right on 3, hold, then take a small step back on the left on 5 and a larger step back on the right on 6, then replace the weight on the left on 7, and continue (Note: another thing that distinguishes this style is that you actually 'rock' on to each step, simply replacing your weight, rather than making a more pronounced stepping movement; this enables the dance to flow more easily, especially with faster music and spins).

I have practised this over and over until it has become more natural for me, and it now feels truly normal -- my ability to actually hear the congas properly, and know more of the proper technical spin preparations, etc for salsa on2/mambo dancing is coming along, but I have made the most essential leap forward in being able, with practise, to adjust which beat I accentuate, and therefore to feel comfortable in making the switch to dancing on2. Essentially, dancing on2 is merely a different reading of the basic salsa/mambo rhythm, with accompanying different physical accents -- so there is no need to panic, just practise listening to the music more and adjust your steps accordingly.

Party like the stars at Chinawhite salsa

Ever fancied seeing where the other half party? Celebrity club haunt Chinawhite (Air Street, Soho, off Regent's Street) has opened its doors to salsa on a once-a-month basis, thanks to long-term salsa regular Chris and his stunning salsa partner Viviane. The club nights boast a live band, DJ, occasional salsa shows and -- of course -- the fabulous ambience of Chinawhite. Even though the club has famously turned away many wannabe celebs, you can get on the guest list and sail right on through the doors by contacting Chris on 07796 390676, Salsa Premiership or Viviane on Viviane Knerr < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Warning: Salsa can be dangerous to your health!

Anyone who has been dancing salsa for any length of time has surely experienced that painful spike heel in the foot, the elbow that smacked into your head and nearly concussed you, that unwise move or sudden dip that nearly ended up giving either you or a partner an unintended black eye or severe muscle strain and, of course, the manifold bruises that are our usual ‘evidence’ of a hot night dancing at a packed, popular club. While you may emit a sudden yelp, limp off the dancefloor briefly and/or glare/curse at the particular dancefloor villain who inflicted your injury, usually you just chalk it up to a ‘normal’ hazard of the night or shrug it all off with a ‘no pain, no gain’ attitude. But what about SERIOUS dance-related injuries? Surely they just happen to the professional performers, teachers and international salsa stars, don’t they?

Well, I hate to tell you this, but NO! They can happen to anyone – and WILL happen to any keen social salsero/a eventually, if they are not careful – I should know, as I am currently (after 12+ years of frequent social dancing, 10 of which have also involved teaching regularly) dealing with: right-knee patellar tendonitis (from a previous ligament injury but exacerbated by dancing); left-hip trochanteric bursitis (all those spin preps!) and right-arm tendonitis (commonly called ‘tennis elbow’, but I refer to it as ‘Cuban salsa elbow’), not to mention quite pronounced bunions (from years of wearing too-high heels to dance in and doing frenetic pachanga/boogaloo swivels on the ball of the foot), all of which are overuse injuries caused by an excessive addiction to salsa! So, if you love your salsa (and of course you do, or you would hardly be reading this), please pay attention to the following warnings and advice.

LOS VAN VAN IN CONCERT 23 February 2007

Undoubtedly the best Cuban band in the world today, Los Van Van wowed the crowds with a fantastic 2-hour live set of all their top salsa and timba classics at the Hammersmith Palais on Friday 23 February 2007.

Despite the heavy downpour, eager fans queued outside the venue for what looked like ages, but actually moved quite quickly. Once inside, they were kept dancing by by DJ Javier until the main attraction appeared. Although it wasn't an entire sell-out, the Palais was nonetheless packed with enthusiastic dancers and Cuban music afficionados truly in the mood to party hardy, Cuban-style.

The band kicked off at 10.00pm, and did not disapppoint, delivering rousing, longer versions of all their most popular hits. I personally was having a contest to see which of London's finest dancers (at least those I managed to dance with -- apologies to those I missed) could keep the tempo and creativity with their moves going throughout the duration of these extra-long, highly energetic tracks, and I have to say that Barry Gordon, aka 'Boogaloo Barry', won hands down -- that man can keep going with continuous new moves when the rest of them have run out of steam and fallen into repetition halfway through a song!

They certainly delivered a great set, carrying on without a break until midnight. It was a masterful session with not a single bum note, apart from the (unsurprisingly) massively crowded dancefloor. Unfortunately we had to leave by 1pm (I was there with my husband, who was suffering with a still-healing broken arm), but the dance party continued on until 3am.

It was truly a fabulous night, so if you missed this one, be sure not to miss them next time they're in town for some of the best live salsa music you will ever hear.

�Swinging furniture�: Belgium-based authentic Cuban band Doble Impacto rocks the salsa world with a

Jane Cahane speaks to Chilean-born pianist and band manager Javier Arenas of Belgium-based Latin music band Doble Impacto and discovers a group with a decidedly unique and dynamically dance-friendly sound that has already made a formidable impact in mainland Europe and around the world

Doble Impacto’s music has been evolving since the band first formed under in 1996 with only five members (there are now nine). At that time, the five founding members — including the band’s director, Cuban-born lead vocalist, songwriter and saxophonist Juan Carlos Rosquete; keyboardist and backing singer Fania Rodriguez (also from Cuba); Chilean-born pianist Javier Arenas; Cuban-born Alexis Valle on the congas; and backing vocalist Walfrido Hernandez on small percussion (also from Cuba) — relied on samples and a sequencer to get the effect of a full salsa band, which limited them in being able to experiment with implementing other sounds.

Nevertheless, they were still able to invoke the sound of a full 10-piece orchestra and to lay the foundations of their uniquely different style, an eclectic but potent mixture of Cuban salsa and son, Dominican merengue and Colombian cumbia with rap and Latin techno that was an unmitigated success amongst the dance-crazy Euopean audiences attending their initial concert tours in the Benelux countries. “This band makes everything, even the furniture, swing!” enthused Belgian music critic Kid van Thienen.