SALSA on1 la style classes in medellin
Salsa dancing has long been popular in Medellin, Colombia.
Before 2012, the majority of salsa dancing was done at local salsa bars. And, at crossover bars, viejotecas and social gatherings, salsa was one of the genres that would be heard and danced to. The two primary Medellin salsa radio stations were and still are Latina Stereo 100.9 FM (salsa brava and salsa classics) and El Sol 107.9 FM (mainstream salsa). People who enjoyed salsa dancing had generally not taken classes at a salsa school.
There were already various salsa schools in Medellin that offered private classes and some group classes. And, there were companies that focused on the formation of professional dancers for shows and competitions. Colombia was ranked among the top in the world at salsa competitions for soloist, couple and group salsa, and became especially known for its speed, elaborate footwork and acrobatics. However, outside of local salsa bars and performance groups, there wasn’t yet a large social dancing scene in Medellin focused on internationally taught partner salsa styles, such as salsa on1 and salsa on2.
At that time, salsa on1, also commonly known as LA style salsa, Los Angeles style salsa or in-line/linear salsa, was already one of the most internationally taught and socially danced partner salsa styles in the world. LA style salsa is generally danced “in line”, meaning the leader and follower move forward and backward along an imaginary line, rather than primarily rotating around each other in a circular motion. Salsa on1 is danced beginning on the first beat of the musical phrase and became especially popular internationally because of its accessibility, strong emphasis on partnerwork, social dancing and performance influence.
In 2012, DANCEFREE began offering free group salsa and bachata dance classes, followed by social dancing. For its first 2 years, DANCEFREE offered free dance classes only. Then, DANCEFREE began offering paid private classes, group classes and socials, too. For private classes, DANCEFREE offered many rhythms, including salsa, bachata, tango, porro, merengue, kizomba, hip hop, bolero, fox and more. For group classes, DANCEFREE focused primarily on salsa and bachata, with less frequent classes for tango, porro, kizomba and other rhythms.
DANCEFREE became one of the primary schools in Medellin to strongly promote internationally recognized in-line salsa styles, especially salsa on1 (LA style salsa), alongside bachata. DANCEFREE’s salsa curriculum focused heavily on in-line fundamentals, cross body leads, partnerwork, spinning, musicality and social dancing concepts commonly associated with LA style salsa and other international salsa scenes.
DANCEFREE's first salsa and bachata social was every Thursday. This became the first and most popular social focused primarily on salsa on1, bachata and international social dancing culture in Medellin. Then, DANCEFREE began offering group salsa and bachata classes 6 nights a week, salsa and bachata practices 3 nights a week, and salsa and bachata socials 3 nights a week, until as late as 4:00am. DANCEFREE became the place to be for students, teachers, and anyone else who wanted to learn, teach and dance salsa and bachata, and Medellin’s international-style social dancing scene, and the number of students and instructors familiar with salsa on1, salsa on2 and bachata, grew exponentially.
Here is some basic information about salsa, to get you started:
Salsa music is composed of phrases, and each phrase is divided into 8 beats.
The majority of salsa dancing basics include 6 weight changes on the beats 1-2-3 and 5-6-7.
On the beats 4 and 8, there is generally a transfer and settling of weight and hips that prepares the dancer to step again on the next measure.
The leader generally begins with the left foot and the follower generally begins with the right foot.
Some of the most common salsa basics include the in-line basic (front and back), the lateral basic (side to side), cross body leads, right turns, left turns and open breaks.
There are many styles of salsa dancing. Among them are LA or Los Angeles style salsa (also known as salsa on1 because it is danced beginning on the first beat), New York and Puerto Rico style salsa (also known as salsa on2 because it is danced beginning on the second beat), mambo, Colombian style salsa, Cuban style salsa, and Casino/Rueda (a Cuban group circle format where several couples dance together while a caller announces the moves and partner changes).
Compared to more circular salsa styles, LA style salsa generally places greater emphasis on in-line movement, cross body leads, turn patterns, partnerwork combinations, spinning technique, performance influence and dancing within a “slot” or line. Because of its international popularity, salsa on1 is commonly danced at salsa socials, congresses and festivals throughout much of North America, Europe, Asia and many other parts of the world.
Once you have more experience, you can begin to learn about new concepts, such as how to better understand your own weight on the floor, how to better understand the rhythm/music, how to isolate your individual body parts (knees, hips, shoulders, chest, rib cage, etc.), cross body leads, how to turn yourself and your partner, spinning, illusions, shines, dissociation, footwork and legwork (points, kicks, cha-cha-chas, etc.), and how to give subtle, clear indications to your dance partner (if you are the leader) and how to feel and follow (if you are the follower).
Salsa is based on Afro-Cuban music and includes African, Cuban, Puerto Rican and Latin American influences.
Salsa came to life in the 1940’s through the 1970’s in places such as New York City, influenced heavily by Cuban son, mambo, guaracha and other Afro-Caribbean rhythms, eventually becoming internationally recognized under the name “salsa.”
Some of the top salsa artists commonly associated with salsa on1, mambo and international salsa social dancing include Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, Johnny Pacheco, Larry Harlow, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Rivera, Oscar D'León, Rubén Blades, Tito Puente, Roberto Roena, and Richie Ray.
The root of the word salsa comes from the Spanish word for “sauce.”
Salsa instruments include the piano, generally at least one wind instrument such as the trumpet or saxophone, various percussion instruments such as the timbal, congas, cowbell, bongó and güiro, and sometimes complementary instruments such as the bass and guitar.
DANCEFREE offers private salsa classes, in person in Medellín, and online via Zoom and Google Meet. Our in-person classes are 7 days a week and our online classes are on weekdays only, subject to availability. We have more than 25 salsa instructors and teach students of all levels, from new (no experience) to expert. If you would like to take private salsa classes, click here to view the steps for beginning private classes. If you would like to view our calendar for salsa socials and more, click here.