SALSA on2 New york & puerto rico style classes in medellin
Salsa dancing has long been popular in Medellín, 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 Medellín salsa radio stations were and still are Latina Stereo (salsa brava and salsa classics) and El Sol (mainstream salsa). People who enjoyed salsa dancing had generally not taken classes at a salsa school.
There were already various salsa schools in Medellín 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 countries 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 Medellín focused on internationally taught partner salsa styles, such as salsa on1 and salsa on2.
At that time, salsa on2, also commonly referred to as New York style salsa, New York mambo, or simply mambo, was already one of the most internationally respected and socially danced partner salsa styles in the world. Salsa on2 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.
Unlike salsa on1, which breaks on the first beat of the phrase, salsa on2 breaks on the second beat of the musical phrase. In the most internationally taught version, commonly called “ET on2” or Eddie Torres style mambo, the leader generally steps forward on beat 2 and back on beat 6, while maintaining the same 8-beat phrase structure common to salsa music. Salsa on2 became especially respected internationally because of its strong connection to mambo music, musical interpretation, timing precision, elegance, body movement, partnerwork and emphasis on dancing with the percussion and phrasing of the music.
Salsa on2 developed primarily in New York City, especially from the 1960’s through the 1990’s, influenced heavily by Cuban son, mambo, Puerto Rican musical traditions and the New York Latin music movement. One of the most influential figures in the international development and teaching of salsa on2 was Eddie Torres, often referred to as “The Mambo King,” whose teaching system helped standardize modern New York on2 timing internationally.
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 Medellín to strongly promote internationally recognized in-line salsa styles, especially salsa on1 and salsa on2, alongside bachata. DANCEFREE’s salsa curriculum focused heavily on in-line fundamentals, timing, cross body leads, partnerwork, spinning, musicality and social dancing concepts commonly associated with 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, salsa on2, bachata and international social dancing culture in Medellín. 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 Medellín’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 on2, to get you started:
Salsa music is organized into repeating 8-beat phrases, which form the rhythmic structure used for timing in partner dancing.
In salsa on2 (New York style / mambo timing, commonly taught through the Eddie Torres “ET2” system), the dance is built around 6 primary weight changes per basic step cycle, distributed across the 8-beat phrase. The standard timing places the leader’s main directional steps on beats 2-3-4 (forward basic) and 6-7-8 (back basic), with the follower executing the complementary opposite movement in perfect opposition.
The defining feature of salsa on2 is that the primary “break steps,” or directional changes, occur on beats 2 and 6. These align closely with the rhythmic accents of mambo-era salsa, particularly the conga tumbao and underlying clave structure, which emphasize a grounded, syncopated relationship to the music rather than a downbeat-driven pulse.
Beats 1 and 5 are not primary stepping beats in on2 timing. Instead, they function as transitional or preparatory moments that may include weight settling, taps, syncopated styling, or controlled pauses depending on the dancer’s level and interpretation. These moments serve to reset balance and prepare the body for the break on beats 2 and 6.
In ET2-style timing, the leader initiates the basic forward motion on beat 2 with the left foot, while the follower begins the corresponding back motion on beat 2 with the right foot. This creates a mirrored partnership structure, where both dancers share the same timing framework but execute opposite roles.
Although salsa is always counted in full 8-beat phrases starting on beat 1, salsa on2 defines its functional movement cycle through the breaks on beats 2 and 6. For this reason, beat 2 is treated as the operational starting point of the dance within social and instructional contexts, even though the musical phrase itself remains anchored in beat 1.
Some of the most common salsa on2 basics include the forward and back basic (in-line basic), cross body leads, right and left turns, open breaks, and shines, along with linear turn patterns built around slot-based movement and ET2 timing.
Compared to salsa on1, salsa on2 generally places greater emphasis on musical phrasing, percussion interpretation, smoothness, timing precision, body movement and connection with the conga rhythm and clave structure of the music. Salsa on2 is especially common at mambo socials, salsa congresses and international dance festivals throughout cities such as New York, Puerto Rico, Milan, London, Tokyo, Mexico City and many other parts of the world.
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).
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, shines, syncopations, musical interpretation, 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, jazz and other Afro-Caribbean rhythms, eventually becoming internationally recognized under the name “salsa.”
Salsa on2 is a dance timing system, not a separate music genre, and it is primarily danced to New York mambo and salsa dura. Its musical foundation comes from mambo and Latin jazz artists such as Tito Puente, Machito, Tito Rodríguez, Eddie Palmieri, and Ray Barretto, and later from the Fania-era salsa scene with artists like Johnny Pacheco, Larry Harlow, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Rivera, and Roberto Roena. This repertoire, along with modern salsa dura productions, is commonly used in on2 socials and supports musical interpretation centered around breaks on beats 2 and 6 within the 8-beat phrase.
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, trombone or saxophone, various percussion instruments such as the timbal, congas, cowbell, bongó and güiro, and complementary instruments such as the bass.
DANCEFREE offers private salsa on2 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 on2 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.