SalsaPost

Salsa On1 vs On2: What's the Difference?

Salsa On1 and On2 share the same steps and 8-count. Only the break moves: 1 and 5 for On1, 2 and 6 for On2. Here is how to tell them apart.

Pinned October 31, 20264 min readWritten at Count Studio

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Salsa On1 and On2 are the same salsa danced on the same 8-count. The steps do not change. What changes is the beat where you turn around, and that one shift is why the two feel so different on the floor.

What is the difference between salsa On1 and On2?

On1 breaks on 1 and 5. On2 breaks on 2 and 6. Both are counted "1 2 3 _ 5 6 7 _": you step on 1, 2, 3 and 5, 6, 7 and pause on 4 and 8. The break is the moment you change direction, and the name tells you which count it lands on. Wikipedia says the same of its On2 ancestor: it is termed "mambo on 2" because the direction change in the basic step occurs on count 2.

Side by side

	On1	On2 (Eddie Torres)
Count	1 2 3 _ 5 6 7 _	1 2 3 _ 5 6 7 _
Break on	1 and 5	2 and 6
Pause on	4 and 8	4 and 8
Usually called	LA style	New York style

Read the break row. Everything else is shared, so a dancer who knows one can pick up the other without relearning the steps. For the full On2 walk-through, see the Salsa On2 count in the Count Studio library.

What do you hear and feel?

On1 puts the turn on the first beat of each group of four, the beat most people tap their foot to first. On2 puts it one beat later, so the turn sits inside the phrase instead of at its start. Many dancers find On2 more laid back and On1 more direct. That's taste, not a rule. Both fit the same music, and a good dancer can hear the 8-count either way.

A small difference shows up in who steps first. In New York style, Wikipedia notes that the follower, not the leader, steps forward on the first measure. In LA style the leader steps forward on 1. If you swap between the two, expect to rethink that opening step as well as the break.

Where are On1 and On2 used?

LA style and New York style

Wikipedia describes LA style as danced on 1, where dancers break forward on the first beat of the music. New York style is danced on the second beat. It also notes that Eddie Torres is credited with helping to formalize the on-2 timing, based on the tumbao rhythm, and that he spread it by teaching in New York studios.

On2 is a timing, New York style is a tradition

People use the two terms as if they were the same, but Salsa Vida points out they are not exactly the same. On2 refers to the timing. New York style is a broader tradition that includes that timing along with its partnerwork, shines and history. You can dance On2 without dancing in the full New York style.

Eddie Torres On2 and Power 2

Not all On2 starts on the same step. The most common New York timing, Eddie Torres On2, follows the standard count of 1 2 3 _ 5 6 7 _. Power 2 is counted 2 3 4 and 6 7 8, with pauses on 1 and 5. Salsa Vida notes that the break still lands on 2 and 6 in both, but Power 2 starts one beat later.

How do you switch between them?

Keep the steps and move the break. First, find the 1 of each phrase; if that is still shaky, start with how to find the 1 in music. Then count out loud, "1 2 3 _ 5 6 7 _", and practise leaning into the new break: the 1 and 5 for On1, or the 2 and 6 for On2.

Go slowly. Your body will want to turn on the beat it already knows, so say the numbers and hold the pause on 4 and 8 until the new break feels natural. If you want the On2 steps beat by beat, read how to count salsa On2.

The most common slip is stepping on 4 or 8 because the music feels busy there. Don't. Those counts are pauses in both timings. The second is counting the right numbers but turning on the wrong one, so check yourself by saying "break" out loud on the beat where you change direction.

Which should you learn first?

Learn the one your local classes and social dances use. The steps are shared, so you lose nothing by starting with either, and you can add the other later. What matters most is that partners dance the same timing. Salsa Vida notes that partners still need to share the same timing for the dance to feel clear and comfortable, so if you meet someone who dances the other, agree before the song starts.

Practise both with Count Studio

Pick a salsa song and count it twice: once breaking on 1 and 5, once on 2 and 6. Notice how the same eight feels different with the turn in a new place.

Count Studio is built for this drill. It is coming November 27 to iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. You will be able to import a song you own, and the app finds the tempo, the beats and the likely 1 on your device, numbers the eights and counts over the music. If the grid is off, tap along to fix it. Songs from streaming services are protected, so import files you own.

Bottom line

On1 and On2 share the count 1 2 3 _ 5 6 7 _ and differ only in the break: 1 and 5, or 2 and 6. Start with whichever your local scene dances, keep your partner on the same timing, and the other will be easy to add.

Questions

Is salsa On1 or On2 easier for beginners?

Neither is harder in the steps, because both use the same footwork. Start with the timing your local classes and music scene use, so you can dance with the people around you.

Is LA style always On1 and New York style always On2?

That is the usual pairing. Wikipedia describes LA style as danced on 1 and New York style as danced on 2. Salsa Vida adds that On2 is a timing while New York style is a wider tradition, so the two labels overlap but are not identical.

Can an On1 dancer dance with an On2 dancer?

It works best when partners share the same timing. If you meet someone who dances the other one, agree on a timing before the song starts.

What is Power 2?

Power 2 is counted 2 3 4 and 6 7 8, with the pauses on 1 and 5. It still breaks on 2 and 6 but starts a beat later than the Eddie Torres On2 count.