Timing (salsa)
Under timing in Salsa -Tanzen is meant dancing to the beat on the right beats.
Dancing on 1 or 2
Depending on the salsa dance style (e.g. Los Angeles Style or New York Style ), the change of direction when dancing ("Break") occurs on a certain beat, typically on the 1 (on one) or on the 2 (on two). For people in the German culture, the 1 is often easier to hear than the 2. A good help in finding the 1 in music is to pay attention to when a new musical instrument or a singer starts. Another good indicator for the 1 is the beginning of a new verse and the first note after a pause. It is also helpful to know the rhythms that each instrument is playing. To find the 2 in music, you can use the slap of the conga as a guide, for example.
Keep tact
When dancing it is important to keep a steady speed. The best way to practice this is to listen to a lot of salsa music and count as you go. The counting method 1,2,3 break 5,6,7 break is particularly advantageous when dancing salsa to 1. This is an ideal exercise for learning to keep the beat.
Salsa rhythms
The percussion instruments of a salsa band are decisive for the feeling of rhythm when dancing. These include clave , conga , bongo , timbales , mambo-bell, bongo-bell, maracas and güiro . A rhythm that is typical for them is played on each of these instruments. The clave rhythm is key in Afro-Latin American music. All other instruments follow this and phrase around the beats of the clave. The rhythm struck on the conga is called the tumbao. The slap tones on beats 2 and 6 are a good orientation for dancers who dance "On-Two". Other salsa rhythms that dancers can use are the Martillo rhythm on the bongo, the Cascara rhythm on the timbales and the Campana rhythm on the bongo bell.
literature
- Alex Wilson, Lee Knights: Find the Rhythm - A Guide for Salsa Dancers. , Inch Marlowe Records (2011). ISBN 978-3-00-034528-9 .