Dancing New York Style Salsa: Salsa On2 , "Breaking On 2"

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New York club style salsa "breaking on 2", sometimes called "Eddie Torres Style".This method is different from "ballroom" , "international" and Cuban son montuno styles, and also different than some of what is taught at other New York area studios such as  DanceSport,  Stepping Out,  Razz M' Tazz,  Cultural Explosion and others.   It is different from those whose which step on 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and those which break on 1, 3 or 4, and those who do not dance in a line or "slot".  It is different from others which also may "break on 2", such as  Razz M' Tazz, Cuban son montuno, and those who step on 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8.

The basic step, the man's left foot goes back and the woman's right foot goes forward on the 1st beat of this so-called 8 beat measure or bar.  We step with our feet on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th, 6th, and 7th beats of the measure .  We do not step on the 4th and 8th beats.  We actually "break" our movement, in other words we change body direction, on the 2nd and 6th beats of the measure.  We call it "breaking on 2",  or "dancing on 2", or "bailando en dos".  This is mambo, danced forward and back, in a line or slot, not side to side or in a circle or square.

Salsa music is played in 4/4 time, and has 4 beats to the measure or bar, and we dance within 2 measures, so we count 8 beats; and loosely say that we "dance to an 8 beat measure or bar", although technically it is two 4 beat measures.   Many dances, not just salsa, are done within 2 measures, and therefore some people use the terms "musician's measure" and "dancer's measure".  The "musician's measure" has 4 beats, while the "dancer's measure" has 8 beats and consists of 2 "musician's measures".

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