Salsa's parent dance is the Mambo. As the tempo of Mambo music became faster, it’s dance steps had to be modified and so we have Salsa. To stop the dancer moving off the beat, the Mambo's one beat step on count 4 was replaced by a half beat step, with a placing of weight on the next half beat. Because the music is screaming for you to move on the next beat, an additional step, a tap followed by a half beat pause, was introduced on the next count to act as a brake, to stop the dancer moving. Salsa music seems to scream for you to start moving and keep moving, so many dancers start with the tap on the first beat of the music.
Like most modern music, Salsa music is 4/4 time (4 beats to a bar of music, and therefore four dance steps to a bar of music. Salsa music screams for you to move on the first beat, but you are not allowed to, so you tap with your toe or kick with your heel, to stop you from going straight into the step that is meant to be performed on the next beat.
Some teachers count the Salsa movement as quick-quick-quick-quick, others use the Mambo count of Quck-Quick-Slow but this can be confusing to the beginner. Its probably better to think of the movement as Rock, Rock, Close and Tap.
In most Latino dances, you commence your steps on the 2nd beat of the music and change weight from one leg to another between the beats. In Salsa your feet only move on the 2nd and 4th beats, the change of weight which gives the dance its look and feel occurs half way through the 2nd beat, on the 3rd beat and half way through the 4th beat. On the first beat, you tap the foot to stop you from moving - think of it as a brake. Therefore, counting from the 2nd beat of the music, my preferred count is 2 & 3, 4 & 1 - check out the section on the basic movements and this will become meaningful.
*-Article from StreetDance Australia's Dance Survival Guides.*
Timing is very important in salsa, especially for guys. If you missed one step, you get one step faster or you take one step more, you will get ahead with the girl not finishing her move. Up to today after months of salsa, I'm still try to improve my timing, listen to more Salsa songs. With the help of the SalsaJay gangs, I improved as days gone by. Don't ever think timing is a small thing, coz without timing you will be dancing alone!
