Timing is everything. It also doesn't matter at all. ...but rhythm does In this video, we see how putting the rhythmic pattern of our steps in Cuban popular music changes what counts in the music we dance on, AND how the count you may learn in class is not danced universally. Everyone dances on different timings. Luckily, the rhythmic patter of our steps: quick quick slow... quick quick slow... remains consistent throughout any count. Relying on the rhythm of your feet as opposed to numbers allows you to adjust to a partner who may feel more comfortable dancing on a particular timing. Additional info/caveats/disclaimers "on this" "on that" I try to stay away from referring to the timings in Cuban popular dance as "on" anything. Linear salsa has their own language with that and it can create confusion and unnecessary arguments, BUT... I understand that's a convention many use. I believe most commonly, if the number following "on" refers to the first quick step in "quick quick slow...." stepped with the follow's right foot and lead's left. For example, in most classes, ruedas, they're counted 1 2 3... 5 6 7... Th 1 is with the left and follow's right, so many would say the class is dancing "on 1". If for any reason the 1 was stepped with the lead's right and follow's left, when 5 rolled around (the first step of the next quick quick slow...) it would be with the lead's left and follow's right, so many would say they're dancing on 5. [I hate all this stuff I swear, I'm just trying to address questions newer dancers may run into] Quick quick slow... I used to teach 3 steps and a pause, but found people would take that very literally and freeze their motion, so the quick quick slow... seems to work better for fluid body movement. Some people do dance very staccato, and depending on what the music is doing, it calls to be danced in different ways. Hopefully the idea that the by the book super stripped down footwork our turns has 2 steps that last a single beat followed by a step that lasts twice as long, though there may be taps, embellishments etc, comes across. It's a circle If we roll with the quick quick slow thing, and we made a wheel with 8 equal spaces, representing our beats in a phrase (2 bars) of music, then had a smaller circle inside it with our quick quick slow... quick slow... (where the slows were twice as fat as the quicks) we could rotate the inner wheel within the count to give us the different timings. It's all where we "start" the quick quick slow... Let's start our "quick" on the 1: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 QUICK quick sloooooow quick quick sloooooow Now let's start it on the 2: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 oow QUICK quick sloooooow quick quick sloooo Next we'll move it to the 3: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 sloooooow QUICK quick sloooooow quick quick And now we can start it on the 4: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 quick sloooooow QUICK quick sloooooow quick If we rotate our circle one more time (moved the quick to the 5), we're back to where we started. It would looks just like if we started our "quick" on the 1. The same thing would happen with any other beat, placing the "quick" on 6 yields the same timing as if we were to start the pattern. on the 2. Same goes for 7 to 3 and 8 to 4. Just add/subtract 4 and you'll get the "other side" of the 8-count. As far as the dancing. goes, the feet would make contact with the ground on the same beats, the only different is if we abide by the partner dance convention of the lead's left foot and follows right foot on the first quick step determining what count we are dancing on, they'd just be opposite. This video doesn't dive into that because ultimately, it's pretty unimportant, unless we're talking about coordinating a group for class, rueda, choreography, or you feel a song lends itself to a specific timing, but you'll see people dancing on both sides of the count in the various examples.

I was taking a private lesson from a cuban dancer, and when I was practicing some move, I had to stop because I noticed I confused 1 with 5. He said that he noticed but didn't say anything because they (cuban people) dance this way too. I was so surprised because I was scolded for this previously, and then he added, that they really dance to whatever the heck they hear or want :D and my jaw dropped and my whole perspective of the dance shifted again

great compilations!!! thanks for creating and educating the community!

Quick quick slow-ly (for those who are not familiar with quicks and slows AND are timing-wise not tuned in... the 'ly' part to the slow helps)

perfect timing for this video! and i’m lucky i found it. i have been wondering a lot about counts lately. thank you for this video, it was well done.

♠ Casino Fundamentals Digital Course * * * MAY ONLY * * * 1 virtual private class - FREE with purchase $99 w/ promo code KZfaq messinadance.com/casino

I am in Australia and learning Rueda in class using 123, 567. Thanks for showing the different sequences of numbers one can use.

Thank you for examplain very well cuban salsa 🙏🏽

Hey Steve, I love all your videos. You're such a good teacher! Would you consider making one on your version of "el uno".. only the one where the follow is in front of the lead and they don't step (as most versions online show), but rather go into another rhythem that they only do with their hips.. I guess it's a Casino "sensual style" element. I have seen you do it once in one of your clips.. I wonder if you could explain it.. especially the change in stepping / rhythm and how to get into / out of it. LOVE to your channel!

I saw a Cuban couple dancing on4 to the song Santa Palabra by NG la banda. They were consistent in their timing and had a lot of well executed advanced partnerwork.

💚💚💚

Good share. A tiempo and contratiempo are common. Ct.3 for some Songo music. I'd only seen ct.4 in this same clip. Like Dominican Bachata...I've seen it danced on any of 4 cts. Thanks!

Great video! What other "accents" do you know for dancing cuban popular music? Camaguey mentioned for example the clave accent, which is stepping on the 2-3 clave for example, making it an asymmetric pattern. I am very interested in your next video about steps and rythm, because I want to understand why the Songo for example is danced on 3 and 7 (345-781) because I cannot feel it, as I do it very easily for son on 234-678.

Amazing- as a follow I try to make my job to follow and have fun. Sometimes I feel off and uncomfortable and sometimes it feels right and comfortable- I am not sure what the difference is but I would guess if it goes with the song and if I have a good connection. I would like to think with a good connection it doesn’t matter. If I stay out of my head- then that helps. But if a follow keeps getting out of time- maybe favors the 1 or another time- how can we get back connected?