Salsa basic step (New York style On2)

The salsa basic step is three steps, a pause, three steps, a pause. You count 8 beats of music but only step on 6 of them: 1, 2, 3, then 5, 6, 7. Below is the step for leaders and followers, count by count.

Why it's only 6 steps

Salsa music is counted in 8 beats. If you stepped on every beat, you'd be marching. Instead you take three steps, pause on 4, take three more, and pause on 8.

That pause is what gives salsa its rhythm: quick, quick, slow, quick, quick, slow. So when you practice, make sure you actually feel the pause. 1, 2, 3, pause, 5, 6, 7, pause.

The follower's basic step

1. 1: Right foot steps in place.
2. 2: Left foot steps forward.
3. 3: Right foot steps in place.
4. 4: Pause.
5. 5: Left foot comes back together.
6. 6: Right foot steps back.
7. 7: Left foot steps in place.
8. 8: Pause.

Say it out loud while you step: "together, forward, in place, together, back, in place."

The leader's basic step

It's the same step, mirrored. You start with the other foot and go the other way.

1. 1: Left foot steps in place.
2. 2: Right foot steps back.
3. 3: Left foot steps in place.
4. 4: Pause.
5. 5: Right foot comes back together.
6. 6: Left foot steps forward.
7. 7: Right foot steps in place.
8. 8: Pause.

Out loud: "together, back, in place, together, forward, in place."

Your feet just go left, right, left, right the whole time. You never step twice in a row with the same foot.

See it from above

This second video is filmed looking down at my feet, which makes it easier to copy. If you're watching on your phone, hold it down next to your feet so you're looking at it the same way.

In that video I use a cable on the floor to mark the middle. Every time I say "together," my feet come back to that line. You don't need one, but a cable, a piece of tape, or a line in the floor gives you something to feel, so you know when you're back in the middle.

How to practice it

1. Slow, with no music. Count out loud and get the order of the feet right.
2. Make the steps smaller. Once the order is right, shorten every step. Small steps are what let you keep up when the music is fast.
3. Count the music before you step. Put on a song and count 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 along with it before you move. If you're not sure where the 1 is, see how to find the salsa beat.
4. Step with the music. Once you're counting in the right place, start stepping on your 1.
5. Repeat it until you don't have to think. This is the most important step in the whole dance. Every other move gets easier once this one is automatic.

Common mistakes

• Stepping through the pause. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 with a step on every number. Three steps, pause. Three steps, pause.
• Big steps. They feel fine slowly. With fast music you won't have time to get back, and you'll fall behind the beat.
• Not coming back to the middle. "Together" means your feet come back under you. If you drift forward or back a little each time, you'll end up somewhere else on the floor.
• Stepping without counting the music first. Listen, find the count, then start. Not the other way around.
• Leaders: putting the heel down on the back step. On 2, step back on the ball of your foot and keep the heel up.

Separate videos for each part, if you want them: leader's timing and follower's timing.

Questions people ask

What is the basic step in salsa?

Three steps, a pause, three steps, a pause, over 8 beats of music. In New York style On2, the leader steps in place, back, in place, then together, forward, in place. The follower does the mirror image.

Why do you skip 4 and 8 in salsa?

The music has 8 beats, but the basic step only has 6 steps. You pause on 4 and 8. That pause is what gives salsa its quick, quick, slow rhythm.

What is the difference between the On1 and On2 basic step?

Both use 6 steps over 8 beats. The difference is when you take the forward or back step. On1 breaks on 1. On2 breaks on 2, which is the step on this page.

Should I learn the leader's or follower's basic step?

Learn the part you'll dance. It's the same step either way, just mirrored, so learning one makes the other easy to pick up later.