How to Find the Beat to a Salsa Song | Salsa Dancing

Watch more How to Dance Salsa videos: www.howcast.com/videos/496857-...
Hi. My name is Jorday Rivera, and I'm an expert in Salsa. I own two dance studios in Queens, New York. We're going to be learning a progression of Salsa moves so that we could actually go out, practice, take it to the clubs, take it to a party, and you could show off all the great moves you've learned.
Whenever you want to find the beat to any Salsa song, you want to look for the clave. It's pretty much the downbeat, the two and the sixes: tu tum PAH, tu tum PAH. In any single Salsa song, that's where you're going to find your time, and you're going to find that beat. You want to pretty much hit every accent, every clave point on every single beat of the song.
When you hit those beats, you're pretty much going to be defining on your two and your six. Whenever I demonstrate in the videos, I'm going to tell you to define on certain steps. Your two is going to be pretty much your left leg, and your six pretty much is going to be back. Pretty much, you define those steps so your partner is going to be able to fall into those slots. So, pretty much you're going to have a better and smoother rhythm that way.
You cannot dance Salsa to any single song. There's different beats, different melodies, different tempos. Salsa is meant specifically to be danced to either Mambo a Mambo, or Salsa. So, you cannot dance Salsa to Meringue, to belly dancing, that doesn't work. You have to dance to the percussion. There's a certain piece or instruments that are in the song and in the rhythm in order for you to dance Salsa.

[@DaegSteorra513]

These would be even better if they were shot from the back so it was easier to figure out which foot to be on.

[@LuckyCuban]

This isn’t to be rude but constructive criticism...
Everything she just said is completely wrong and frankly irresponsible to even talk on the topic when you have no idea what you’re talking about. Perhaps you’re a wonderful instructor when it comes to steps but please stop putting incorrect information out there that confuses people about rhythm and timing.
Yes, some people refer to the “1” as the down beat but it’s not actually a true statement because down beats are all the odd beats. 1,3,5,7 and up beats are the 2,4,6,8.
The cu cu pa she was referring to is the sound that comes from the conga and that rhythm is called the tumbao and is NOT the one or the down beat like she’s referring to or the clave.
Additionally, the clave is a completely separate instrument and rhythm that falls on completely different beats.
She just spoke of all three of these things being the same thing or equal to each other and they are definitely not.
Rhythm and timing in Salsa is actually a very simple and concrete subject when taught by professionals that have the knowledge of what they are teaching. If you don’t see progress in this area please seek out someone who specializes in it and can help because they are out there.

[@vehuelste]

Woow!!

[@Javster]

Unless your dancing on 1, where you'll be hitting the 1 and the 5

[@cisco845]

So pretty much..

[@Bigpoppaabe8]

the cu tum pa is the tumbao not the clave

[@fausto412]

The clave is there even when not explicitly played with the musical instrument.

[@Bigpoppaabe8]

yes it does but a clave is not the downbeats or the 2s or the cu cun pa. The most typical clave is a son clave with 2/3 direction which lands on counts 2, 3, 5, (6 1/2), 8. When did I say that there was no clave????

[@respeezy]

Pretty old but would still hit it.

[@gamesmoney1025]

shes caliente

[@Bwabbledabble]

That was basic? Sheesh 😂 epic fail for me