Hi Sean,

Firstly, Samantha and Patrick are awesome dancers, i love to watch them they have fantastic energy and are full of character.

You should look at post by Hugh1a some time ago entitled "And then there was Paula Abdul..." he asks the on1 vs on2 question, and got some good answers. You will see my opinion there too about styles and music. For me, i feel the style from the music. I wont say any style is better than another, but they are all different.

As for inline looking like it lacks energy, and they guy not moving, well, i suggest you watch some other dancers.

Generally, as inline dancers, the music is less hard hitting, and a little bit slower and in my opinion, so interpreting less inergetic music may result in a calmer output on the dancefloor, and most NY stlye dancers, aspire for a smooth, sleek, effortless looking style, rather than fast and frantic.

Heres one of my favorite dancers, Shaka Brown, note the musical interpretation, and smoothness of his style:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfFoB2ZAu2g&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w63eJri7bbM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1-UpmmMeWo&feature=related

Peace and Love,
Tom

When I started I learned On1 and that's what I'd normally dance now.  I've done a small bit of On2 and would love to learn some Cuban but there's no outlet for it in Cork at the moment.  I find the Cuban style really appealing, but like Tom said I don't think there's necessarily anything inherently more sensual about the style itself - rather it's all down to the people who dance it.  I've seen some people dancing online with fantastic energy and great, sensual body movement, and I've seen some people dancing Cuban as if they're half asleep.  And of course the opposite is also true.

There are definitely aspects of each style that suit a particular type of music better than others - sorry now, I don't have the musical vocabulary, but I think the connection you have with the floor when dancing on line is easier fitted to smoother, slower tracks, whereas the Cuban style suits music with a more assertive, more insistent beat.  I think the best thing for anyone to do is to try each style and take what you like from each, be it On1, On2, Cuban, hip-hop, swing, street-dance or drunken Paddy dancing - at the end of the day it's all just moving to music.  Without falling over.

p.s.  Patrick and Samantha are cooool B-)

Sean said

>The feeling I get from some people is they see Cuban as being easy and boring, that On1 is much harder, and On2 is the next level for a dancer

That perception is out there, but like you, I think its wrong. Good Cuban dancers are a joy to watch on the dancefloor (esp Patrick & Samantha!), there is a general emphasis on body movement (Afro-Cuban stuff) that seems to go beyond what you get in other styles, and there does tend to be a real "good fun" vibe about the whole thing. (On the body movement point - I was watching a DVD where Edie the Salsa Freak pointed out that if women are doing a lot of spinning, as is popular in "inline" salsa, then her posture will be too upright for a lot of upper body movement in her dancing).

I think the perception maybe comes from a poor man's understanding of what Cuban salsa is - people learn a handful of Rueda moves, and thats about it. For a lot of people, "Cuban salsa" means a long stream of "you go, I go" turns - but I would now think of that as more distinctive of Cumbia rather than Cuban. In fairness, that is fairly basic stuff, and most Cross Body Salsa teachers will try to get you out of the way of it if you're going to improve at LA or NY style. Theres a lot more to Cuban Salsa than this as well. 

But much of it depends on what is available in your area. In Belfast, we have a lot of Rueda addicts (myself included), but not much really good Cuban dancing as yet - and so I mainly stick to CrossBody stuff for partner dancing. Galway seems to be spoilt for choice on the Cuban front. Other parts of the country will be different.

My favourites are NY style and Cuban style - NY for its flowing elegance, and the synchopation of the "on2" dancing; Cuban for its laid back swagger and fun personality. (Just a shame that both of them are less common than the "trying too hard" exhibitionism of "on1" LA style! Cue further debate!!!)