Key Concepts in Rueda de Casino

This article is a first draft for trying to explain or reinforce key concepts about Rueda de Casino to those who are already learning rueda -- input is very welcome.

There are many resources on the internet covering Rueda also and I will work on listing those.

Rueda (as it is commonly called in Cuba) is a form of Casino style salsa danced in a circle with 2 or more couples who call out turns and exchange partners. One can not help but be impressed by a well constructed rueda where 2 or more couples seem to have a telepathic ability to simultaneously carry out complex turn patterns spontaneously. There are many variations and turns that are specific to various locales, but the two most common are styles are Cuban and Miami. The Miami style includes more decorative elements. 

The names of standard turns used by callers will often vary depending on where they learned casino. Rueda combines complex elegant turns with fun moves and lots of partner changes in either direction and is typically danced to lively upbeat salsa music such as Timba or pop salsa. There are also rueda versions of other latin dance styles like merengue andbachata however none are as widespread. Most terms in Rueda are called in Spanish or Spanglish but it does not require a fluency in Spanish to participate and many dancers rely mainly on memorization of terms.

In learning Rueda, experienced salseros learn much about the cuban dance styles on which Casino is based, Cuban music and open themselves up whole new approaches to dancing. Casino style is often referred to as circular style dancing and the L shaped pattern for followers on the enchufla and the vacilala open up many new options for movement around the floor.

A sample rueda which includes all the basic turns
 

Turns

There are a large number of standard and locale specific turns for rueda, but a few fundamental turns form the basis for the wheel. Often if one understands the fundamental turns and some Spanish it is possible to figure out some of the other turns on the spot by watching the leader. All turns have a name and some have accompanying hand signals. Hand signals are especially important when the music is loud or the circle is large.

Basics

Rueda can be danced on any count - most callers call with the leaders right foot moving forward on one; but it is up to the caller to established the timing and they may do so to emphasize different styles of dance within the rueda. Most every turn in rueda is based on the basic turns and  involves combining them into new exotic twists. Complex turns are important for leaders to learn. Followers must know and master the footwork, basic rules and patterns - otherwise they must be dragged around the circle to be in the correct position.

• Al medio [p'al medio] -- (to center) leaders initate a back and forth rocking into the center of the circle and to the outside while in tiempo espana (closed postion)
• Abajo -- leaders do a 1/8 turn back and forth movement while in tiempo espana (closed position)
• Dile que No (Tell her no) -- leaders initiate a cross body lead - leaders step across the followers at a diagonal while the followers execute an L shaped pattern on the cross body lead.
• Guapea - the cuban style basic where leaders and followers step together touching left to right hands and then apart while holding right to left hands. It is important that both dancer extend their hands and meet in the middle but do not allow their arms to collapse.
• Dame - (pronounced "dah mae") leaders complete their guapea and then turn and dile que no to the next partner
• Enchufla - leaders open break and pull partners across and then do a dile que no back to the original guapea position -- followers follow an L shaped pattern unique to Casino style salsa
• Adios - (Goodbye) similar to enchufla style turn where the leaders open break, pull partners towards them and then rotate around the partner and dame on to the next partner
• Vacilala - (watch her go) - Very prominent in the both the Casino and Miami style, leaders initate the follower to move across them while watching the follower walk. In Miami style the lead a is a "tap" on the 4 count which opens their partners body to the center of the circle and the leader steps to their left while the follower moves across the leader and they return to the guapea after a dile que no. Vacilala is generally taught as an advanced turn and is the basis for many complex turn patterns such as el dedo, montana, balsero, besito...
• Suena - (Make a sound) On the one count, everyone stamps their foot. This is a way of communicating and establishing the timing for the rueda. This is often called when the circle breaks down and synchronicity needs to be re-established.

Fun Moves

There are many fun moves in Rueda that generally require little knowledge of the calls, but make the dance fun and relevant to the locale. Unlike turns, most fun moves are learned simply through watching the leader and imitating them during a rueda. When calling to less experienced dancers, callers often use more "fun" moves than complex turns to make it easier and more fun for the dancers.

• Una Fly -- dancers imitate catching a fly ball on side opposite their partners
• Bing Bong - dancers bump hips with the person on opposite side of their partner
• Una Foto - dancers imitate taking a foto or posing for the photo with the person opposite their partner

Positioning

Rueda is about more than the sum of its turns. The caller must shape the rueda to the music and consider the level of the dancers.  The dancers must respond to the caller and truely interact with each other.

The shape of the circle in rueda is very important. You can tell if you are correctly spaced by looking at the couples across from you. If there are an even number of couples you should be directly across from each other, if there are an odd number of couples you should be directly across from a gap between two couples. Couples need to be properly positioned relative to each other and the circle, and all of the dancers need to be in sync with the leader and the music in order for the dames to work properly.

Synchronization

Dancers need to be careful to take exactly three steps in every 4 count otherwise they will not be on time or in position - you can not shuffle your feet in rueda. Casino style salsa emphasises forward movement. It is of utmost importance that the back-step be very short - almost in place - so that one can keep up with the tempo of the music and travel the distance between partners. Everyone must listen to and watch the caller and followers must follow the lead of their current leader at all times. In the Cuban cross body lead, the follower always moves in an L shaped pattern and the turns will not work properly without it.

The more precisely one learns the basics, the easier new turns are to learn. Leaders must be prepared to learn many turn patterns and be able top execute them instantly -- it takes a lot of work and repetition.

Leading & Following

As in all salsa styles, leaders lead patterns and followers must follow the lead. If followers learn the proper movement for Enchufla and Vacilala, from that point they can follow most any lead or style -- if they have the proper footwork. Arms must be very light and followers should pay special attention to not tug, pull or push on leaders because of the extensive use of decorative arm flourishes (a lardes) or hand movements and duck unders. How do you know if your hands/arms or light enough? They must feel effortless to the leaders and go everywhere the leaders want them to go but only as fast and as far as the leader chooses to go. Never anticipate. If you step backwards too far while following it will pull on the leader and throw off the turn.

Calling

Leaders or Followers can call out the turns and lead the rueda. Callers must both take care of their dancers and at the same time play with the music, the dancers and the turns. Often callers will add in new turns that no one else knows and make everyone imitate them or segue one turn into another without having a guapea in between. Some ruedas will emphasis the uniformity of movement and others will emphasize individual style and competition between the participants.

Where to Learn More

While one can often find ruedas at clubs, socials or parties in Ann Arbor or Detroit, there are only a few dance studios that hold regular lessons and have expert instructors.

MSalsa on the U of M Campus provides Rueda de Casino lessons on Mondays at the ballroom to during the fall and winter semesters. MSalsa emphasizes enchufla based patterns and cuban style dancing.

Energetic Soul in Clawson Michigan provides beginning classes through performance level training in both Miami and Cuban style Rueda. Artistic director Duane Wrenn is a leading casino and rueda instructor andperfomer in the Midwest US and he also creates many of his own turns.