BEGINNING LEVEL (SALSA) RUEDA DE CASINO
the TRANSITION seciton is peculiar to outr teaching method, and very effective
Spanish and English calls, notes, translation
Videos: v1    :v2     v3
Background:
Rueda De Casino originated in Cuba's Havana or Santiago gambling casinos in the early 1960s. It represents a marraige of the European contradance and the recently emerged mambo craze. (Attributions to choreographer Jorge Alfaro are dubious, since he was born in 1960.) In those days, the term "Salsa" was not being used: the world still called the dance "Mambo." It became hugely poplular after a television performance in 1980. Soon, every neighborhood in Cuba had a mix of common patterns and unique moves. Rueda in Cuba has a history of cliqueishness. People from outside the "hood" could not participate, because they didn't know the local moves - this was intentional - go figure. And every single modern instructor everywhere in the world puts his/her own spin on it, creating patterns unique to the locale. The patterns vary from the complex, to the humorous, to the risque, to the downright weird. Yet, there are many moves in common. Oh yes, "Rueda" tanslates as "wheel," and "Casino" translates as "gambling club" - a club dance done in a rotating wheel formation. Many of the patterns have names that, when translated, are not descriptive by any stretch of the imagination - they are either totally fanciful, or idiomatic double entendre.

Kurt learned Rueda from Brian Bromka, upper New York State's foremost expert in Salsa and Rueda. Brian traveled to Cuba seven times in the last few years on USA research permits. Brian leads the huge Syracuse La Familia Salsa network.

STARTERS
Pa' al medio - Jockey step (touch step) "to the center" (some do step-touch)
un flaco - Tighter circle (one bigger step to center on 1) "a fat one"
un gorda - Looser circle (one bigger step to outside on 5) "a skinny one"
saca al agua del pozo - Water from the well (dip to center on 1) "take water from the well"
mas profundo - deeper
p'arriba - Go up (L forward, aka camina para delante aka tiempo de espana) "upstream"
p'abajo - Go down (L backward, aka camina para atras) "downstream"
tarro - New partner, guys go (L go under hand to next F) aka pegale un tarro "pot"
dos tarros - Skip to new partner - guys go (L go to next 2nd F) aka pegale dos tarros
un tarro para las mujeres - from abajo movement, new partner, women go (F go to next L) "taro by the women"
un tarro y mentira - Guys fake out (L under hand & return 2x8) "tarro and lie"
tarro con mano - New partner guys, keep the hand (L goes under, but keeps partner #1 hand)
    aka un tarro y no la sueltes aka tarro sin soltar "tarro with the hand"
sueltela - Re-connect (CP with current partner) "Get free"
muevete - Bigger steps "move it"
una bulla - Yell (hey! 5) "a rowdy noise"
slow bulla - Slow yell (start 5, rise to "hey": 1)
suena la - Stomp (stomp 5) "make a sound"
silencio - Silencio (shhh!:1)

TRANSITION (couples can easily dance independently once Dile Que No & Vuelta moves are mastered)
salsa -
standard "on 1" salsa breaks: Leaders left front, right back. Followers: Right back, left front)
al centro - To the center (from contra step, turn for 1, Leaders & Followers dance respective salsa steps)
la flor - "flower "aka rosa , all break to center un-partererd, with arms like a blooming flower
una nueva - "a new one (partner)" Peculiar to our elementary version, before we have learned guapea
   
from al centro, a cross body lead with the hands, resuming al centro.
   
VAR: nueva dos, nueva tres, nueva cuatro, etc.
una con una
- Clap once and give me one (clap:7, break step, dile que no) "one with one"
una con dos - Clap 2x and give me one (clap:78, break step, dile que no) "one with two"
una con tres - Clap 3x and give me one (clap:78 1, break step, dile que no) "one with three")
dos con dos - Clap 2x:78 and give me a 2nd "two with two"
dile que no dos - From closed position, 2 cross body leads with same partner returning to starting point
vuelta hombres - Leader's CW turn on 123
vuelta mujeres - Folower's CW turn on 567
   VAR: vueta lánguida - Leaders's Turn: 16 counts, Follower's Turn: 12 counts (ending with strong "1:)
   VAR: vuelta doble - double turn, each 1/2 is 4 counts
   VAR: la luna - after vuelta, continue to go around partner in 8 counts (moon goes around the earth).
revolución: Caller: "Que Queremos?" Response: "Liberdád!" (with fist in air)
    (repeat 3x, then caller says, "Por lo tanto, revolución!"
   
With cries of "Ay! Ay!" etc, couples break away into independent units dancing how they wish.
    Eventually, Caller returns to Pa' al medio with cry of "Juntos!"
    When everyone has returned, caller begins again with new rueda calls.

LEVEL ONE
contra - Contra step aka paso basico aka guapeando aka guapea "elegant" )
   leaders face downstream (CW), push breaks, L back left, forward right)
dile que no -
cross body lead to guapeando, (bring R partner to L) "tell her no"
dame
- aka dame otra, new partner "give me (a new one)" aka dame uno, aka dame otra
dame dos - Give me a 2nd (L walks 123 to 2nd new partner, then dile que no)
dame con los manos - 3 new ones (dame with hand connection, 3 in a row)
una con una - Clap once and give me one (clap:7, break step, dile que no) "one with one"
una con dos - Clap 2x and give me one (clap:78, break step, dile que no) "one with two"
una con tres - Clap 3x and give me one (clap:78 1, break step, dile que no) "one with three")
dos con dos - Clap 2x:78 and give me a 2nd "two with two"
enchufela (AKA enchufle) - in the door (inside turn, L: back walk walk, walk 123 to partner #2, break, dile que no)
enchufela doble - swinging doors (IT, OT, IT, then as above, L's all back breaks on these)

LEVEL TWO
para abajo - "Back & forth" (F on L's Right 123, to center (Right Outside Partner) 567 - L: Salsa breaks, F: back breaks
enchufela no te lleges - in the door and stay
    (IT, OT with no partner switch to dame or para abajo) "plug it"
enchufela complicado - enchufla, then rope turns (he goes, then she goes), end with dile que no (same partner)
tiempo espana - enchufle, then arriba patterns from "STARTERS" section at top
adios - Half pivot (1/2 couples turn, dame) "goodbye"
adios con la hermana - adios 123, L's OT switch places 567,enchufela 123,
   1/2 turn to CP 567, dile que no 123 567(same partner)
adios con la familia aka Prima Con la Famili a(start with adios con la hermana ,
    but link arms on 567 instead of bring her to L'
s R side, then do-si-do123 567 to dame "goodbye with the family"
foto - Photo (click & freeze:1, exit with "dame")
ni pa ti ni pa me - Two hands clap
   (hand claps new & prev. partner, center: 7&3, new partner:1, 1st partner:5)
fly - Fly ball (leader's turn CCW and all clap to next partner:1, as in pretending to catch a fly ball)
fly dos - 2 flies (2 claps to next partner:12) "fly two"
chevaria - Twist (123, away, towards, away partner #1) "fantastic"
pelota loca - from Al Centro( with push break guys, then girls)
     12345678:stomp clap stomp clap stomp clap clap clap, then dame

sombrero - from guapea, SH to 2SH enchufela hands behind heads (like swing "butterfly") then dile que no same partner

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