Rueda In the Square
About rueda in the square
Please come and join us for Rueda!
Rueda means "wheel" in Spanish and Rueda de Casino is a cuban style of salsa in which pairs of people dance in a wheel (circle) with a number of moves called by a caller.
We dance in a "rueda" in Prince's Square if it doesn't rain or in Civic Square if it rains.
It's fun to dance and watch and easy to learn.
Anyone is welcome to join us!
We dance on the bitumen next to the fountain so DO NOT wear your favourite shoes.
You may ruin them.
Rueda moves
Here is the list of Rueda Moves we have done so far.
Click the move to watch the related YouTube video. Watch it until it shows up in your dream (^_^;
Moves in Open Position
(basic step & Dame variations)
Dame Variations
Moves in Open Position
(Enchufla / Enchufla + α)
Pelota una / Pelota dos / Pelota tres
Principe bueno / Principe malo
Por mi, por ti
New York / New York Complicado
Enchufla y Al medio / derecha /izquerda / mujeres derecha / mujeres izquerda
El plate
Police woman
Vamos al medio
Taxi / Dos taxi
El indio
Enchufla con ....
Moves in Open Position
(other moves)
Moves in Open Position
(La prima / La prima + α)
Opening Moves
which begins with El Pozo in closed position
(Dame) Un Tarro
puts the follows right arm up and pulls themselves under going to next follow.
Adentro y afuera
Leads step inside and follows step back outside on 1 and leads step outside and follows step back inside on 5.
Exhibela
On 1 the leader slightly pushes the follower back and to the right. This is the lead. Follower steps in place On 1 with right foot. On 2 goes forward, and a bit in a clock wise angle with left foot.On 3 steps with right foot a bit to the right, thus performing ½ a right turn.On 5 follower steps with left foot towards the leader, making about ¼ of a turn.On 6 follower steps with right foot close to the leader, thus completing the remaining ¼ of the turn.On 7 follower steps with left foot almost in place, returning to the starting position.Follower should imagine walking around something in a circle. The lead comes On 1, when leader leads the follower to start the turn, and during the whole turn, slightly moving the follower around clock wise. Another point critical to the lead is On 5, when leader should slightly pull follower towards it. Lead should be very gentle. Note to leaders! Don’t spin, don’t turn, just “escort” the follower during the turn.
Se viró
When leads are walking in the anti-clockwise direction (arriba), leads turn right and start walking in the clockwise direction. After another "se viró", leads turn right and start walking in the anti-clockwise direction.
Dile Que No
Lead open up the bodies and send follows to the left side on 5, 6, 7.
Arriba - Leads walking forward and follows walking backward
Abajo - Leads walking backward and follows walking forward
Arriba y Abajo - salsa basic steps
Moves in open position
(a lead is on the right and a follow is on the left)
Guapea
Rueda basic steps.
Dame variations
Dame (Dame una)
leads move to the follows on the right side and do dile que no. We call "Dame una" simply "Dame".
Dame dos
Leads move to the second follows on the right side (skip right next to them) and do dile que no.
Dos con dos
same as Dame dos, but with two claps on 7 and 8.
Dos con cuba
same as dame dos but leads keep holding follows right hands until leads go through the loops.
Dame con una
same as dame (una) but with one clap on 7.
Dame con dos
same as dame (una) but with two claps on 7, 8
Dame con tres
same as dame (una) but with two claps on 7, 8 and 1.
Festival de dame
dame con una, dame con dos, and dame con tres in a row.
Dame p'atrás
After guapea On 1, 2, 3 and 5, a lead turns left and moves to the next follow.
Dame (una arriba) y una abajo - Leads go back to the privious follows after dame (una)
Dame dos (arriba) y una abajo - After dame dos, leads move to the follows on the left side.
Enchufla / Enchufla + α
Pelota Una, Dos and Tres
Pelota Una: Enchufla, and before getting to the next follow, clap once on 7
Pelota Dos: Enchufla, and before getting to the next follow, clap twice on 7 and 8
Pelota Tres: Enchufla, and before getting to the next follow, clap three times on 7, 8 and 1
Festival de Enchufla
Pelota una, Pelota dos and then Pelota tres
Tumba Francesa
After enchufla, a lead changes hands, walks anti-clockwise in the circle and clasps the next follow's left hand on 1. When a follow is walking forward (clockwise in the circle), the follow keeps walking forward, holds the next follow's right hand on 5, takes the next follow's left hand on 1, catches the next follow's right hand on 5, changing hands and staying with the follow. Then, enchufla y dile que no.
Enchufla com mambo
Following Enchufla, continue with Mambo for 8 counts (tap on 1, 3, 5, 7, 1, 3, 5, 7) while traveling to next partner. Leads start with left foot. Follows start with right foot.
Principe bueno / Principe malo
(Principe bueno - good prince)
After enchufla, leads (pretend to) kiss the follower hand on 7, and walk to the next follows.
(Principe malo - bad prince)
After enchufla, leads (pretends to) slap follows' butts with the right hand on 7 and walk to the next follows.
Por mi, por ti
After enchula, a lead lifts the follow's right arm on 6 and walks through under arm on 7. Dile que no on the next 8 counts but the follow leads the lead and then the lead does dile que no for the follow on the next 8 counts.
Kentucky
Start with an Enchufala Doble, with the lead's left arm go over the follow's head on 1-2-3, and the right arm staying low, and on the 5-6-7 the right arm goes high, and left arm moves to follow's neck, near its right shoulder. On 1-2-3 of the 2nd count, perform an Enchufala during which the right arm goes over the follow's head and the hand is placed on the its left shoulder, and the left stays on its neck. On 5-6-7 the lead lifts the left arm and turns to right, and thus the leader “wraps” itself with its right arm.
Babosa
A lead does enchufla with both left and right hands but stay on the spot and bring a follow in front (the follow faces the centre of circle). The lead releases the left hand, pull the follow's left hand with the lead's right hand and send her to her next lead. Without basic steps, leads do enchufla y dile que no with the follows on the left side.
Enchufla y Quedate, Sacala
Enchufla motion then flat palm horizontal to ground indicating to stay
Amistad
1st count is an Enchufala on 1-2-3, with leaders going to the center of the Rueda, and switching hold to right to right on 5-6-7.
On the 2nd count leaders perform Dile Que No, during which, on 5-6-7, the followers are “wrapped” by leaders right hands, which are on the followers necks.
During the 3rd count, leaders turn the followers to the right twice; once on 1-2-3, and another time on 5-6-7.
On the 4th count comes a Dile Que No, during which leaders raise their left arms on 3, and lead the followers go under them on 5-6-7, thus moving to the next follower in the Rueda.
If the cantante does not call “otra”, which means “again”, end the move with a Dile Que No on the 5th count.
Prima / Prima + α
La prima
A lead steps in to the right side of the follow on 3, walks around her on 5, 6, 7. A lead lifts the follow's right arm between 6 and 7 and walk to the next follow.
Prima doble
After prima, a lead stays with the same follow, continues to step around her on 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and walk to the next partner.
(La prima) con la hermana
La prima, followed by enchufla and move to the next partners
La familia (or hasta la tia)
La prima first, enchufla next and then a lead hooks arm and leads the follow around for an eight count before going to next follow to the right.
Other moves
vacílala
On 1 there must be Contra. This is achieved by giving the follow a slight pull inside on 7 of the previous count.
On 1-2-3 the follow walks a clock wise turn. the lead lets go of the hand on 2. THE TURN IS NOT A SPIN!!! Like all other turns in Cuban Salsa is performed walking in circles. Also the circle should complete one and a half turns. Meanwhile the lead steps in place and turns just a bit in order to be infront of the follower when she is finishing her turn.
On 5-6-7 the couple comes together to closed position.
vacílala completa
After a follow faces the lead, the lead walks around the follow and the follow stays on the spot with open breaks during 8 counts and then dile que no.
Sombrero
Start with Vacilala from a right to right hold, in which the right arms are above the left arms. On 5-6-7 finish with the “crossed hand ending”..
Sombrero com mambo
After sombrero, the lead keeps holing the follow's left hand and does a mambo step with 4 taps.
Echevarria
After guapea by count 6, a lead turns the knees to right and a follow turns the knees to left on 7, turns to the opposite side on 1, to another side on 2 and to the other side on 3. Guapea on 5, 6 7.
El uno / el dos (cubanita / cubanito)
El uno
woman moves side to side in front of her partner.
El dos
man goes side to side in front of his partner. This ends with dame, el uno, or a complete sombrero step.
Dile que si
A lead uses his left arm to turn the follow and the follow turns as the same as she does in vacilala or sombrero. then arriba (walk anti-clockwise)