When you dance in the rueda de casino, the famous round dance, all the couples play the same score, performing the same steps and passes announced by a « madre ».
The names announced can be names of Cuban salsa passes, but also names of moves specific to the universal casino rueda system.
So let’s take a look at the most common names, with their translation and meaning, in this evolving article.
Here’s a fun YouTube video of enchufala variations in rueda:
Adios or Prima: goodbye or cousin
Adios, also known as Prima, is a movement or pass that consists in leaving one’s partner to fetch the next. Variations include :
- Adios con la hermana / prima con la hermana
- Adios con la familia / prima con la familia
- Adios con la tia / prima con la tia
- Etc.
Al centro et al medio: to go to the center and to the middle
The calls « al centro » and « al medio » are similar in that the dancer’s movement is towards the center. Only the steps differ between the two.
La chica et el chico: the girl and the boy
When a turn is announced with « la chica » it’s the girl who turns, and when a turn is announced with « el chico » it’s the boy who turns.
«los dos » can be announced so that both the girl and the boy turn.
Arriba: forward
In Spanish, when you go forward you « monte » (arriva) and when you go backward you « descend » (abajo).
In the closed position of tiempo de españa, for example, « arriba » means that the leader continues to mark his alternation by moving forward, turning the casino wheel.
Abajo: backwards
As discussed in « arriba », abajo literally means « descend » and en rueda go backwards.
Camina la: walk her
Here, it’s in the sense of strolling with one’s dance partner in the same direction.
The paseala is in a similar sense, but in opposite directions.
Coca-Cola
It could be that the woman’s turn illustrates the opening of a Coca-Cola bottle cap.
Lady: give me
We’ve done a full article on the meaning of the dame in salsa and its variants, which means « give me »… the next dancer, another partner.
Dile que no: tell her no
There are many explanatory versions of this classic movement in rueda, as well as in evening couple dancing (a must). It seems that the truth about the dile que no in Cuban salsa is the reference to the dancer Pedrito, who made a « non » nodding head when he performed this move.
But it’s also interesting to explain it by saying that the woman (follower) moves away from the man (leader) on beat 3 and marks her pause opposite to the man on beat 4 (marking the « non »: 1 = di, 2 = le, 3 = que, 4 = no), to finally return next to the man. This helps to explain the dance and tell a story. The woman can accentuate the « non » by turning her head away from the man.
El Uno: the first
Long ago, Cuban salsa rueda moves were numbered (e.g. 84, 70, 73,…). Then they were given names.
There’s no explanation for el uno, as there is for el dos, except that visually the leader is in one case alternating behind the follower and in the other case in front of her.
Enchufla: to connect
«enchuffe » means « brancher », but then we haven’t found a more telling explanation. Feel free to start this article if you have the visual or translational meaning of enchufala.
The enchufla can be announced « enchufla doble », in which case the movement is performed twice in succession.
Enchufala policia: enchufala police
The enchufala remains the same, but the leader stands in front of the follower and puts his hands in the air or behind his head, while the follower simulates a police search by clapping her hands from top to bottom of her body. The sequence ends with a lady.
Enchufla y zero: enchufla and zero
Here, on the other hand, while the enchufala remains mysterious, the zero can be illustrated by the movements of the dance partners, who move around each other, as if to form a 0.
In the same vein, enchufla y ocho (enchufla and 8) here forms an 8.
Exibela: show her
In the sense that the woman takes advantage of « to show off », to exhibit herself in the show sense.
Guapea: to show off or put on a show of beauty
We’ve already explained in all senses what the Cuban guapea is, a basic casino step (Cuban salsa) which, in a nutshell, consists of showing off by embellishing the basic step with styling, aguaje, etc.
Kentucky
This could come from Miami, a breeding ground for salsa dancing (Miami style).
No particular meaning in the execution of this movement.
Sombrero: large Mexican hat
A complete article explaining the sombrero pass is available.
The figure illustrates the large circular Mexican hat and the cap at the end, like two hats placed on the heads of dance partners.
Torito: small bull
The principle is that one arm is raised and the dancer passing underneath passes the head first, forward and slightly lowered, illustrating a charging bull.