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Pass the Partner!
On a recent visit to a Wednesday
night at ‘Salsa’ on Charing Cross Road in London,
I was dragged, without warning, into a Rueda which had formed
spontaneously in the middle of the dance floor.
It was the sound of a particular
modern and very popular Cuban tune, strategically put on by
the DJ, which had provoked the formation of seven or more
couples into a vibrant display of musical ‘pass the
partner’. With my general knowledge of Rueda at the
ready and one eye firmly glued to the ‘caller’
I managed to make it to the end without too much disruption
to the rest of the group (who had obviously stepped out of
a Rueda class earlier that evening). It was an invigorating
challenge and for me added a special touch to the whole evening.
I subsequently came across
an article, whilst flicking through a couple of files the
following day, which gave an accurate description of Rueda
de Casino (Casino style Rueda). Following a successful lecture
on this subject given by present members of the Club Dance
Faculty at a Worthing Congress some time ago, Rueda classes
and courses have sprung up all over the country.
What is Casino Rueda?
During the 1950's a dance called
Casino Rueda, or Rueda de Casino, or simply Rueda became popular
in Cuba. It started in El Casino Deportivo, a Havana social
club. The name Casino, which comes from the social club in
which the dance began, refers to the style of dancing. It
incorporates the kinds of turns and steps you would normally
do in ordinary salsa dancing, but what makes Casino Rueda
unique is that the dancing is done in a circle or wheel, as
a group.
In Rueda the ‘followers’
are passed around in the circle by the rapid exchange of partners
by the ‘leaders’ and numerous complicated moves
are danced in synchronization, all to the beat of Salsa music.
Each move has a name and many have hand signals which are
called by the ‘leader’. Moves, which are also
known as ‘calls’, are sometimes made in extremely
quick succession, creating a very dynamic and exciting atmosphere
for everyone involved. Hand signals are designed for people
to be able to dance a Rueda in a loud club setting. In addition,
Rueda allows many to take part in the action! As few as two
couples can dance Casino Rueda with numbers being limited
only by the space available.. sometimes as many as fifty couples
dance the Rueda, even in circles within circles!
A
wonderful new group dynamic develops when dancing Casino Rueda.
There is a heightened level of awareness, unmatched in other
dances, required by the group for the dance to look stylish,
flow smoothly, and above all, remain entertaining and fun
for those dancing and even for those watching! Dancers learn
to extend their sphere of awareness, their peripheral vision,
beyond the normal restricted space of solo or partner dancing.
In this way, dancers coordinate and adjust their individual
feel, timing and style in order to make the Rueda work. It
is exhilarating when the entire Rueda is moving smoothly and
on beat! A unique group atmosphere develops as you feel the
whole Rueda flow and listen to the wonderful Afro-Cuban/Latin-American
music - it is, quite simply, an exciting dance which is fun
to do and a pleasure to watch.
Richard
Marcel
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