Rueda Moves and Helpful Tips

Click here for verbal description of Casino Rueda Steps

Click here for Barb's helpful tips for Rueda dancing

Click here for guidance on learning to dance

Click here for Barb's instructional chants for Rueda moves

Click here for a Syllabus of Rueda steps organized by levels

by Barb Bernstein

Please note that this listing is intended as a "tool" to supplement class training in the dance Casino Rueda, a group form of Salsa dancing.  And if you want to review the most basic moves after an initial Rueda class, check out the "Instructional Videos" page.  That has guapea (the basic Rueda step), Dame una, and Enchufla illustrated and explained for both leaders and followers. Then the moves are done in partnership. This makes an excellent supplement to the verbal descriptions below!  And note that there are many more intermediate and advanced moves currently being prepared for website video clips.  So lots of moves should be available on video to review soon!

In addition, you can check out the "Many more performance videos" page.  After putting up some clips from shows, I went through and listed the Rueda moves in order that you see on those clips so that students can see a video review of any moves that are on the video.  The moves that are on one video or another are:  balsero y beso, dames, the group move that has the guys and girls turning and starts with dame con las manos, sombrero, enchufla doble, siete, pa ti pa mi, sombrero de manny, and exhibe.  Look through the Rueda videos and you can find each of these moves!

The descriptions below outline many of the moves as they are described in my Rueda class, to help jog students' memories. In short, this is meant to be a tool to assist you, not a complete verbal description of the steps!

Furthermore, the more complex a move is, the harder it is to describe in words. For that reason, many advanced moves are just listed rather than described.

(To read an article published in a dance magazine about Casino Rueda, click here.)

You can choose one of the following categories:

• Basic and Intermediate Step List with Descriptions
• List of Additional Advanced Steps
• Flashy Rueda Steps (created by Heidy Garcia) Described in Detail
• Steps Organized by Levels into a Syllabus

Introductory Steps:

• Al medio - lean in, tap, and lean out, and tap
• Suena - stomp (on beat 5)
• Suena con bulla - stomp and shout (on beat 5)
• Bulla - shout (usually a loud "Hey" on beat 5)
• Bulla Doble - Shout twice (usually "Hey, Hey" on beats 5 and 6)
• Abajo - man does two side/forward rocks and woman does two back rocks
• Exhibe - man leads the lady to go into the center, turn, and come back out
• Enrosca - a series of cross body leads that move partners in a circle (not going into guapea)
• Dile que no - cross body lead to get into the rueda basic (which is called "guapea")

Guapea-

the rueda basic where both partners go back and forward at the same time (instead of moving together in the same direction like most partnership dancing) Guys go forward on their right foot and back with their left.   Women go forward with their left and back on their right.

Dame una-

Leader advances to next partner going counter-clockwise around the circle.  (When I teach this, I talk the move through as follows:  "In and face the center; travel and face the center; cross body lead."  Each set of words between the semi-colons represents 4 beats of music which is three steps.)

Dame dos-

Leader skips one woman and advances to the woman after her--the timing is the same as dame una. (I talk this through the same way as dame una. The only difference is guys are moving further to get to their next partner.)

Dame Con Vuelta-

Leader turns outside the circle (a left turn) and leads the lady to turn right. She also faces outside the circle as she turns.  Ladies end by facing the center and leaders stop turning when they face the next partner they are picking up.  Then leaders move to the new partner and do a cross body lead to "pick her up." (I talk this through as follows:  "Turn turn turn; travel and center, cross body lead" when I'm teaching it.)

Dame arriba-

Leader moves back "upstream" to the woman he just left (going clockwise instead of counter-clockwise as usual in rueda) This is rhythmically the same way as dame una, but the guy is picking up the partner he "just left." Note that he must really travel fast to get to the "upstream partner" and be standing beside her, facing the center so he is ready to initiate the cross body lead at the proper time.  He actually is facing in the direction of movement toward her on beat 7 prior to moving.

Enchufla-

man leads the lady in an underarm turn and then goes to the next partner

Enchufla doble-

man leads the lady in an underarm turn and then braces her and sends her back. Then do enchufla (see above).

Festival de enchufla-

Three enchufla steps with no basics in between. Do enchufla and when you get to the new partner, do another enchufla without any basic step, and then do the same thing one last time. Each enchufla is with a new partner. Claps are often added- once after the first enchufla, twice after the second and three after the third.

Adios con la hermana-

starts like adios, then do two enchuflas and then the prep for the cross body lead ("CBL"), ending with the cross body lead. Note there is no partner exchange on this step.

Pa ti pa mi-

enchufla for the lady, then enchufla for the guy (he backs into the circle), then enchufla for the lady (she backs into the circle). So this is three enchuflas in a row with no partner exchange. Then both partners face the center of the circle and do a cross body lead to return to the basic step.

Dame con las manos-

men lead ladies in successive cross body leads. Move several ladies clockwise around the circle that way. Do the usual cross body to go back into basic if dile que no is called. Otherwise, the move can go on as follows:

La tranca-turn the women in and out of the circle while everyone in the circle is still holding hands.

Hombres-men turn in and out of circle as well as the followers.

This move can end with a final call of "enchufla" as well as other ways.

Enchufla y arriba-

exactly like enchufla but you go "upstream" to the lady you were just dancing with, instead of going counter-clockwise (as usual).

Dame Dos-

Same as Dame una except the leader skips the next partner in the circle and moves to the partner after that.

Dame Tres-

like dame dos, but skip two women and go to the third.

Festival de adios-

same as festival de enchufa but do the adios move instead. (i.e. three times with different partners and no basic in between)

Toda la familia-

This is like adios con la hermana except you cut the move short and instead of doing the cross body lead, the guy and girl link arms and walk around each other for 8 beats.  After that, the guy dames to the next partner.

festival de enchufla New York-

The moves gets its name from a NY rueda group that does it!  They do the "regular" festival de enchufla move with enchufla three times and no basics in between.  But they also do another form of festival move where each time they go to a new partner, the step is a little longer and more complex.  So in this move, you do enchufla with the first partner and enchufla doble with the second.  With the last partner you do pa ti pa mi but cut it short and move to the new partner before the cross body lead.

Festival de adios New York-

The concept here is the same as in festival de enchufla New York.  Each time you switch partners, the move becomes somewhat more complex.  First you do adios, then adios con la hermana, but cut that short and instead of doing a cross body lead, the guy moves on to the next partner.  With the last partner you do toda la familia.

El uno-

woman moves side to side in front of her partner 4 times, and it ends like the ending of sombrero--with the arms overhead in position often referred to as "putting on a sombrero hat."

Sombrero-

Footwork is like vacila (see that step later in this write up), but in vacila you release both hands, and in sombrero you hold both hands. Starts with a tap on the 8th beat and then the woman does 2 turns in the 8 beat phrase. Ends with arms overhead, again in a position referred to as "putting on a sombrero hat."

El dos-

man goes side to side 4 times in front of his partner. This ends with a complete sombrero step.

Uno y dos-

starts like uno. Go back and forth just twice however. Then man goes under the lady's arm and comes in front for the "dos" part. Go back and forth 4 times, doing the complete "el dos" step.

Kentucky-

man is off to lady's side and behind her. His left arm goes to her waist, then to her shoulder. He turns, facing the center of circle.  One arm goes over his head, both partners facing the center, as he turns around and faces the center again, doing the preparation for the cross body lead, and then the cross body lead itself.

Siete-

from the tap on the 8th beat; man curls the lady in. There is another tap and the lady curls back out. Eight counts all together.

Siete Richmond-

   same as siete but do the siete move twice.  It is so named because this is how the Richmond Rueda group does siete!

Siete doble-

starts with the tap on 8th beat. It's just like siete but both partners "curl in."

Siete moderno-

siete with man changing which of the lady's hands he is holding. Then he turns her like a coca cola turn.

Siete con coca cola-

siete with a "coke" turn (which is similar to a couple of cross body leads). To make this move work, before executing the turn, the man needs to get his back to the center of the circle.

Siete pose-

   This is like siete con coca cola except at the end of the move, the girl turns to face the audience and on beat one takes a final pose.  Guys over turns his last move so he is facing the audience and also poses on beat one.  It is a nice way to end a rueda if there is an audience watching; it enables dancers to face outwards so they are relating to the audience.

Con Coca Cola-

"Coke" turns can be added to the end of many steps to embellish or "enrich" the step. Often done after a dame or any step that ends with the a cross body lead. The turn actually begins just as the cross body lead would be initiated.

Izquierda-

Man leads an outside turn and then does enchufla, advancing to next partner.

Balsero-

starts like sombrero, but bring the lady around behind you so she is back where she began after 8 beats, then do a sombrero. Girl circles around the guy one and a half times all together. To make this move work, the leader and follower think in terms of changing sides in relation to each other a number of times while still facing the center.

Enchufa al medio con dos-

starts with enchufa. Then guy goes in to the center and back out to his right, around one girl. Girls go into the center and out, without going around any guys, but turning and clapping twice. This is a group move.

La flor-raise arms up overhead and bring them down in a circular motion. Guys and girls each do this 3 times.

Treinta y tres---guys move into center and then back, around a girl to their right 3 times. Girls do the same thing 3 times, going to the left. Clap once the first time, twice the second time and three claps the third time. Then guys pick up the next girl and go back to guapea.

El zipper-

On beat 5 (on the forward rock), you do a three count body ripple. Then do a back rock to resume basic. The tricky part is after the call, go forward for the forward rock in the basic and then the ripple occurs on the following forward rock. So there is a long lag between the call and the move.

Pelota loco-

Starts like enchufa. Do stomp, clap, stomp, clap stomp, clap clap clap. Then pick up the next girl. Note you are on the "wrong" foot, so just make the adjustment to the correct foot. Think of being evenly weighted when you do the clapping, and that minimizes the issue of which foot you are on.

Pelota con dos-  

Starts like the above step, but the rhythm of the claps is just :stomp stomp clap clap (totalling 8 beats so each stomp and clap "lasts" 2 beats).

pelota con clave-

Same as above again, but you do no stomps, only claps.  You clap the "3-2 clave rhythm."  This is done in 8 beats all together.  Claps are on beats one, two and a half, four, six and seven.   This is a great way to learn and practice the clave rhythm!!

Setenta-

This begins with the tap on the 8th beat, but the hands do not go into the cross hand hold. You turn her around in a circle getting into the hammerlock position. Then backrock and unwind, ending with a drape. There is an optional alarde in this move which styles it nicely.

Vacila-

Like sombrero but without holding hands. Woman walks through two full turns, starting on man's left and ending on his right. The follower has to know this step; it's not leadable due to lack of contact. Ends with CBL into guapea.

Vacila dame una-

A vacila plus at the end, guy advances to next partner in a dame.

Vacilense los dos-

a vacila but the guy also does a turn during the second measure of the lady's turns. (A measure is 4 beats of music.)

Vacila extended-

Four vacila dame unas in a row with no basic in between.  Clap after each one like in the festival moves to help you keep track of how many you've done!  The trick in this is to do the tap on the 8th beat after doing the cross body lead on beats 5, 6, and 7 that end the step.  That 8th beat tap is the beginning of the next vacila dame una.  It requires that the lady be prepared to change direction quickly.

Enchufla extended-

This starts with enchufla, then do pa' ti pa' mi, and then festival de enchufla

Beso-

starts with a cross hand-hold and the tap. Bring the girl around the guy and he turns to face her; but the trick is he keeps his right hand low and uses left hand for an alarde while he leans in for an "air kiss." This move is hard to describe entirely with words, but that is the key part.

Abrazala-

the same move as beso but you hold only one hand.

Dedo-

This is hard to describe as it is a relatively long move.  It's done in a one-handed cross hand-hold.  Guy leads with his right hand. When I teach this, here is how I "talk it through."  "Turn turn turn (the girl is turned in 4 beats), dead space (step in place for 4 beats), swing and turn (4 beats), rondee for the guy (4 beats), back rock enchufla (4 beats), quick quick slow (4 beats), in to the center (guy steps in toward center of circle and then in place--4 beats total), cross body lead (guy leads lady back to guapea position which takes 4 beats).

Montana-

This is exactly the same as dedo except that you hold both hands in the cross-hand-hold position.  Guy's right is over his left hand.

Dedo extended-

This is dedo right into montana with no basic in between.  You have to do the tap on beat 8 right after the cross body lead that ends dedo.  After that tap, go right into montana.  This is a simple way to make a lovely, longer step.  Great for early intermediate dancers who want to look good!!

Balsero y beso-

you begin with a balerso but after the first full turn, truncate the balsero move and then do a complete beso.

Puente-

This fantastic move is a cross between a group move and a move done by a couple. It is done in pairs of couples. You determine the pairs by counting off from the caller, going in the usual counter-clockwise direction. If you have an odd number of couples, the last couple just does the basic or something simple in place. (When several puentes are done in a row, the same couple isn't always left out.) The move starts with enchufla. The leader changes which hand is holding his follower's hand. Then he joins his free hand with the hand of the leader he is paired with for the move and they face each other. They create a high "bridge" with their joined hands and followers go under the bridge twice---back and forth. The second time the girls go under, they are turned as they come out of the bridge. Then do three steps in place, followed by a dame una done just between the pairs of couples that created the bridge together. Then you reform the circle. Note that I will call this move twice, 8 beats apart. The first call alerts you that the move is coming so you can count off the pairs. The second time is the actual call to do the step.

La Confusion-

This move is a vacilla followed by three successive cross body leads. To get the correct momentum, do the taps on the beats before the CBLs. When the move ends, we are in gender reversed position and dance some steps this way. Then La Confusion is called again to switch back

Vacila Shine:

This starts with Vacila, and in the first set of 8 beats, the followers take an extra step on beat 8 to be on the same foot as the leaders. Then they do the basic step with a flair on beat 7, suzy Qs, 8 beats of pointing where you step with a bent knee on beats 1, 3, 5, and 7 and point out to the side on 2, 4, 6, and 8. Then do a basic step with followers doing a turn on 7 and presenting their hip to the audience on 8 as they finish the turn. Guys do swivel steps on 1, 2, and 3 going forward and then turn left of 5, 6 and 7. Then both leads and followers do side rocks with shoulder rolls for 12 beats. We repeat the shine twice. Then followers step on beat 8 again to be on the opposite foot from the leaders at the end of the shine; and then they do a CBL to return to guapea.  This move is cute and not difficult, but it's a little fast so you have to know the shine well!

In addition to the above, there are many more Rueda steps such as these:

pasea
dame y pasea
foto
besito
casate (enchufla y casate)
medio (enchufla al medio con dos)
zero
ocho
La flor
vacila entrada
puente
dedo/puente
dedo loco
candado
candado pa' ti
candado sencillo
tarro
tarro de mentira
abanico
dedo por debajo
setenta complicado
setenta con ganchos
three way stop
yogurt
pa' ti pa'lante
sambuca
dame rueda
juana La Mexicana
juana La Cubana
cadeneta
la Victoria
Kentucky Complicado
sombrero doble
sombrero de regnier
siete loco
setenta nuevo
siete loco complicado
uno complicado
puente complicado
kiwi
tres sabores
el suave
Kentucky complicado
arco iris
amistad
La Jenny
siete setenta
el sabor
avioneta
dedo saboreado
el classico
bebe
"It" (uno complicado linked to puente complicado)
la cuadra
El Lipton
El Sordo
Azuquita
La Sueter
Havana
Exhibe con Gancho
Rumbera
Straight Jacket
Beso Complicado
Besito Largo
Sombrero de Regnier Doble
Setenta Complicado Derecha y al Reves
La Presa
La Presa Extended
Carnival
Carnival Extended
Carnival Unisex
Sabrosura
Consorte
Noventa
L.A. de Glen
Setenta Complicado with Back to Back
Rubenada Complicado
El Bayou
Flamenco Caliente
El Pie con el Indio
Serpiente
Abanico Complicado Complicado  (not a mistake)
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FLASHY RUEDA STEPS

These dynamite steps which blend fancy ladies' styling with Rueda moves were designed principally by Heidy Garcia Robinson of SalsaWild.com. They were performed at a United Nations Benefit Dance. A videotape of that show effectively defines these moves. In addition, a written description is provided below. These imaginative moves are very exciting to watch and to do---great job, Heidy!

Dame-

Do the usual dame una but on beats 1, 2, and 3 prior to the CBL, ladies bend their knees so they drop slightly, and they come up in a full body ripple. (Note that this ripple is not done in dame dos.)

 

Izguierda Por Afuera-

Begin with a CBL. Then ladies do a leg sweep with their right leg where the foot starts facing "10:00" and sweeps around to face "3:00." Then ladies do an outside turn, just like in "izguierda." Then you do an enchufla, also just as you would in "izguierda." But before the enchufla turn, ladies take what we called a "donkey" pose which means they bend forward at the waist with hips thrown back and legs straight. Then the enchufla turn is done. This ends the standard izguierda segment of the move.

There are 8 more beats of fancy movement for the ladies before this step is done. Ladies place their right foot down facing "10:00," then facing "11:00," and then "12:00" on beats 1, 2, and 3 respectively. On beat 5 they kick their left foot back, bent at the knee and then kick forward. The leg action is the beginning of a body ripple that moves forward onto the left foot. The ripple is done on beats 6, 7, and 8. The ladies' weight should be fully on their left foot on beat 8. Then basic is resumed, going first "out" (with the right foot) and then "in."

For guys, this move is essentially the same as a regular izguierda (lead an outside turn on 5, 6, and 7 and then enchufla). However, men must be prepared for ladies to execute both their outside turn and the enchufla turn slightly late to allow time for their snazzy moves just beforehand. For example, they are doing that cute "donkey" pose just before their enchufla turn. In terms of the leaders' timing, they should think of this as the lady moving into her enchufla turn on the usual beat; even though the ladies actually get there about a quarter of a beat later than normal. Once the standard izquierda move is over, what men do during the 8 beats that follow is side rocks, each for 4 beats. Then basic is resumed going "out" and then "in".

 

Pelota con Heidy-

This begins just like pelota con clave but it has hip action for the ladies during the claps. The move starts with enchufla and then when guys are clapping the clave rhythm, ladies move their hips more or less in time to the claps. First they do a hip sweep in a counter clockwise motion on beats 1, 2, 3 and 4. They are weighted on the right foot on beat 4 with the right hip thrown out to the right. The hip is thrown to the left on beat 6 and to the right on beat 7. On beat 8 weight is transferred to the left so that she'll be ready to step back on the right foot (as usual) on beat 1. Then do the usual CBL on beats 5, 6, and 7.

However, at the conclusion of this step, there is a "break" on beat one for ladies once they are dancing with their new partners. Ladies step back on their right foot on the half beat before beat 1. They tap with their left foot on bet 1 and turn to face outside the circle. They throw their hip out to the right for a snazzy pose (hands on hips, legs apart). Their left hand is up just below their face and the right hand is at chest level, crossing the left arm. The wrist and hands are up so they look "alive" (no "piano hands"----i.e. fingers pointing down like playing a piano). Then basic is resumed.

For guys this move is led just like pelota con clave, except that they watch the ladies' hip action while clapping the clave rhythm.

 

Vuelta Loco-

This step begins with a double spin led by the lady's partner on beats 5, 6, and 7. (Ladies prep for the spin on beat 3.) This spin is two outside turns, just like izguierda. After that spin, the lady faces the guy in back of her and he turns to face her as well. Again she is preps for another spin on beat 3. Then on beats 5, 6, and 7 again, the new partner double spins her as well. Then he leads a coca cola turn and a cross body lead (so it's a lot of turning there, too) to get back to basic position. Guys lead the first double spin with their left hand and the second with the right hand. This step is relatively easy to describe but very fancy looking!

 

Freak-

This is simply a body roll for both leaders and followers on beats 5, 6, and 7. It's done with partners close to each other, rolling towards each other. Then on beat 1, the ladies take a pose facing outside the circle with legs apart and hands on hips. They then resume basic on beats 2, and 3. Guys bend down and "spank" the air around the ladies' knees on beats 1 and 2. Then guys resume basic.

 

Vacila Sexy-

This starts like vacila. When guys release ladies for the turn, they move outside of the circle, and face the outside (as though facing an audience). The men move in to create an inner circle facing out, looking at the ladies. Guys are essentially back to back in this position doing side rocks for 16 beats.

During that time, ladies are doing a body movement four times, with their right and left hands alternately sweeping their hair. Ladies are doing something like a body roll, except that the right and left legs are alternately stepping forward as they roll their mid-chests forward. After 16 beats of these gyrations, they take a pose with hands on hips and legs apart on beat 1, still facing outside the circle. Then they come back to the circle for the CBL. But on beat 3 just before the CBL, ladies throw their right hip back while weighted on their right foot. This essentially delays the movement forward into the CBL by a quarter of a beat. Men resume their position in the rueda circle after 16 beats of side rocks and lead a CBL to resume basic.

 

Roll por afuera-

This begins with a CBL. Then ladies "break" on beat 1 by stepping on their right foot on the "and" before beat one. Then they do a "tap step" out to their left with the left foot on beat one. They move toward their partner on beats 2 and 3 with left and right feet respectively. Then with the left foot they do a tango like movement. They bend their legs at the knee and place their leg near their partner's hip without making contact. Then they do a body roll on beats 5, 6, and 7 while their leg is up in that position. Then they do another break on "and 1" with a pose that faces inside the circle. Again they step with the right foot on the "and" before beat 1 and then point the left foot out for their pose on beat 1. Finally, there is another CBL and before going back into basic.