This page has some questions and answers so you can test your knowledge of dance moves and related information. Far more extensive questions with answers along with other detailed information on Rueda de Casino and L.A. Salsa moves can be found in the book, “Salsa Dancing & Rueda de Casino Guidebook for Beginner to Advanced Dancers: Steps, Styling, Technique, Latin Rhythms, Humor & Anecdotes.” For ordering details, visit amazon.com or salsacasinorueda.com.
Test Your Knowledge of Rueda de Casino Steps
Please note that Rueda groups differ in the moves they do and their calls, including even in the basic step. Some basics have partners face each other the entire time and others have partners face the center of the circle part of the time just as an example.
The tests below are based on the approach used in the DIT classes, but that is not the only way to do the dance. As a result, some of the questions below may not be applicable to the way everyone does the dance.
Quiz For Beginners:
In Salsa music, how many beats are there in a musical phrase (one complete basic) and which beat gets the most emphasis?
How many steps does the dancer take in one musical phrase?
How is the underlying rhythm of the dance commonly described?
Quiz For Intermediate Dancers:
Which way do leaders turn on vacilense los dos? How many turns does the leader do?
How many steps can Rueda dancers blend together? (That means you do one after another with no basic in between.)
Name two moves that are essentially the same except that you hold one hand in one step and both hands in the other step. Why do you think such similar moves are given different names?
Quiz For Experts:
Name three moves that alter the timing so that if you were dancing on 1 before the call, you are dancing on 5 after doing that move.
There is a large common segment in the moves Sombrero de Regnier and Uno Complicado. Name another move that shares this same segment.
Answers to "Test Your Knowledge" Questions
Basic Test Answers
There are 8 beats in a musical phrase. (Each phrase is comprised of two musical measures in 4:4 time--for the "musicians in the house.") The first of these 8 beats gets the most emphasis.
Dancers take 6 steps during the 8-beat musical phrase.
The underlying rhythm is referred to as Quick Quick Slow where a slow step takes 2 beats and a quick takes one beat.
Intermediate Test Answers
On Vacilense Los Dos, leaders can turn either way. Turning to the left essentially uses the momentum from leading the lady to do her turn. Turning right is the same direction as the lady turns. So there is logic to either way of doing it. Leaders can turn once or twice in either direction.
There is no limit to the number of steps that can be blended. In fact, some groups consider the goal of a sophisticated Rueda to have no basic steps or a minimal number so it looks like one long sophisticated sequence of movement.
Dedo and Montana are essentially the same but you hold one hand in the former and two in the latter (in a cross hand-hold position). They may be named differently because they look so different.
Experts’ Test Answers:
Confusion, Pelota con Uno and Pelota con Tres are all steps that have a number of beats divisible by 4 but not by 8. So after doing each of those steps, you are dancing on 5. You can do any of them again if this bothers you and that will put you back on 1.
Beso Complicado shares this segment in common with the other two moves.
Questions On Culture & History:
1. National recognition of Hispanic Heritage began with a week-long celebration. Was that celebration in the:
1940s? 1960s? 1970s? 1980s? (Circle one.)
2. We now celebrate Hispanic Heritage for a full month from mid-September to mid-October. Why?
__That worked best with the schedule for recognizing other heritages as well.
__Officials of some Latin countries requested that time interval.
__That interval includes the independence day of many Latin countries as well as “Dia de la Hispanidad” (or “Dia de la Raza”), which was when Columbus first landed in the Americas.
__The government wanted the holiday to begin a little after children returned to school.
3. Which country did not get their independence on 9/15/1821: (Circle one)
Costa Rica Honduras El Salvador Mexico Guatemala
4. The 2010 US Census showed what percent of the US population was Hispanic? (Circle one.)
13% 16% 20% 24%
5. Which dance is the National Dance of the Dominican Republic? (Circle one)
Cha Cha Salsa Merengue Bachata
6. Which of these dances is a Latin Dance? (Circle all that apply)
Foxtrot Waltz Bachata Samba Country-Two-Step Cumbia
7. When did Salsa music start to evolve? (Circle one)
1880s Early 1900s early 2000s?
8. Who was called the “King of Mambo?” (Circle one)
Rey Ruiz Tito Puente Michael Jackson Los Van Van
9. Who was called the queen of Salsa? (Circle one)
La India Gloria Estafan Celia Cruz
10. In the late 80s, a softer, more romatic style of Salsa began. Which artist composed this type of Salsa? (Circle one.)
Tito Nieves Victor Manuelle Gilberto Santa Rosa
11. Merengue dancing began in the (Circle one)
Late 1800s? Early 1900s? Late 1900s?
12. What country shares an island with the Dominican Republic? (Circle one)
Madagascar Kuwait Haiti
13. The dance rhythm for Salsa is: (Circle one) quick slow quick, slow slow quick, quick quick slow, quick quick quick quick
14. The dance rhythm for Merengue is: (Circle one) quick slow quick, slow slow quick, quick quick slow, quick quick quick quick
15. On which beats of a four beat musical measure do you step in Merengue? (Circle one)
Beats 1, 2, & 3 Beats 2, 3, & 4 Beats 1 and 3 Beats 1, 2, 3, & 4 (all four)
Answers:
1. 1960s
2. Many Latin countries gained independence then, and Dia de la Raza occur in those 4 weeks
3. Mexico
4. 16%
5. Merengue
6. Bachata, Samba, Cumbia
7. early 1900s
8. Tito Puente
9. Celia Cruz
10. Gilberto Santa Rosa
11. Early 1900s
12. Haiti
13. quick quick slow
14. quick quick quick quick
15. 1, 2, 3, 4