Anglia Salsa Rueda

There will be no rueda class this Sunday 29th March 2009 because we are going to the Cuban Salsa Festival in Bournemouth!

Cuban Salsa Festival Facebook Group
Cuban Salsa Festival Web Site

Classes will be back as usual on Sunday 5th April 2009. See you then for more rueda fun!

Anglia Salsa Rueda Facebook Group

Thank you very much to everyone who came to the Rueda Class at Keir Hardie on Sunday 22nd March 2009. Warm thanks to everyone who came along again and a warm welcome to those who came along for the first time. We hope you all enjoyed the evening.

It was another very busy weekend for salsa dancers in Norwich and we very much appreciate, and we are very much encouraged by, the energy and enthusiasm that you bring to rueda.

We are very, very pleased and impressed by the number of, and quality of, the rueda moves we are covering. We do know that we are pushing you hard, so don't feel discouraged or daunted if there are some things that are still a bit unfamiliar. We will go over these moves many times, and soon they will be like old friends to you. Just think how good you are going to be in three months time, six months time, this time next year!!! If you are uncertain at any time in the rueda, remember the golden rules: smile, relax, enjoy, stay calm, don't tense up, don't grip, don't use brute force, don't panic, stay in step, stay in time, get into the right position, and watch others to see how you should be doing the move.

Some dates to note in your diary:

There will be no class on Sunday 29th March 2009 - we are going to the Cuban Salsa Festival in Bournemouth!
Cuban Salsa Festival Facebook Group
Cuban Salsa Festival Web Site

We have been asked to do a Rueda demo at the Dance Cuban Fiesta on Bank Holiday Monday 25th May 2009!
Dance Cuban Facebook Group
Dance Cuban Web Site

The moves covered this week included:

zig-zag / dame
directo (direct)
directo pa' abajo (direct backwards)
coca cola
coco (coconut)
con las manos (with the hands)
coquito (little coconut)
dame con gracia (graceful dame)
dame me gusta (give me I like her)
dame pa'afuera (give me one on the outside)
evelyn
saludos (from guapea) (greetings)
setenta simple (simple seventy)
setenta (seventy)
setenta y uno (seventy one)
setenta y cinco (seventy five)
sombrero (hat)
sombrero con mambo (hat with Cuban mambo step)
sombrero con mambo complicado (hat with complicated Cuban mambo step)
sombrero con coca cola (hat with coca cola)
pelota (ball)
festival de pelota (festival of (triple) pelota)
el dedo (the finger)
montaña (mountain)
dos con Cuba ((give me) two with Cuba)
en el quinto (on the five)
pasan las manos (pass the hands) / tranca (bar) / chicos también (guys also) / pa' lante (go forward)
sácala saludos (take her out greetings) / dame
ida (one-way journey)
ida y vuelta (return journey)
escalera (1,2,2,1) (stairway, ladder)
treinta y tres (thirty three)
balsero (rafter)
besito (little kiss)
abanico (fan)
bebé (baby)
combinación (combination)

When you see us out on the dance floor starting a rueda, you are welcome to join in, we'll try to call moves that you know, and don't forget, you can join in even if you don't have a partner to start with.

Even if you are not dancing in a rueda, you can practice many of the moves in your free dancing.

Any feedback, comments or suggestions are always welcome.

See you soon for more rueda fun!

Anglia Salsa Rueda Facebook Group

Thank you very much to everyone who came to the Rueda Class at Keir Hardie on Sunday 15th March 2009. Warm thanks to everyone who came along again and a warm welcome to those who came along for the first time. We hope you all enjoyed the evening.

Some dates to note in your diary:

There will be no class on Sunday 29th March 2009 - we are going to the Cuban Salsa Festival in Bournemouth!
Cuban Salsa Festival Facebook Group.
Cuban Salsa Festival Web Site.

We have been asked to do a Rueda demo at the Dance Cuban Fiesta on Bank Holiday Monday 25th May 2009!
Dance Cuban Facebook Group.
Dance Cuban Web Site.

The moves covered this week included:

pimienta (pepper)
(la) cuchara (spoon)
exhíbela (show her off)
sácala (take her out)
(la) cubanita (Cuban girl)sombrero (hat)
sombrero (hat)
sombrero con mambo (hat with Cuban mambo step)
sombrero con mambo complicado (hat with complicated Cuban mambo step)
sombrero con coca cola (hat with coca cola)
la famosa (the famous)
festival de enchufe (festival of (triple) enchufe)
festival de enchufe con New York (festival of (triple) enchufe con New York)
festival de adiós (festival of (triple) adiós)
festival de adiós con New York (festival of (triple) adiós con New York)
pelota (ball)
pelota y quédate (ball and stay)
festival de pelota (festival of (triple) pelota)
festival de pelota y quédate (festival of (triple) pelota y quédate)
patín (skating)
patín mujeres (women skating)
festival de patín (festival (triple) skating)
festival de patín mujeres (festival (triple) skating women)
el dedo (the finger)
dos con Cuba ((give me) two with Cuba)
en el quinto (on the five)
pasan las manos (pass the hands) / tranca (bar) / chicos también (guys also) / pa' lante (go forward)
sácala saludos (take her out greetings) / dame / dame pa'arriba
ida (one-way journey)
ida y vuelta (return journey)
escalera (1,2,2,1) (stairway, ladder)

When you see us out on the dance floor starting a rueda, you are welcome to join in, we'll try to call moves that you know, and don't forget, you can join in even if you don't have a partner to start with.

Even if you are not dancing in a rueda, you can practice many of the moves in your free dancing.

Any feedback, comments or suggestions are always welcome.

See you soon for more rueda fun!

Anglia Salsa Rueda Facebook Group.

Thank you very much to everyone who came to the Rueda Class at Keir Hardie on Sunday 8th March 2009. Warm thanks to everyone who came along again and a warm welcome to those who came along for the first time. We hope you all enjoyed the evening.

Some dates to note in your diary:

There will be no class on Sunday 29th March 2009 - we are going to the Cuban Salsa Festival in Bournemouth!
Cuban Salsa Festival Facebook Group.
Cuban Salsa Festival Web Site.

We have been asked to do a Rueda demo at the Dance Cuban Fiesta on Bank Holiday Monday 25th May 2009!
Dance Cuban Facebook Group.
Dance Cuban Web Site.

Cuban style salsa is based on the partners, the leader and the follower, swapping places with each other, constantly moving around each other, with many of the turns being performed as travelling turns as you step around each other. Keep moving around your partner, but don't forget to relax and have fun.

In general, when something goes wrong in the rueda, relax, smile, stay calm, keep dancing and deal with the situation in a gentle and positive manner - don't tense up and don't charge around in a panic!

Leading and following are essential skills in partner dancing. Leading is about signalling the move clearly, presenting a specific option and guiding the follower gently - it is not about forcing, dragging, yanking or hurling the follower around. Leading is about moving and positioning yourself to assist the follower as much as possible at all times. Following is about constantly looking for the signals, interpreting the signals, waiting until it is clear which of the possible options is being presented and then dancing through the steps under your own power without pulling or swinging on the leader. Handholds should maintain contact without tightly gripping the fingers, with the surfaces of the hands and fingers moving smoothly against each other throughout the turns, and arm movements should be smooth, relaxed and fluid.

The moves covered this week included:

directo (direct)
directo pa' abajo (direct backwards)
dame al medio (give me one, to the centre)
enchufe al medio (plug/connect, to the centre)
cero (from al medio)(zero)
(la) cubanita (Cuban girl)sombrero (hat)
sombrero (hat)
sombrero con mambo (hat with Cuban mambo step)
sombrero con mambo complicado (hat with complicated Cuban mambo step)
la famosa (the famous)
(dame) una/enchufe/adiós etc con una/dos/tres (dame/enchufe/adiós etc with one/two/three claps)
dame/enchufe/adiós etc me gusta (give me/plug/goodbye I like her)
festival de enchufe (festival of (triple) enchufe)
festival de enchufe con New York (festival of (triple) enchufe con New York)
festival de adiós (festival of (triple) adiós)
festival de adiós con New York (festival of (triple) adiós con New York)
festival de pelota (festival of (triple) pelota)
festival de pelota y quédate (festival of (triple) pelota y quédate)
patín (skating)
patín mujeres (women skating)
la ruleta (roulette)
cadeneta (little chain) / se quedó (stay)
setenta (seventy)
setenta y uno (seventy one)
setenta y cinco (seventy five)
el dedo (the finger)
el dedo saboreado (tasty finger)
el dedo con desprecio (scornful finger)
montaña (mountain)
sácala saludos (take her out greetings)
siete con coca cola (seven with coca cola)

When you see us out on the dance floor starting a rueda, you are welcome to join in, we'll try to call moves that you know, and don't forget, you can join in even if you don't have a partner to start with.

Even if you are not dancing in a rueda, you can practice many of the moves in your free dancing.

Any feedback, comments or suggestions are always welcome.

See you soon for more rueda fun!

Anglia Salsa Rueda Facebook Group.

Thank you very much to everyone who came to the class at Keir Hardie on Sunday 1st March 2009. Warm thanks to everyone who came along again and a warm welcome to those who came along for the first time. We hope you all enjoyed the evening.

Some dates to note in your diary:

There will be no class on Sunday 29th March 2009 - we are going to the Cuban Salsa Festival in Bournemouth!
Cuban Salsa Festival Facebook Group
Cuban Salsa Festival Web Site

We have been asked to do a Rueda demo at the Dance Cuban Fiesta on Bank Holiday Monday 25th May 2009!
Dance Cuban Facebook Group
Dance Cuban Web Site

Initially, it may seem to be a problem to be dancing in la rueda without a partner, but by learning the moves and by getting used to the situation we find that most, if not all, rueda moves can be accomplished even if there are spare leaders or followers. It is essential to stay in step, in time, in position and ready to go on to the next move with the next partner. The spare leader or follower should, as much as possible, behave as if dancing with a partner, and everyone else should treat them in the same way by including them in la rueda and giving them the appropriate space. If possible, a spare leader should go through a move as though leading a follower, and a spare follower should go through a move as though following a leader, but at least stay in step, with good cuban styling, aware of everything that is happening and ready to carry on or move partners at the end of the move and the start of the next move. The best chance to learn exactly what to do is to go through every step of a move when it is being taught even if you don't have a partner at that moment. We try to make sure that we go over a move several times, moving partners on, so that everyone gets a chance to learn it properly.

The moves covered this week included:

principe bueno (good prince)
principe malo (bad prince)
toca la rodilla (touch the knee)
directo (direct)
directo pa' abajo (direct backwards)
dame al medio (give me one, to the centre)
enchufe al medio (plug/connect, to the centre)
cero (from al medio)(zero)
no le llegues (don't get to her)
camínala (take her for a walk)
lombriz (worm) / se quedó (stay)
sombrero (hat)
sombrero con mambo (hat with Cuban mambo step)
sombrero con mambo complicado (hat with complicated Cuban mambo step)
la famosa (the famous)
siéntala (sit her down)
festival de enchufe (festival of (triple) enchufe)
la ruleta (roulette)
dos con Cuba ((give me) two with Cuba)
cadeneta (little chain) / se quedó (stay)
paséala (take her for a walk/show her off)
paséala pa' arriba (take her for a walk/show her off, up)
setenta (seventy)
setenta y uno (seventy one)
setenta y cinco (seventy five)
el dedo (the finger)
el dedo saboreado (tasty finger)
el dedo con desprecio (scornful finger)

When you see us out on the dance floor starting a rueda, you are welcome to join in, we'll try to call moves that you know, and don't forget, you can join in even if you don't have a partner to start with.

Even if you are not dancing in a rueda, you can practice many of the moves in your free dancing.

Any feedback, comments or suggestions are always welcome.

See you soon for more rueda fun!

Anglia Salsa Rueda Facebook Group.