Rueda at the Raks
Arcata Rueda is starting a new 6-week beginning series on Sep 7 that will progress through the basic building blocks of casino: the basic step (guapea), cross-body lead (dile que no), and how to change partners (dame una and dame directo), enchufla, adios, exibela, paseala, vacilala, and closed position calls. If you're new to cuban salsa, you should plan on attending the entire series. The cost of the 6-week series is $40. Drop-ins are $10.
You don't need to come with a partner (most people do not). In fact you must be willing to change partners as it's part of the dance, helps you learn quicker, and is part of the fun.
For those who have mastered the basics, an intermediate class will continue at 8pm and typically focuses on figures built up from the building blocks learned in the beginning class, as well as leading and following technique and elements of other dances that have become part of the casino repertoir: cuban son, afro-cuban rumba, pilon, reggaton. Drop-ins may attend the intermediate class for $5.
What is salsa rueda? "Rueda" (wheel) refers to a circle of couples dancing together, frequently changing partners, to patterns called out in Spanish or shown with hand signals. It's also known as "Rueda de casino" since the cuban style is called "Casino". This style has its roots in Cuban Son and Afro-Cuban Rumba; the name originates from the "casinos" or community centers in Cuba where it became popular in the late 1950s. Casino is a playful and flirtatious style in which dancers move in a circle around each other rather than in a linear slot. It is most often done by individual couples, but the rueda format is used for teaching and is a super fun activity for dance parties. Look on the Arcata Rueda Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/arcatarueda/, and Youtube for examples.
This event is sponsored by the Humboldt Folk Dancers. http://www.humboldt.folkdancers.org
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