The move called El Uno (One) is also called “Cubanita”. It is an important move at improver-intermediate level used by many dance schools. The move is unique because the Lead is behind the back of the Follow for most of the move. Also, the move can go on forever, and it is good for connection. I consider it a “must
Read moreThe very popular intermediate move, Montaña, was earlier often called Ochenta, but since Montaña is a much better name, resembling the arm movements of the move, making it much easier to remember, Ochenta is free to be use as name for some other move. We have several other moves called Ochenta but it is difficult to find more than one
Read moreI have renamed one of the two most common versions of Ochenta y Ocho (88) to Ochenta con Lazo, in order to keep the two moves apart, making them easier to learn, remember and use. At the end of Ochenta con Lazo, the Lead holds the Follow’s two hands in his right hand, and places them over the Follow’s head
Read moreWe have many different figures named Ochenta y Ocho (88). Ochenta figures normally starts with right to right handhold like Sombrero, but there is a tendency to use the Sombrero name instead of Ochenta, making the figures easier to remember. For that reason, the “Ochenta” family of moves is rather small. Most of the figures named Ochenta y Ocho are
Read moreA short time ago I stumbled upon an extraordinary Cuban Salsa video from some workshop with Ruben Rodriguez, 2015. I find that the video is very inspiring for its relaxed social dance style and for a couple of details in the excecution of well known moves. I like that the relaxed style of Ruben Rodriguez is based on natural walking
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I am proud to announce that I have uploaded a new masterclass video to my SalsaSelfie YouTube Channel, “Hammerlock – Setenta”. It sounds like an easy subject but it isn’t. The video addresses some of the most fundamental and difficult problems and challenges of Cuban Salsa
Read moreThis is a great move attributed to Henry Herrera, at least he made the move popular by including it on his “Salsa Racing DVD Vol 5 Henry Turns 1” way back around year 2000. I have found many YouTube videos with this move: it is a long, elegant, advanced, two handed combination. The “Al Derecha y al Revés” Complicado, “to
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This great move is attributed to Henry Herrera, “Salsa Racing DVD Vol 5 Henry Turns 1”, just like so many other moves we use today. The videos of Herrera’s move found on YouTube nowadays, are not that good, and the original “Salsa Racing” video have never been uploaded except by copyright violators, typically the full DVD an hour long. Fortunately,
Read moreThe name Candado means Padlock. The origin of the name has been forgotten, or I just don’t see the light. Candado comes with a couple of variations and with two very different endings. The shortest version of the move starts with a two handed Enchufla Doble, the Lead’s right hand held low. Next a two handed Enchufla, and on 5-6-7
Read moreThis is a useful, long, two handed figure, quite common with many videos found. Kentucky Complicado consists of three sections: 1) Kentucky, 2) Lazo Complicado, 3) Kentucky. This setup makes the move very versatile. One can just do the Kentucky, or one can prolong it and prolong it even more, or one can start with Lazo Complicado and end with
Read moreA very popular “standard” move learned at improvers level. The origin of the Kentucky name seems to have been forgotten but everyone calls the move Kentucky, and we all do the move the same way. So far so good. The Kentucky move is important because it has a different look and feel than the majority of moves typically starting with
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I am proud to announce that I have uploaded my third YouTube video in my Masterclass series: “Enchufla Continuado”. The video naturally has a lot of overlap with my blogpost Cuban Salsa: Enchufla Continuado.
Read moreMany or most Rueda callers use Dame Directo a handful of times in each Rueda. For Dame Una, the Lead goes to the first Follow behind his back, that is opposite of the direction his facing and opposite of the direction the Rueda is moving. For Dame Directo, the Lead goes directly to the next Follow in the direction he
Read moreThe La Babosa in this blogpost is a creative adaption for social dancing of a well known move in Rueda de Casino, a genuine Rueda move, requiring at least two pairs of dancers. With a little ingenuity one couple can do the whole move. I like that the new move is both easy going and interesting. A good move to
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The short and highly recommended Rueda move, La Babosa, means “slug” in Spanish, a group of slimy snails without shells. I don’t see an obvious reason for the “slug” figure name except that Babosa is also Spanish slang for “fool”, “idiot”. That is true from the Follow’s view point: the Lead is an idiot, curling her in just to pass
Read moreThe Rueda call Dame Una is the most common call in Rueda de Casino. It means “Give me one“, that is “Give me a new partner”, the next in line. The call Dame Una can be used repeatedly or after one or more figures, or as a way to end some figures. Dar is the Spanish verb for “to give”.
Read moreThe move, Juana la Cubana, is one of the most popular intermediate Cuban Salsa moves. A classic. As a beginner, I learned it in three different dance schools in Copenhagen, and the number of videos found on YouTube bear witness to its popularity. Juana la Cubana is not one of the easiest moves, and many intermediate Leads, having just learned
Read moreFinally! I am blooming as a social Bachata Sensual dancer. I did it! Suddenly I have that fantastic feeling of being able to cater for any Follow at beginner, intermediate and advanced level. That I can give almost anyone a good, solid dance above average, and that bad dances are mostly history. So what has happened? I have described my
Read moreThe move Enchufla Continuado is one of the most important basic figures of Cuban Salsa. Why? Because more than 90% of moves in Cuban Salsa are clockwise. Most dancers only have Dile Que No, and the Coca-Cola left turn to go contra, counter clockwise, most often just for one count of eight. Many Leads also use Rodeo Inverso, Coca-Cola turns
Read moreMontaña (mountain) is a great intermediate move. For a long time I used it in each and every social dance, and I still use it a lot. All dance schools should teach this dynamic move with a lot of small details to fine tune. It really is a signature move of Cuban Salsa. Montaña is the proper name for a
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I am exited! I have made my second YouTube video at my SalsaSelfie YouTube Channel called: “Guapea Masterclass”. In the video, I use my first own video clips in addition to video clips made by other dancers, so-called educational quotes. The video has some overlap with my Guapea Steps tutorial at this website, SalsaSelfie.com, but I recommend also to read
Read moreGuapea (handsome, looks good) is one of the very first figures we learn at the dance school, and it is often called the basic steps of Casino, of Cuban Salsa, but that is flat wrong. It is not uncommon to have a whole social dance at advanced level without a single Guapea. Compare that to the “forward and back” Salsa
Read moreBalsero Doble follows the same pattern as Sombrero Doble. First we do Balsero, next we back track it and get into Sombrero at the opposite side. Or, as in the video, we can do a back-to-back turn instead. I always try to do one or two back-to-back turns in each social dance. Video 1 is from “RitmoDeLaLuna”, Hungary, 2015. Since
Read moreThis is a great move based on Sombrero. It is also called Sombrero por debajo or Balsero por Abajo. We have “por Abajo” (down under) in very many moves and it adds spice to your dance and it is very much have Cubans dance, and not that easy for the Lead. Good to practice as often as possible, making it
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The Balsero move is an extension of the basic Sombrero move. Instead of putting the Sombrero hat in place on 5-6-7, the Follow is lead behind the back of the Lead, and the Sombrero is put in place on the next count of 5-6-7. I learned this move at intermediate level, and I have used it in almost every social
Read moreWe have many moves called Sombrero Complicado. Most of them are variations of the last part of Sombrero de Manny, a very seminal move from the almost 20 years old “Salsa Lovers” DVD based Cuban Salsa course. Most of the six moves below are just called Sombrero Complicado but in order to make it easier to remember and learn the
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I am exited! I have made my first YouTube video at my SalsaSelfie YouTube Channel. In my Sombrero Masterclass video tutorial, I use video clips made by other dancers, so-called educational quotes, to illustrate my message. Soon I will also mix in my own video tutorials made from scratch.
Read moreA social dance should be one long flow of music driven dancing, alternating between partner circle dancing, dancing apart and walks. Dile Que No is the most important figure to optimize if we want to create a good flow. Dile Que No is the keystone that binds clockwise and counter clockwise motion together on the partner circle. Most dance schools
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Most dancers have a surprisingly limited understanding of the true meaning of leading and following. Some of the more talented act as if they know it anyway relying on instinct. But often they are not conscious about what they are doing and can’t explain it. Even some mediocre or average talented dancers get it right by chance or they are
Read moreManny is just a boy’s name. The name of the move is often shortened to Sombrero Manny, Sombrero Mani or even to Sombrero Mami. The original move is attributed to the “Salsa Lovers” DVD based course in Rueda de Casino. Because the move have several interesting parts, it has become the inspiration for many other moves. The last part of
Read moreManolito is the shortest of moves, just an interesting way to exit the Sombrero. From the Sombrero pose, the Lead asks for the Follow’s right hand by putting his right hand forward in between them. The Follow is then lead into a Dile Que No and a Coca-Cola left turn. That’s it. The Manolito exit of Sombrero is a so-called
Read moreSombrero Doble is a very common move, and it comes in three different main versions with several sub versions. Since all the versions are good with very many videos found, I will rename the three major versions in order to distinguish them from one another, and to make them easier to learn and remember. 1 Sombrero Triple This is the
Read moreThis small fun move is used in Rueda de Casino only, and it is quite common. It needs to be called, there is no way to lead is, and it could be dangerous in social dancing because the Follow must prevent the Lead from falling. “Plancha” means “iron”, “plate”, etc, so the meaning is probably that the hat is so
Read moreThis is a rather common call in Rueda de Casino, I have experienced it on a regular basis with different Cuban Rueda callers. Normally most dancers don’t remember it, so the caller will instruct it first, and use it several times during the Rueda. For named figures to make at least some sense, Sombrero con Mambo Complicado must mean that
Read moreSombrero con Mambo is a very common call in Rueda de Casino and requires a Rueda call because there is no natural way to lead it. If both Lead and Follow use it a lot in Rueda, they have a good chance of also using it as a fun move in social dancing, because if you stay in the Sombrero
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Sombrero means hat and is one of the signature moves of Cuban Salsa but is also used in “American” Salsa. Sombrero is the name of a move with many variations and Complicado versions, and the name of a pose, we get into at the end of many moves, “putting the hat on”. The start of the Sombrero move is important
Read moreThis is a nice little move with several Alardes good to practice. It is called El Dedo (Finger) because it starts with a hand-held Vacilala as in other El Dedo moves. In this case right-to-right handed because it is followed by a right-to-right handed Enchufla. The right-to-right handed Enchufla, how we get into it, the Alardes, and how we get
Read moreAlarde Complicado is Cuban all the way but it is not a typical Cuban salsa move. I regard it more like a better dance school combo, good to practice at advanced level with several difficult basic figures. The most important part is the Alarde section, one of the hallmarks of Cuban Salsa. The Alardes in this tutorial is the relatively
Read moreIt helps a lot to break the move down into its basic named figures, because it is much easier to remember a sequence of names than a sequence of turn patterns. For a longer move it is important to know where to cut it short if necessary, and where to split it up to make it easier to practice the
Read moreNudo means “knot” and this is not a good name because we have less knot in Nudo than in so many other Cuban Salsa moves. The basic Nudo move is short, two counts of eight. Most Complicado versions are not at all Complicado, they just add an Exhibela to the baseline. When very Complicado, they even repeat themselves after the
Read moreExhibela means “exhibit her”, show her to the world. It is one of two original Cuban Salsa right turns on 5-6-7. The other is the walking right turn called Habanero. As a relatively new trend, Exhibela is today often called Sacala instead, meaning “take her out”. That is annoying because we now have to use both words in the same
Read moreWe have three genuine Vuelta right turns in Casino, Cuban Salsa: the sideways Exhibela/Sacala turn on 5-6-7, the Vacilala turn on 1-2-3, and the Habanero turn on 5-6-7. We also have the classic Vuelta right turn in American Salsa, with prepping on 1-2-3 and turning on 5-6-7. The Vacilala turn and the Habanero turn are twins using the same pattern.
Read moreThe Habanero is like a hand-held Vacilala but with opposite Vacilala steps. In Vacilala, the Follow is lead forward on one and turn on 1-2-3 and continues to step forward on 5-6-7. In Habanero, the Follow is lead forward on 1 and steps forward on 1-2-3, and turns on 5-6-7. Depending on how the Follow is lead into the move,
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In the tutorial for the Arcoiris move, I said that we can start the Arcoiris part, not just when getting out of the Hammerlock but in very many situations on count five. We just need to get into starting position on 5-6-7. In the following Video 1 from “Son De Habana”, Bogata, Columbia, 2015, the Lead uses the man’s hook
Read moreDile Que Sí (say yes to her) is the pendant to Dile Que No (say no to her). As a move Dile Que Sí is a handheld Vacilala. The Follow is lead forward on one, she turns on 1-2-3 in order for the Lead to bring her into closed position on 5-6-7. That is what the name means: bring her
Read moreRainbow. Arcoiris means rainbow and is sometimes spelled Arco Iris. The move starts like other Setenta moves with Hammerlock, and for that reason the move is also called Setenta con Arcoiris. I prefer the short form, and there is a reason for the name. The figure clearly has a part that looks like a bow, a rainbow. There are a
Read moreA classic Cuban Setenta move and a must to train at intermediate level for learning the basic technique of going down under the Follow’s right arm. Abajo and por Abajo means down. The move is also called por a bajo (by a low), de bajo (of low) or debajo (under). I prefer Setenta por Abajo, it both sounds and looks
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Moves are for Practica and for Rueda de Casino but should only be used sparingly or as an exception to the rule in social dancing. Less and less moves the better you get. This statement might be an exaggeration but it is not far from the truth. In most good dances I have ever seen, moves, except for the most
Read moreSetenta y Cinco Complicado replaces the Vacilala with a two handed Enchufla and continues with the Complicado part of the Noventa move. One could just as well use the Complicado part of the Setenta Nuevo move. Video 1 is from Pablo Solis, Roma, Italy, 2012. Video 2 is from Salsagaia, Firenze, Italy, 2018, featuring Elena De Simonis as Follow. Name
Read moreLa Cuadra has different meanings like block, stable, barracks. I am not sure of what translation makes most sense for a name of a move. The La Cuadra move is a typical complicado with several elements we know from other complicados. There are surprisingly many videos out there, so it must be quite popular. La Cuadra comes with two alternative
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