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This shine type of move is a common call in Rueda de Casino, and it is often called twice in a row. First “Echeverría”, next “Echeverría con Vuelta”. Echeverría is also popular in 1-on-1 social dancing. For Echeverría the Lead opens up on seven and places his feet in Echeverría pose as a signal to the Follow, and the twisting is done on 1-2-3, in order to be ready to do Guapea or e.g. a Vuelta right turn on 5-6-7.

Video 1 is from “Salsafición”, Mexico, 2018, Amando and Anahí. They open up on seven and twist on 1-2-3.

In social dancing Echeverría should always be initiated on 7 of the previous move, as the natural way to prep the Follow. If the Follow is at “sleep” and doesn’t react fast enough, the Lead should give her a second chance. Also the Follow, when there is a good opportunity, is welcome to initiate an Echeverría. She might end up doing it alone, but the Lead is likely to pick up the idea and will initiate a new round.

Echeverría on 5-6-7 when dancing alone

Video 2 is from “Expresion Latina”, Academia de Baile Ubicada en San Cristobal, Estado Tachira, Venezuela, 2015. They open up on three and twist on 5-6-7. This is of cause also possible when we dance alone. But this is in most situations flat wrong in social dancing except when dancing apart. It is much better to start Echeverria on “7”, being the normal count to prep moves, and doing the twisting on 1-2-3 makes is easy to use 5-6-7 to prepare for the next move, or to give the Follow a Vuelta right turn, or to go back into Guapea.

Echeverría con Vuelta

Video 3 is from “Sussex Cuban Salsa Society”, UK, 2019. They open up on seven and twist on 1-2-3. First they do Echeverría, next Echeverría con Vuelta.

Video 4 is from “mykomaniacc”, featuring My and Isabella, Denmark, 2017. They open up on seven and twist on 1-2-3. Vuelta, Echverría, Echeverría con Vuelta.

The Lead alone

Instead of trying to get the Follow along, the Lead can do Echeverría alone, and use it as a prep for a Vuelta right turn. As we see at the very end of Video 5, from “bailarcasino.pl”, Piotr Agassi, Poland, 2013.

Not only the Lead but also the Follow can sometimes do Echeverría on their own, if their is an opening in the dance.

Twists with any shoes

How can Cuban Instructors do Echeverría with any type of shoes on any surface? Even with bare feet on broken glass? No problem. They jump up a little, just enough to create a cushion of air underneath their soles like a hovercraft. They twist on a cushion of air.

Origin of the Echeverría name

José Antonio Echeverría was a Cuban revolutionary and student leader. Echeverría and his colleagues took part in an assault at the National Radio Station of Cuba on March 13, 1957, at the time of a music program which most of the Cuban people usually listened to so that Echeverría’s anti-Batista speech would be broadcast to the whole Cuban nation. Echeverría estimated that the rioters could only occupy the radio station during three minutes, therefore he had to prepare a speech which lasted three minutes at most. Echeverría finally managed to finish his speech right at the 181st second. He managed to leave the station unharmed and on the way to the University of Havana, just a few blocks away, he opened fire on a police patrol. He was killed during the shootout on the sidewalk of the north side of the university, where there is now a memorial plaque.

Wikipedia

I have been told by a Cuban dance teacher that the Echeverría move was introduced and became popular at a dance place near the University named Echeverría and the memorial plaque where Echeverría was shot.

The three minute speech of Echeverría, called the “Three Minutes of Truth” might be the origin of the move in a double sense. When doing the move, we open up and twist 1-2-3 just like the “Three Minutes of Truth”. This is my interpretation.