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Echeverria and Echeverria con Vuelta are common and popular calls in Rueda de Casino, done in Open Position from Guapea. This doesn’t work that well in social dancing for two reasons. Firstly, it is a little difficult to lead. Secondly, the Rueda type of “forward-and-back” Guapea should not be used in social dancing. At least, I don’t use it, and even if it is used, it is a poor way to integrate the unique twisting Echeverria figure.

My Echeverria for social dancing is a basic figure of one count of eight, starting directly from Dile Que No:

1. Prep on “7-8”
2. Twisting on “1-2-3”
3. Hand-free Vuelta for both the Follow (right) and Lead (left) on “5-6-7”

I prefer that both the Lead and the Follow bring their arms up during the Vuelta, but one can also keep them down at hip hight, or just have one arm up in the air. A hand-held Vuelta is also an option. To make it easier to lead, the Lead is allowed to whisper “Echeverria” at the beginning of Dile Que No!

I have wanted to use Echeverria for a long time but I have first found a good way to integrate it in my own social dancing recently, as described in this tutorial. An instant hit. I simply love it! So different from other figures and with a high fun factor. It gives me another good way to let go of the Follow’s hands and enter into free-styling mode.

Origin of the name

Why is the twisting figure called Echverria, a common last name in Cuba? Echeverria is of Basque origin, meaning “new house”, but not even Spanish speaking people is aware of this original meaning.

I don’t know of any good explanations for the name except the obvious, that it might have been named by a Rueda de Casino caller at a dance venue near the “Echeverria Univerity” in Havana. It is named after a student rebel killed by the police in 1957.

This “hero” of the Cuban Revolution, José Echeverria, was the leader of a rebel attack on the “Radio Reloj” radio station hours before his dead. Echeverria had figured out that he had three minutes to deliver his speech before the Radio Stadion would be turned off the air and had prepared his speech accordingly.

So maybe, but it is pure speculation from my part, the three twists of the Echeverria figure depict the three minutes of Echeverria’s speech!