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For a Cásate, “Get Married”, walk in real life, the Lead can put his arm over and around the Follow’s arm or, just as good, the Lead’s arm can get under and around. In social dancing the Lead should normally always put his arm over and around because that makes it easier to disengage again by turning the Follow out of the arm/handhold.

One can get into the Cásate arm position from almost anywhere in a dance. But the easiest way to get used to Cásate turns is to start from Dile Que No with Right-to-Right handhold, the Lead brings his arm over, with or without dramatic styling, on “5-6-7”, as the Follow is led into Open Position and turned a little ready to start a Cásate Walk or to immediately give the Follow a hands-free Vacilala turn on “1-2-3” or on “3-5-6”.

Vacilala on 1 or 3

In the Video below, I time the Vacilala turn on “3-5-6”, because I like to walk a little first, and starting on “3” is easier and more relaxed than starting already on “1”, and is likely to work with any Follow. It is my experience that if the Lead wants to start on “1” as for a normal Vacilala, it is important that the left arm gets over already on “5-6” in order to have good contact in the arm/handhold to let go on “1”. There is plenty of time to get ready if the turn first comes on “3”, that is, it is good enough first to get into the arm/handhold on “7”.

A benefit of turning the Follow already on “1-2-3” is of cause that the Follow can continue with another Vacilala turn on “3-5-6”.

In Cuban Sala the default should be to do Three Step Turns for right and left turns. Because this turn technique of doing 180 between step “1” and step “2” and another 180 degree between step “2” and “3” demands that the Follow steps forward on three steps for a single turn and on six steps for double turns. This is or should be default in Cuban Salsa but is impossible in salsa styles with back-rocking and normally never happens i X-Body Salsa.

When giving the Follow a free turn on “1” or “3”, the Follow can in some situations, in need of space, taken by surprise or for variation, decide to skip a three step turn and go for a spin/piruette turn like in one of the video clips below where the Follow is doing a so-called Piruetta al Medio, a two step 360 turn on “3-5”.

Apart but together

In the early days of my social dancing I picked the Follow up again as fast as possible after a hands-free Vacilala. Free-styling is difficult and I don’t fint it easy. Today I always try to wait an Eight count or more to see if the Follow is up to something. In my style of Follow-Centric Cuban Salsa, I strongly believe that the Follow is free to take the initiative when I let go of her hand and set her free.

Options

There are many ways to get into the Cásate arm/handhold. In this tutorial I focus on the most basic. If one go for a Cásate walk, the turn can come efter one or more counts of Eight and not necessarily as a hands-free turn. It is even more common just to roll the Follow out of the arm/handhold without letting go of her hand.

Cásate Inverso

Cásate can also be done in left turning motion with the Follow by the Lead’s right side. But it is much more difficult to do a hands-free Coca-Cola on “5” or “7” or “2”. Right turns are many times more common in Cuban Salsa and for that reason we are more used to do them and find them easier.