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The Rainbow, Arcoíris, is often depicted as a brain dead Rueda Couple Move, always done the same way and often rushed, that is, the Rainbow goes up and down on “1-2-3” and into Hammerlock on “5-6-7”. I prefer to enjoy the Rainbow, using at least a full count, and first to exit back-to-back on the next count.

Social dancing should set us free with playful exploration of what is possible: Never to use fixed moves, only variations; always to improvise and try something new.

The Arcoíris move is common, promoted with many videos on YouTube. The oldest version I have found is on the ¡Salsa ala Cubana! DVD #4, move 4, as last half of the Super Mario move, and on SALC #5, move 19, as a Rueda Couple Move named Arcoíris. Published by Salsaville.com, 1999, with dancers from Santiago de Cuba.

Arcoíris – Rainbow

The Arcoíris figure starts with preparation, either the Lead just bring his right arm over on “5-6-7” from almost anywhere in the dance or it begins with Hammerlock. I recommend to start with the Vacilala or Exhibela Hammerlock and to use Enchufla “1-2-3” and the Lead’s right arm movement on “5-6-7” to get into the Arcoíris start position.

Arcoiris proper can be reduced to a basic figure of just one count of eight, lifting the arms up into and arc, “1-2-3”, and down, forming the Rainbow. As the arms go down on “5-6-7”, the Lead simultaneously push his left arm back twisting the Follow 180 degrees around, and the Lead and the Follow end up in the back-to-back position.

This, the down-part of Arcoíris, making the Follow turn 180 degree, is the difficult part unless the Follow is used to the figure or is experienced with a flair for following. Many Follows just survive going into the back-to-back as a “questionmark”, not knowing what to do, and the Lead can feel it wasn’t perfect.

Keep going

In forward walking dance mode, Arcoíris has the additional problem that the arm-up-down figure has a tendency to be stationary. It takes training for both the Lead and Follow to stop up only a split of a second and for the Follow to continue to walk confidently into one of the many exits from the back-to-back position.

We have at least five good options for how to exit Arcoíris:

1. Lead’s left hand forward and over into Hammerlock
2. Lead’s right hand back and around à la Noventa
3. Lead’s left hand pulls the Follow into right turning circular motion
4. Lead’s right hand pulls the Follow into left turning circular motion
5. Lead’s left hand back and back steps 1-2-3 into a Hook Turn

Back-to-Back

Arcoíris is only one of several figures and moves that bring us into the back-to-back position, like Noventa, Setenta Moderno (Hammerlock – Enchufla/Hook Turn – Enchufla) and two handed Rodeo Inverso into Open Position, and sometimes even by pure chance. The five common exits can be used no matter how we arrived into the back-to-back position.