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The so-called “Bayamo” moves are simply any cross-handed Rodeo Inverso figure with additional figures for entrance and exit. The oldest such Bayamo figure I know of is on the “Salsa a la Cubano” DVD-2, #17, from Santiago de Cuba. It was recorded in the late 1990s. It is easy to create variations and to give them names like Bayamo por Arriba, Bayamo por Abajo, etc.

The original Bayamo is sometimes called Coppelia in Spanish. Coppelia is the name of an Ice Cream parlor chain in Cuba. However, I prefer the Bayamo name. In the context of Rueda de Casino, it is common to end many Bayamo figures with Sombrero. In social dancing we can exit and continue Bayamo figures any way we want.

The original Bayamo move is not easy. The Follow is led back again from Open Position on “1” with Vacilala as if it is a normal Vacilala. It often fails with awkward arm positions. For that reason some Leads make the Follow do a primitive Walk Around turn instead. Or the Lead is doing “Paseo Steps” on “1-2-3” and give the Follow a Vacilala on “3-5-6”.

Bayamo Policia

It is the last version, Vacilala on “3-5-6”, I have changed into Bayamo Policia that is a “Police Grip Vacilala” on “3-5-6”. Instead of turning the Follow with the leading arm high, it is kept low. And the Lead keeps the other hand at his right shoulder. This is now my favorite version of the original “classic” Bayamo.

In the original Bayamo, the Lead guides the Follow all the way into the start position of Open Position. The Follow makes a half turn on “6” and steps back on “7”. This back-step is one of the few “legitimate” back-steps for the Follow in my strict interpretation of “Casino based on natural walking”.

Back-step or forward on “7”

The back-step on “7” is standard when going into the start position of Open Position. But in many situations it is not the most natural and smooth solution. In the classic Bayamo figures, I prefer that the Follow steps forward on “7”. It simply gives a better flow. There is a reason why the Follow should step forward by default!

Casino is Public Domain

When I made the Police Grip version of Bayamo, I “invented” it proudly in my own small universe. But using police grip technique when doing right and left turns is quite common. Only a fraction of moves have ever been recorded, and I have only seen a fraction of that fraction. Many other Lead’s have probably already done exactly the same Bayamo with Police Grip.

And it is irrelevant! I strongly believe that social dancing is a Public Domain activity. Claiming “ownership” or “authorship” to certain moves and figures is the dumbest I have ever heard. This is especially true when it comes to Cuban Salsa. The whole idea is to share with each other and to borrow from one another freely.

As soon as something new is promoted on the dance floor it is public domain. We can all use it as if we had created it ourselves.