Sombrero con Mambo is a very common call in Rueda de Casino and requires a Rueda call because there is no natural way to lead it. If both Lead and Follow use it a lot in Rueda, they have a good chance of also using it as a fun move in social dancing, because if you stay in the Sombrero
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Sombrero means hat and is one of the signature moves of Cuban Salsa but is also used in “American” Salsa. Sombrero is the name of a move with many variations and Complicado versions, and the name of a pose, we get into at the end of many moves, “putting the hat on”. The start of the Sombrero move is important
Read moreAlarde Complicado is Cuban all the way but it is not a typical Cuban salsa move. I regard it more like a better dance school combo, good to practice at advanced level with several difficult basic figures. The most important part is the Alarde section, one of the hallmarks of Cuban Salsa. The Alardes in this tutorial is the relatively
Read moreIt helps a lot to break the move down into its basic named figures, because it is much easier to remember a sequence of names than a sequence of turn patterns. For a longer move it is important to know where to cut it short if necessary, and where to split it up to make it easier to practice the
Read moreNudo means “knot” and this is not a good name because we have less knot in Nudo than in so many other Cuban Salsa moves. The basic Nudo move is short, two counts of eight. Most Complicado versions are not at all Complicado, they just add an Exhibela to the baseline. When very Complicado, they even repeat themselves after the
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For the Follow’s right turn turns in Cuban Salsa the emphasis should be on the hand-held Vacilala, called Hecho twenty years ago, one handed, cross-handed and two handed. Vacilala Steps are part of the core definition of Cuban Salsa, of its look and feel, and should be used many times in each and every dance. For Vacilala Steps, the Follow
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In the tutorial for the Arcoiris move, I said that we can start the Arcoiris part, not just when getting out of the Hammerlock but in very many situations on count five. We just need to get into starting position on 5-6-7. In the following Video 1 from “Son De Habana”, Bogata, Columbia, 2015, the Lead uses the man’s hook
Read moreDile Que SÃ (say yes to her) is the twin sister to Dile Que No (say no to her). As a move Dile Que SÃ is a handheld Vacilala. The Follow is lead forward on one, she turns on 1-2-3 in order for the Lead to bring her into closed position on 5-6-7. That is what the name means: bring
Read moreRainbow. Arcoiris means rainbow and is sometimes spelled Arco Iris. The move starts like other Setenta moves with Hammerlock, and for that reason the move is also called Setenta con Arcoiris. I prefer the short form, and there is a reason for the name. The figure clearly has a part that looks like a bow, a rainbow. There are a
Read moreA classic Cuban Setenta move and a must to train at intermediate level for learning the basic technique of going down under the Follow’s right arm. Abajo and por Abajo means down. The move is also called por a bajo (by a low), de bajo (of low) or debajo (under). I prefer Setenta por Abajo, it both sounds and looks
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