This is one of my favorite Casino videos on YouTube, more than 10 years old. The style of Carlos Rafael Gonzalez is mesmerizing at moments, especially in this video with Jennifer as Follower. Jennifer is a forward dancer, forward by default, no back-rocking, she only takes a back-step if the Leader clearly leads her into doing so. This is right
Read more
I like Carousel figures where the Leader and the Follower swing around a common axis in between them. Similar to Adiós but instead of closed position we have half-open position. There are many variations. Many Leaders have been using the Carousel over the years with or without a meaningful name. With this tutorial I have generalized many of the variations
Read more
A Lead should know and use hundreds of basic figures and moves but only use a tiny selection in any one dance. It is much better to use ten figures five times than fifty figures one time in a dance. The benefits of a small selection, and of repeating many of the figures several times are multitude: In a nutshell:
Read more
The classic Coca-Cola left turn is done as the last half of Dile Que No, on “5-6-7”, around the Lead. The classic way to proceed is for the Lead to add another Dile Que No and bring the Follow into the start position of Open Position. But we have many alternative ways to do Coca-Cola turns from Dile Que No.
Read more
Paséala is a classic basic figure of one count of eight, often repeated one or more times. It is a closed position walk starting from Caída position and back to Caída positoin. Just like for Exhibela, the Follow walks three steps forward, and three steps back, still in forward walking position. For Paséale the Follow pivots left on “3-4-5” and
Read more
Coming from Dile Que No into Open Position, I mostly skip Guapea: I don’t want to stop-up, I don’t want to do the “back-and-forward” Guapea Horror Show, or to suddenly go sideways using Cruzado Guapea. I do use the versatile “forward-forward” Guapea (Cruzado), the traditional Guapea GOAT, from time to time and in certain situations as an ordinary figure in
Read more
Coming from Dile Que No into Open Position, I mostly skip Guapea: I don’t want to stop-up, I don’t want to do the “back-and-forward” Guapea Horror Show, or to suddenly go sideways using Cruzado Guapea. I do use the versatile “forward-forward” Guapea (Cruzado), the traditional Guapea GOAT, from time to time and in certain situations as an ordinary figure in
Read more
The Grapevine is a universal dance pattern used in many dance styles. It is not common in Cuban Salsa. I don’t know of any named classic move containing a Grapevine figure. I have wanted to use such a figure in my Casino for a long time. Fortunately, Grapevine figures are common in Cuban Son. I have looked at a lot
Read more
If a Follow steps forward by default on 6 out of 6 steps of a count of Eight, creating an ongoing forward motion, it is easy for the Lead to add turns, left or right, all over the place, at the start of the Eight Count, in the middle of the Eight count and at the end of an eight
Read more
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
Read more
SalsaSelfie.com 🇨🇺 