List of Dance Terms in Cuban Salsa-Casino

Terms to be added soon: Entrada, Echeverria Twists, Setenta Hammerlock, Bayamo, Plancha, Tornillo, Adiós, Dedo, Montaña, “Dedo, Guarapo, Bota”.

Alarde, Finta

Alarde just means decoration in Spanish, and for that reason Alarde is sometimes used for any type of decoration like when a Leader adds a “Giro de Son” to the last half of Enchufla. But most dancers, and that is also what I recommend, use the Alarde term solely for arm movements.

Some Alardes are not just for decoration but have a figure specific purpose. Like the Corona Alarde loop to the Follow. Likewise the Lead can sometimes “loop” himself as part of figure preparation. Another example is the Lead’s Gancho (Hook) a special form for Alarde. It can also be used for pure decoration, or the Lead can give the Follow an impressive Coca-Cola turn starting with the swinging Gancho arm.

If the Alarde loop is of the quick on/off type, it is called a Finta.

In general I recommend for the Leader to loop himself on/off as little as possible because it shift the focus from mutual dancing or from the Follow to the Lead. On/off Alardes not only contribute to a Macho look and feel it makes it difficult to avoid a Lead-Heavy dance with the Follower reduces to a second class citizen even on the dance floor as is so often the case when Cubans dance.

Another reason to use purely decorative Alardes sparingly is, that it becomes Lead’s styling. And just like a Follow’s styling can get in the way for the Lead, the opposite is often the case. The Follow is already struggling with a lot of two handed moves that restrict her like a straight jacket.

If the Lead on top of it uses every opportunity to add decorative on/off Alardes, the Follow can hardly breath and has few chances of adding a little styling or musicality of her own.

Balsero

A popular classic Rueda move introduced at intermediate level, works very well in social dancing. The most elegant version has only two 8-counts. Starting from Open Position at the “East Point”, the first count is a Crossed Two Handed Vacilala on “1-2-3” into Rodeo and all the way around and back to the East Point on”5-6-7″ in order to start a new Vacilala on “1-2-3” and into Sombrero on “5-6-7”.

The move or rather its name is said to originate in Miami. Balsero is the Spanish word for a raft and since we have a lot of agitated arm movements during the move, the name alludes to Cuban refugees trying to notify people a shore when arriving in Florida.

1	Balsero Continuado

Basic figure

Many dance schools use “figure”, “move”, “combo”, “routine” and “steps” with more or less the same meaning. In My Casino based on natural walking, a Basic Figure is the smallest practical building block of mostly one count of eight like Enchufla, Exhíbela and DQN.

Many basic figures have options for what to do from the halfway position that is we also have building blocks of a half-count of eight.

A move or a set of “steps” as Cubans often call it, is a sequence of basic figures often with a beginning and ending making them ready to use as a mini dance in Rueda de Casino, like Juana la Cubana and Balsero. A Combo is more like an ad-hoc sequence used for training with a temporary name or a combo can be like a short move stripped of beginning and ending ready to be integrated into your dance .

A Routine (not in common use) is to me a sequence that teaches you to combine a selection of basic figures. In the MCC dance system, a Routine is a sequence of related basic figures for training purposes.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a traveling left turn, normally done as a Three Step Pivot turn on “2-3-5”, on “5-6-7” or on “7-1-2”, doing 180 degrees between the steps. It is by far the most common to do Coca-Cola turns on “5-6-7”. A double Coca-Cola turn is normally done as a Five Step Pivot turn on “5-6-7-1-2”.

There are many different Coca-Cola turns because they can be done one-handed, two-handed, cross-handed, and they can be led by the shoulder, by the hip and even by the neck (rare and not recommended). The Lead can turn the Follow on a curved line (around him), on a straight line or in front of him.

Coca-Cola turns are mostly done in left turning circular motion and must for that reason be more than 360 degrees. When done on a curved line in right turning circular motion, they are less than 360 degrees and often just 270 degrees and could for that reason be called Coca-Cola Light.

Probably out of political correctness, a few dancers prefer to call the Coca-Cola turn for Botella (Bottle), not that charming and meaningless for most non-Spanish speaking dancers and for that reason difficult to remember. Coca-Cola has the advantage that all dancers remembers it after having heard it once.

1	Coca-Cola Left Turn Overview

Cubanita and Cubanito

Cubanita = El Uno. Cubanito = El Dos. See El Uno and EL Dos

Dile Que No

Dile Que No (Say No to Her) is probably the most stupid and meaningless Cuban figure names. It comes from Rueda de Casino in the late 1950s where it was common to have automatic change of partner after many Rueda moves. To prevent “change of parner” the Rueda Caller would scream: “Dile Que No”, that is “Say no to the next partner and continue with your current partner”.

The most common DQN in social dancing is to start with the Follow from the Lead’s right side leading her counter-clockwise into the start position of Open Position, or around the Lead into Rodeo Inverso. Many more options.

1	Dile Que No Overview

Dile Que Si

Since we have a Dile Que No, many dance schools believe that it would be nice if we also have a Dile Que Si. That is of cause double stupidity. Most often Dile Que Si is a name for some move or combo that brings the Follow into Closed Position, Like Vacilala into Closed Position.

I have made a video with all the very different Dile Que Si figures I have found in YouTube videos. I don’t use them term.

1	Dile Que Si is more than 16 figures

El Uno and El Dos

Some of the most idiotic figure names in Cuban Salsa. Since we have many calls in Rueda de Casino containing a “Uno” or “Dos” like Dame Uno, Dame Dos, Setenta y Uno and Setenta y Dos, there is a tendency, in order to reduce confusion when the audability is low, to use other names for Uno and Dos like Cubanita and Cubanito, equally meaningless.

More and more I like to use meaningful international English names to make it easier to remember, execute and talk bout moves. In all other dance styles Uno and Dos are called “Shadow” Position. And since we always face the son in Shadow position, we have two options: Lead’s Shadow Position (el Dos) and Follow’s Shadow Position (el Uno), that is the Lead or the Follow creates the shadow.

Shadow Position is great for social dancing, because it is versatile and can be used for fun and connection. In My Casino based on natural walking, both the Lead and the Follow walk forward three steps and pivot around for another walk of three steps. In that way Shadow integrates perfectly in the rest of forward walking dance mode.

In Back-Rocking Cuban Salsa sub-styles, we often see back-rocking on “1” and “5” making it a “stop-up” figure that takes the flow out of the dance, and often ends hard-wired into Sombrero and into DQN and Guapea as if social dancing should resemble Rueda de Casino as much as possible (no leading/following, no creativity, no musicality).

1	Lead’s Shadow Position (El Uno)
2	Follow’s Shadow Position (El Dos)

Enchufla

Enchufla (“Connect Her”), Cubans often just say Enchufe, is a basic figure of one 8-count. In my Casino based on natural walking, the Follow is walked forward on “1-2-3” and pivots around using the Pause for the directional change, and the Follow continues forward on “5-6-7”.

Enchufla is one of the richest and most used basic figures, often used more than once in a longer sequence.

In Back-Rocking Cuban sub-styles, the Follow often steps back on “1” and or on “5” or pivot around already on “2” resembling a half Coca-Cola turn. This reduces the number of options available in the Halfway position and acts as a stop-up or “stepping on the brake”, making good walking flows less likely.

Exhíbela – Sácala

Exhíbela or Exhíbe (Exhibit) is a First Class Basic figure of one count of Eight. The Follow should step it following one of the most important rules of thumb of Casino based on natural walking: Three steps forward, using the “pause” as the anchor point for a directional change on “3-5”, and walking back again on “5-6-7” having walked an oval trajectory.

In Casino based on natural walking Exhibela is not just a basic figure in its own right but also a walk to which we can add turns. E.g.: Vacilala can be added to Exhibela as a Three Step Turn on “1-2-3”, “3-5-6” and “6-7-1”. The Exhibela patterns can also be used to start Setenta Hammerlock figures, Sombrero Figures, Bayamo figures, etc.

Many Dance Schools believe that Exhíbela and Sácala are two names for the same figure. In my Casino, Sácala is a variation of Exhibela, a Rueda call that makes the Follow take four steps forward with added arm styling, only having two two steps for the return. This is exactly what Sácala means: “Take her out”, that is an extra step out.

But to be honest, I am probably the only one that distinguish between Exhíbela and Sácala. I like to use redundant names for something useful. Doing Exhíbela with an extra step forward could also be called Exhíbela Largo which I sometimes do.

This Sácala behavior, extra step forward, is destructive in social dancing because it not only undercuts the important principle of using the pause for directional changes, it also makes a lot of options, like adding right turns on “1” and “3”, changing direction on “3-5”, like two dimensional Exhíbela Continuado or using Exhíbela like Enchufla Double more or less impossible or unlikely to ever happen.

The same is true when starting Exhibela with a back-step taking two steps put of the forward movement. It might work in the situation but makes so many wonderful Exhíbela options impossible or unlikely.

In some Spanish speaking countries like Cuba and e.g. Mexico, some dance schools or dancers use the Sácala term to denote any right turn at the end of a walk, like outside half turns or stationary Vuelta type of turns.

Giro de Son

Same as Hook Turn and Ronde.

Guapea

Guapea doesn’t exist in a Spanish Dictionary, the word that comes closest is Guapo (nice looking). In some Carriebien countries like Cuba, “Guapea” means something like “boasting” or “manneristic” behavior. In some countries Guapea is called Pa’ti Pa’mi (for you – for me). This alternative name is also common in Cuba. Guapea is more straight forward and understood by more dancers and is the one I recommend to use.

Guapea is mostly used in Rueda de Casino, where many calls end with Dile Que No and going into Guapea in order for the couples to recover, synchronize and wait for the next Rueda Call. In my Casino, the classic versions of Guapea is almost never used since I don’t want to sub-divide my dance into a string of mini-dances or so-called potpurri dancing. My dancing is divided by the phrase groups, bridges and sections of the music.

I have plans to try to reinvent Guapea as a face-to-face figure that can be used as a platform for advanced level musicality.

Hook Turn

A very common 360 degree right turn on “5-6-7” and almost entirely used by Leaders. Some Leaders also use Double Hook Turn. Hook turns can also be done on “1-2-3” and as 180 degree turns also to the left but this is not common. In some situations or because of foot/knee issues, Hook Turns can be done by just walking around.

Hook Turns are mostly functional in many combinations of figures but can sometimes be seen as decorative options, when the Leader can achieve more or less the same without the Hook Turn.

Some dance schools call Hook Turns for Ronde or Giro de Son.

“LA” in figure name endings

Figure names like Vacilala, Enchufla and Exhibela also exist with short form: Vacila, Enchufe, Exhibe without the personal pronoun “la” (“her”) at the end. Both forms are correct and are more or less equally common. I love the long “la” forms, sounds so nice in the ears of a non-Spanish speaking person: That’s what makes them dance terms in my mind.

Move

A self-contained mini-dance of one or more basic figures, often with a start figure, the interesting part in the middle and the ending. Made to be called in Rueda de Casino. Should be used as little as possible in social dancing, unless the Leader strips them for beginning and ending in order to integrate the interesting part in his own way of dancing.

Nudo

“Nudo” means knot and is a uniquely Cuban way to dance moves that resembles “Clutter Mother”. The Lead really tries to tie the Follow up in tight positions stepping over the arms, ducking under the arms, etc. Some Cuban Leads have a whole repertoire of such “knots” and the crazier the better.

We could even talk about Nudo-Masters and of a Nudo-Section in a dance. We also have an ok Nudo Move for Rueda de Casino, and a couple of other common Nudo types of figures are not that bad.

In my experience most Followers hate Nudo figures, they consider them non-dancing and more or less a badly disguised excuse for the Leader to groop them unpunished. I only use the more polished variations since I am opposed to sexualized dancing.

1	El Nudo (Rueda figure)
2	Nudos (knots) are mostly junk

Panqué

In Cuba a Pancake is a loaf type of bread, but to most of us pancakes are flat and can be rolled like a Burrito. That is nice because that is what the Panqué figure looks like. It is a common call in Rueda de Casino but a little difficult in social dancing unless the Follower is used to it. If the lead is too soft, the Follow doesn’t get it, if it is to hard, the Follow overturns.

In the Miani Rueda Tradition Panqué is called Siete (Seven). We have many moves starting with Panqué. Many of them are clearly Rueda figures that should never be used in social dancing. See: Siete.

Ronde

Ronde is a common term made popular by the dance schools Salsa Lovers and Salsa Racing in many instructional DVDs at the beginning of the century. It can both be a Lead’s Hook Turn or just walking around to the right on “5-6-7”. Some dance schools including dancers inspired by the MCC methodology use the term Giro de Son instead.

Most dance schools and dancers use “Hook Turn” because it describes the turn making it easy to understand at any level. But in many situations Ronde is actually better because it also covers “just walking around” as an alternative to doing a Hook Turn. When using the Hook Turn term, it is very common to add: “Or you can just walk around”.

Giro de Son is useful for Hook Turns with mostly an optional decorative purpose. To my mind the term does not make much sense as a general term for Hook Turns and “walk around”, but that is the way some people use it.

Siete (Seven)

One of those stupid names with no hints of what to do. Siete moves are rare in Cuba but all over the place in the Miami Rueda based dance schools like “Salsa Racing” and “Salsa Lovers” at the beginning of the 2000s. Siete is the same as Panqué (Pancake) and I prefer that name, see Panqué.

Many of the “classic” Siete moves have unreliable leading, and are based on an L-shaped Coca-Cola that doesn’t exist in my Casino based on curves and straight lines. L-shaped Coca-Cola turns are based on hard-wired moves being called in a Rueda. They have a low success rate in social dancing or creates instability. Also, L-shaped turns undercuts the logic of solid three step turns.

Tapping

Tapping is an optional feature on beat “4” and “8”, the pauses where the dancers don’t step. The next step is always with the foot that taps. Some dancers use taps more or less consistently as they feel like, and some dance schools recommend to use them, other dance schools only mention them as an option.

I have never heard a good argument for not to use taps. It is sometimes said the Cubans don’t tap that much. They would probably benefit from more tapping. I once had I Cuban dance instructor that highly recommended to use taps.

Taps actually has many advantages:

Taps makes it easier to fine tune your steps to the timing because when you tap you also have time to listen, and you can tap exactly on the beat which is more difficult when you have weight transfer on the foot.
Tapping also helps you keep your balance and prepares you for the next step.
Taps are also a good signal to the other partner that you know you are on time.
A Leader’s opening up on “7” and a tap on “8” can be good prepping for a Follower’s Vacilala on “1”.
Taps are also very helpful when you analyze the videos of other dancers.
Taping also prepares a dancer for shines and syncopated steps.

In some situations it is not recommended to tap like during walks at least in some situations. It simply doesn’t look good.

In Cuban Salsa we don’t step “Quick, Quick, Slow” but “Quick, Quick, Fly”. The forward movement should be maintained during the pauses. If we don’t see the feet of the dancers, it should be almost impossible to see that they don’t step on “4” and “8”. Tapping can in some situations interfere with “flying” over the pauses. The trick is simply not to tap in those situations.

Vacilala

Vacilala (“look ar her”). Originally it was to give a Follow a hand-free traveling right turn starting on “1” or “3”. The hand-held traveling right turn was called Hecho (“as a matter of fact”) but since no Cuban where able to explain what that meant and because non-Spanish speaking dancers had problems with the silent “H”, the Hecho term went out of use.

Today both the hand-free and the hand-held traveling right turn starting on “1”, “3” or “6” are called Vacilala. The short term, Vacila, is also common. The extra “la” is the personal pronoun for “her”.

The original meaning of Vacilala is probably “she hesitates”, that is “watch out and let us see how she is doing”. The Rueda Hand Signal is for the Caller to point to his eye. A right-to-right handed Vacilala is called Dedo (“Finger”). The Reuda Caller simply lifts the finger. Hand-signals are not common. If you can’t hear the Rueda Caller the main reason is probably not that the music is too loud but that the Rueda is big and for that reason it is equally difficult to to see the Rueda Caller.

LAST UPDATED AUGUST 2025

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