STARTERS
Pa' al medio - Jockey step (touch step) 'to the center' (some do step-touch)
un flaco - Tighter circle (one bigger step to center on 1) 'a fat one'
un gorda - Looser circle (one bigger step to outside on 5) 'a skinny one'
saca al agua del pozo - Water from the well (dip to center on 1) 'take water from the well'
mas profundo - deeper
p'arriba - Go up (L forward, aka camina para delante aka tiempo de espana) 'upstream'
p'abajo - Go down (L backward, aka camina para atras) 'downstream'
tarro - New partner, guys go (L go under hand to next F) aka pegale un tarro 'pot'
dos tarros - Skip to new partner - guys go (L go to next 2nd F) aka pegale dos tarros
un tarro para las mujeres - from abajo movement, new partner, women go (F go to next L) 'taro by the women'
un tarro y mentira - Guys fake out (L under hand & return 2x8) 'tarro and lie'
tarro con mano - New partner guys, keep the hand (L goes under, but keeps partner #1 hand)
aka un tarro y no la sueltes aka tarro sin soltar 'tarro with the hand'
sueltela - Re-connect (CP with current partner) 'Get free'
muevete - Bigger steps 'move it'
una bulla - Yell (hey! 5) 'a rowdy noise'
slow bulla - Slow yell (start 5, rise to 'hey': 1)
suena la - Stomp (stomp 5) 'make a sound'
silencio - Silencio (shhh!:1)
TRANSITION(couples can easily dance independently once Dile Que No & Vuelta moves are mastered)
salsa - standard 'on 1' salsa breaks: Leaders left front, right back. Followers: Right back, left front)
al centro - To the center (from contra step, turn for 1, Leaders & Followers dance respective salsa steps)
la flor - 'flower 'aka rosa , all break to center un-partererd, with arms like a blooming flower
una nueva - 'a new one (partner)' Peculiar to our elementary version, before we have learned guapea
from al centro, a cross body lead with the hands, resuming al centro.
VAR: nueva dos, nueva tres, nueva cuatro, etc.
una con una - Clap once and give me one (clap:7, break step, dile que no) 'one with one'
una con dos - Clap 2x and give me one (clap:78, break step, dile que no) 'one with two'
una con tres - Clap 3x and give me one (clap:78 1, break step, dile que no) 'one with three')
dos con dos - Clap 2x:78 and give me a 2nd 'two with two'
dile que no dos - From closed position, 2 cross body leads with same partner returning to starting point
vuelta hombres - Leader's CW turn on 123
vuelta mujeres - Folower's CW turn on 567
VAR: vueta lánguida - Leaders's Turn: 16 counts, Follower's Turn: 12 counts (ending with strong '1:)
VAR: vuelta doble - double turn, each 1/2 is 4 counts
VAR: la luna - after vuelta, continue to go around partner in 8 counts (moon goes around the earth).
revolución: Caller: 'Que Queremos?' Response: 'Liberdád!' (with fist in air)
(repeat 3x, then caller says, 'Por lo tanto, revolución!'
With cries of 'Ay! Ay!' etc, couples break away into independent units dancing how they wish.
Eventually, Caller returns to Pa' al medio with cry of 'Juntos!'
When everyone has returned, caller begins again with new rueda calls.

LEVEL ONE
contra - Contra step aka paso basico aka guapeando aka guapea 'elegant' )
leaders face downstream (CW), push breaks, L back left, forward right)
dile que no - cross body lead to guapeando, (bring R partner to L) 'tell her no'
dame - aka dame otra, new partner 'give me (a new one)' aka dame uno, aka dame otra
dame dos - Give me a 2nd (L walks 123 to 2nd new partner, then dile que no)
dame con los manos - 3 new ones (dame with hand connection, 3 in a row)
una con una - Clap once and give me one (clap:7, break step, dile que no) 'one with one'
una con dos - Clap 2x and give me one (clap:78, break step, dile que no) 'one with two'
una con tres - Clap 3x and give me one (clap:78 1, break step, dile que no) 'one with three')
dos con dos - Clap 2x:78 and give me a 2nd 'two with two'
enchufela (AKA enchufle) - in the door (inside turn, L: back walk walk, walk 123 to partner #2, break, dile que no)
enchufela doble - swinging doors (IT, OT, IT, then as above, L's all back breaks on these)

LEVEL TWO
para abajo - 'Back & forth' (F on L's Right 123, to center (Right Outside Partner) 567 - L: Salsa breaks, F: back breaks
enchufela no te lleges - in the door and stay
(IT, OT with no partner switch to dame or para abajo) 'plug it'
enchufela complicado - enchufla, then rope turns (he goes, then she goes), end with dile que no (same partner)
tiempo espana - enchufle, then arriba patterns from 'STARTERS' section at top
adios - Half pivot (1/2 couples turn, dame) 'goodbye'
adios con la hermana - adios 123, L's OT switch places 567,enchufela 123,
1/2 turn to CP 567, dile que no 123 567(same partner)
adios con la familia aka Prima Con la Famili a(start with adios con la hermana ,
but link arms on 567 instead of bring her to L's R side, then do-si-do123 567 to dame 'goodbye with the family'
foto - Photo (click & freeze:1, exit with 'dame')
ni pa ti ni pa me - Two hands clap
(hand claps new & prev. partner, center: 7&3, new partner:1, 1st partner:5)
fly - Fly ball (leader's turn CCW and all clap to next partner:1, as in pretending to catch a fly ball)
fly dos - 2 flies (2 claps to next partner:12) 'fly two'
chevaria - Twist (123, away, towards, away partner #1) 'fantastic'
pelota loca - from Al Centro( with push break guys, then girls)
12345678:stomp clap stomp clap stomp clap clap clap, then dame
sombrero - from guapea, SH to 2SH enchufela hands behind heads (like swing 'butterfly') then dile que no same partner

This chapter of the guide describes the open position, the basic Guapea step, simple turns, and the fundamental Dile que no cross-body lead. Changing partner moves (Dame) are introduced, together with the vast Enchufla family of moves, covered in more detail elsewhere in the guide, and the characteristic families of moves in the open position, Patin, Puente, Prima (= Adios), Ocho and Paseala.

Enchufla A La Familia: 2: Link arms then change: 38: Enchufla complicado: 3: Enchufla woman 123, Enchufla man 456. Enchufla: 39: Enchufla Con Clave: 3: To the clave clap: 40: Enchufla con dos muvetes: 3: Enchufla 123, 456 123 man clockwise twice and then quedate: 41.

• Pasos de Salsa Cubana 'Torniquete, Croqueta, Prima con toda la familia, Evelyn, El 1' - Duration: 1:14. Prima con toda la familia (Salsa Casino) - Duration: 0:58.
• Prima con Familia -Like Prima con hermana, but at the end of the enchufla, lead hooks arm and leads the follow around for an eight count before going to next follow to the right. Sacala -Lead the follow into the centre of the circle and back out. Sientate - Spanish for 'sit-down', this is usually called at the end of a song as the last move. Starts like Siete, lead preps on 7 of the previous count by putting the left hand.

This page includes a few additional move descriptions, notes on variations and alternative calls, and if relevant, any corrections or updated move descriptions.

A few abbreviations are used in these notes – the same as those in the guide (i.e. FO = Follower; LE = Leader; DQN = Dile que no (move names are distinguished by italics); LLH/LRH = Leader’s left hand / right hand; FLH/FRH = Follower’s left hand / right hand; DOHH = double open hand hold i.e. not crossed; XHH = double hold, crossed, right hands on top; cw = clockwise; a-cw = anti-clockwise; bullet points relate (generally) to 8 beats of music).

Corrections

El guapo, although closely related to Toma electrica is less similar than suggested in the guide, ending not with a copa and FO turn, but more like Puente.

Further alternative calls

• Fly complicado = uncommon alternative call for Tres (fly), i.E. 3 claps in the centre, high, middle and low levels, for both LEs and FOs.
• Fly bajo = an alternative call for (Fly) Linea, a low clap into the centre for both LEs and FOs.

Further moves

Beso and Besito (kiss and little kiss)

Besito in the guide is described (11.2) as an alternative call for El beso (the kiss), a popular move which starts like Sombrero. These alternative simple moves which (confusingly) use the same calls were introduced to Cambridge Rueda some years ago by a former Australian member of the group. Both moves begin like Dedo con guarapo y bota, but omit the partner change (the ‘bota‘) in favour of a reverse Dile que no.

Besito (little kiss)

• In the open position take LRH/FRH and on beats 1-2-3 lead a FO right turn (like a Pimienta). The FO turns on the spot whilst the LE circles around her as she turns, continuing to face clockwise. As he steps backwards inside the circle the LE lowers the LRH/FRH behind his neck, to end either in a reverse Dile que no position, or with less circling, with LE and FO both facing clockwise, LE inside the circle, FO to the outside.
• Release the LRH/FRH and with the LE’s left hand behind the FO’s back, lead the FO to step across in front of the LE, like a reverse Dile que no, to end at his right side in the DQN position.
• Dile que no to the open position.

Beso (kiss)

Start like Besito but after the first 8 beats, LE and FO maintain the reverse Dile que no position (LE’s left hand behind the FO’s back, LRH/FRH behind his neck) and circle clockwise in place over an additional 8 beats. Then complete the move as in Besito, returning to the open position.

Carrete (reel)

Carrete means reel, or spool as in a spool of film. A move taught by Reynaldo Salazar Guillen from Cuba at the 2012 SalsaNor Rueda Congress in Aarhus, Denmark. A combination move consisting of an Enchufla start to a clockwise walk in a variant of the Carousel position, plus a neat ending.

• Do the first 8 beats of Enchufla, keeping LLH/FRH hold.
• Lift this arm, the LE steps underneath and inside the circle toward the next anti-cw FO (i.e. Dame) keeps hold and takes LRH/FLH with the next FO, before lowering the LLH/FRH.
• Lift the LRH/FLH, the LE turns to his right underneath then lowers the arm to end with both LE and FO facing clockwise, LEs with a LH armlock holding the RH of the FO in front of him, with his RH level with his right hip holding the LH of the FO behind him.
• Keeping these holds everyone steps forwards in a clockwise direction over 8 beats (optional shoulder shakes for the LEs).
• Continue stepping forwards over a further set of 8 beats.
• Release LRH/FLH, LE turns to his right, bringing the FO who was in front of him across inside the circle as he turns (so the FO changes position in an anti-clockwise direction and half turns to end facing anti-cw with RH behind her back). LE then turns to briefly face almost outside the circle and takes LRH/FLH hold with the FO who is now behind his back (clockwise around the circle).
• Lifting this hold (LRH/FLH) on beats 1-2-3 LE completes a complete left turn underneath the arm to face the centre then releases the hold. On 5-6-7 he lifts the LLH/FRH from behind FO’s back (the FO at his right side) over her head to end in the DQN position.
• DQN to the open position.

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Cuatro cuarenta (4, 40)

A move taught by Pablo Miranda at the 2012 SalsaNor Rueda Festival in Aarhus, September 2012. The move is named 4, 40 after a bar in Santiago, Chile where it was created (Pablo is Chilean). This is a great Rueda move, which is much easier than it looks – to an observer it seems extremely complicated. Best done in small Ruedas of no more than 5 couples. Can also be started from either Rueda formation (holding hands) or the open position.

• Take hands with partners to either side, into Rueda formation. Lift the LLH/FRH over the head of the FO to the LE’s left as in Cadena, on beats 5-6-7 lift LRH/FLH over LE’s head as in Complicate.
• Lift both sets of hands, LE turns to his left lowering the arms as he turns to face the centre with complex crossed hands.
• LEs turn slightly to their right and With LLH lead the FO who was to their right side (now in front)to step forwards ducking under his left arm.
• LEs move slightly into the centre, left shoulders in so they are now back to back with the FO who just came under his arm. Lift the LRH/FLH up high and slowly bring it down to LE’s right side and into the small of his back (there is plenty of time so don’t rush).
• Lift the LE’s left elbow and on 1-2-3 lead the FO who is behind him to step backwards and duck underneath it again. LE should now have both hands in his back. On 5-6-7 he ducks under his right arm with a half turn to the centre back into Rueda formation, releasing LLH/FRH.
• Take the FO at his right side into Dile que no, to the open position.

Dame guaperia (classy / cool give me one). Attributed to Anderson Joseph (www.auroracorona.com) who teaches Salsa and Rueda in London.

• Start as Dame, changing partners but don’t take hold for Dile que no but pause on beats 7-8.
• On the next 1-2-3 LE and FO ‘wind up’ ready for an in-place turn by turning strongly towards the right, twisting their upper bodies to ‘wind up’ for the turn, on 5-6-7 they unwind turning in place to their left, to end in Dile que no position.
• DQN back to the open position.

Fiesta de enchufla(party of connect) a move introduced by several instructors at the SalsaNor Rueda festival in Southampton 2013.

A simple combination move.

• Do Enchufla complete with Dame as normal.
• Do Enchufla doble, complete with Dame as normal.
• Do Enchufla complicado but ending with Dame not Dame pa’ arriba.

Fiesta de prima (party of the cousin). Also called as ‘Festival de familia’ (festival of the family) by Moe Flex.

A simple combination move, which doesn’t quite follow the normal rules if called as ‘Festival’ i.e. normally there would be 1, 2 and 3, claps.

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• Do Prima (= Adios), complete with Dame as normal.
• Then do Prima con la hermana.
• Then do La familia (= Prima con la Hermana hasta la tia).

Tia complicado(complicated aunt) Attributed to Anderson Joseph (www.auroracorona.com) who teaches Salsa and Rueda in London.

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A small variation on La tia (i.e. Prima + Enchufla + circle with linked arms + Dame) which adds a further Dame before circling with linked arms, before finishing with a second Dame as normal. LE and FO take the linked arms after the first Dame in about the same position they would normally be in – LEs inside the circle facing a-cw, FOs outside the circle facing cw.