Rueda de Casino is a style of salsa dancing that was created in Cuba
many years ago. It is a dance for two or more couples, with one leader
who calls out different movements or steps. When there are more than
two couples the dance is done in Rueda (circle shape).
This kind of dance is excellent for creating a social environment among
the dancer or the people watching. At the same time, it is lots of fun!
To find the origin of Rueda de Casino we should go back in time in Cuba.
In the XVIII century, one style of dance with European origin took a mind
place in all the dancing halls in Cuba in that decade. Contradanza, which
is the name of this dance, is another type of group dance, with several
couples dancing directed by one caller called a Bastonero.
With all the fusions and mixes that our culture has been exposed to,
Contradanza was also influenced by all the other immigrant cultures in
Cuba of that time. At the same time, the creation of other Cuban
rhythms, like Son, Danzon, Danzonete, Mambo, Cha cha cha, and
Rumba created the foundation of the Casino style. Later, the Rueda de
Casino appeared, showing the character of the Cuban people.
The name, Rueda de Casino has its own history. After 1959, Gambling
Casinos were closed and some of them reopened as dancing halls. At
the beginning, people kept calling the dancing halls casinos and, as a
result the type of dance done there was called Casino. Some people say
that the name of Rueda came from the Patricio Lumunba, a famous
dancing place at that time. Others, say that it came from the Sociedad
de Recreo de Casino de la Playa. Regardless of where the name
originated, the style of dance came to be part of the Cuban identity.
In the 1980's, a couple named Rosendo y Caruca, choreographers and
dancers of the National TV Ballet in Cuba, brought the Casino style and
Rueda to the big stage of dance, on the TV program Para Bailar. Since
then, Rueda is danced all around the world.
There are many different calls involved in Rueda dancing. Some of them
change from country to country, or group to group, depending on where
you are. A few examples of the basic calls are: enchufla, 70, basilala,
la prima. You can also create your own calls and join the growing family
of Casineros (Casino style dancers). Whether you are Cuban or not you
will have fun dancing Rueda de Casino!
By Ramses Padilla