Rueda de casino is a cuban salsa dance y rueda = wheel indicates a circle, in which the couples are dancing. The dance is directed by one of the dancers who calls the next pattern, whereupon the couples are performing the pattern including switching dance partners, clapping, stomping or other creative movement. The pattern names are differ from region to region and the number of couples is varying from two to Mega Ruedas with over 100 dance couples.

In Cuba the people interpret the Rueda more as a competition and the teams from different cities are exercise hard to participate and compete e.g. in the television show. There are endless patterns but these and the calls are similar enough to participate and dance a rueda.

It is not necessary to know them all, but to maintain the dynamic oft he rueda, at least it is recommended to know the patterns which includes switching the dance partner e.g. enchufla, dame und dame dos, directo, p’arriba and prima. If it is called a pattern you don’t know and which doesn’t include switching of dance partners you may maintain the basic step until you hear a known pattern. Basic pattern without switching are e.g. dile que no, vacila, guapea, sombrero und exibela.

In the following video Javier shows a improvised rueda.