Rueda is meant to be fun.....

Something that irks me is the etiquette of joining in with a Rueda or lack of understanding of it.

Rueda is a wonderful inclusive style of dance. I have often described it as 'Kaeligh meets Latin Dancing'. A lot of the fun is in the chaos. 

For those not familiar with this style, couples dance in pairs in a circle. The 'caller' or 'leader' calls out the name of the move to be danced. The dancers execute the move. It involves a lot of changing partners. Some of the moves are basic and could be executed by almost any dancer. Some are more complex and require a degree of competency in the dance and some experience of what is required. Some are flirtatious, even downright rude. Some moves it doesn't matter if you know what to do or not, others if you don't know it throws the whole group out. 

There is an undeniable thrill and excitement when a group gets flying and the moves are all danced well together. A certain amount of chaos and 'things going wrong' also adds to the flavour. 

I've even had Cubans watching Rueda's in our club comment 'some of the moves are going wrong'. 'Yes, but the dancer are all laughing and having fun, isn't that the point?'. 'Err, yes it is, we forget sometimes'.

However, there is a big difference between a few things going wrong and just plain messing it up for everyone. 

So, here are my etiquette points when it comes to Rueda.

Experienced dancers with no experience of Rueda should not join in. 

There is no way you should join a Rueda if you don't know what you are doing. It just ruins it for everyone else. It isn't enough to 'know how to dance salsa', you  need to know where your meant to be going and when. 

Only pair up with dancers who should be in the Rueda. 

Some nights I see dancers grabbing 'anyone' off the sidelines so they can join in. It is so awkward when a Rueda if forming up and I see someone - usually a man - on the side without a partner, grab a beginner or any bystander and charge over to the dance floor. It is just wrong - it ruins it for the beginner, it ruins it for the whole Rueda. 

Ladies DON'T lead

When someone doesn't know a Rueda move, the best bet is to dance casino until the time comes to move on. Why do some women insist on trying to lead men through the move? It invariably means that instead of being able to move on when the move ends they are all over the place uncertain of anything other than 'they can't do it'

If a Rueda is established, leave it be.

Sometimes it is nice to have a Rueda with top flight dancers who can really dance and the standard and complexity can be raised. Equally a Rueda can be made up of friends 'having a go' at calling their own Rueda. Half way through the track a couple join who really haven't the experience or the ability find a way in. Boom, the whole thing has to slow down to their level or the fun of dancing with friends has been sidelined. 

If you don't know a move, watch the caller like a hawk.

I've had strong Cuban dancers in my Ruedas that don't know all of my moves. Only a skilled observer would know this. They focus on the leader and they copy at great speed. If you aren't strong enough to copy on the fly, then just stick to Casino. 

Now don't get me wrong. You need to join in with Rueda's to get the experience. Just make sure that when you join, you aren't ignoring everyone else just so you can 'get in'.

Finally - one night when every guideline was broken, but it worked really well. 

There are nights when the whole room seems to join in and it just flies. Dancing with one other couple at a local club in Brighton, within 2 minutes it felt like the whole room had joined in. At the end of the tune, the DJ announced that the Rueda was to stay put and have another tune. If only I knew how to call over the club sound system cranked to the max. Still, it worked somehow and remains a special memory.

Jon 

20th August 2012

Would you like a dance?

Back in the day when I first started my salsa club, I used to go to great lengths to explain the etiquette of asking for a dance. For a long time I've felt that it didn't need explaining any more as everyone just seems to 'get it'. More recently, I've noticed that people don't just get it any more, so time to put the record straight.


Anyone can (and should) ask anyone else for a dance. 


It means - can I have a dance. 


It doesn't mean could I have  a dance and hope that I can spend the rest of the evening with you. 


One dance. A conversation (assuming the track is slow enough to manage it). Thank you for the dance.


I know that for ladies, this is the hardest part of the salsa scene to get to grips with. Ladies, if you aren't getting enough dances, go and ask. Personally, I have only ever said no if I had something I had to do (like DJ) meaning I couldn't head straight off for a dance. Normally, I'd sort the immediate requirement for the club and then go and dance. There really is no reason for ladies not to ask men for dances. Men can be shy too and sometimes just need a nudge. 


In my book, it is also ok to ask someone to dance when they are stood at the side of the room chatting. Its a dance club, chatting is good, but dancing takes priority. IMHO. 


It can be worrying to ask someone who you think is a much better dancer than yourself. You find yourself thinking 'I can't ask them, they're too good a dancer, they wouldn't want to dance with me'. Well, we were all beginners once. If we never danced with better dancers, we'd never have got better. I don't know any experienced dancer who minds taking dances with less experienced dancers. OK, I know they do exist, but if they are too far up themselves to dance, they're not actually the dancer they'd like to think they are. 


Ever noticed how experienced dancers are never shy about asking less experienced dancers?


The final part of the etiquette is to thank your partner at the end of the dance and then to go and find they next partner. It is very poor etiquette to tie one person up for the whole evening. A large part of the joy of dancing is that chance to spend a little quality time with a lot of different people. 


So, next time you are watching the dance floor thinking you'd like to be out there. Go and ask someone nearby for a dance. 


Jon
14th May 2012

Dancing with Beginners

Something that often surprises me is the approach of guys dancing with ladies who are beginners. 

As I run the club and am seen taking advanced classes, beginner ladies often look panicked if I ask them for a dance. I do my best to re-assure them that I will keep it simple. As a rule of thumb I will start with the very basics and then slowly but surely move my way through moves working out what the lady can dance. 

At some point, I will hit the level that is too hard for them. After that, I stick to moves I know they can dance. 

Sadly I often have to watch moderately experienced male dancers forcing beginner ladies through moves they clearly have no idea how to dance. Too many dances like this and I know I am not going to see the ladies again as they are put off ever trying salsa again. Thanks guys, I needed that....

I don't know if there is some ego switch in these guys heads that thinks that if they aren't seen dancing 'complicated' stuff, then everyone will think that's all they know.

Here's my advice to the men:

KISS - Keep it simple stupid

Simple moves danced well are so much better than complex ones that become a mess.

Respect the lady you are dancing with, its not your job to make her get through your move, its your job to make her feel she's the best dancer on the floor.

If all the men look after the ladies, then more ladies will progress and we'll have lots more ladies to dance with.

As for beginner men dancing with experienced ladies? Sadly it just seems to be too scary to go and do. Beginner guys just go and ask, the ladies really don't mind

Jon

26/04/2012