|
 The moves to this dance are numerous and can be very complex. The dance
is done by two or more couples who do the moves in synchrony. A member of
the circle calls the moves for everyone to execute. Each move has a name
and most have hand signals since it is hard to hear in noisy nightclubs.
Moves can be called in quick succession, and along with frequent partner
exchanges, this creates a very dynamic and exciting atmosphere for
everyone involved.
The group nature of the dance is unique and makes it quite social. A
group consciousness develops to make the Rueda work well---with everyone
watching the leader for the calls. Dancers have to open up their sphere of
awareness far beyond what is necessary for ordinary partner dancing.
Whether you are dancing or watching, it is thrilling when a Rueda circle
works well and flows smoothly!!
This festive dance was brought to Miami by Cuban immigrants and took
hold there in the l970s and l980s. From Miami, it spread first to major
U.S. metropolitan centers with large Hispanic populations and eventually
to other cities as well. The movie "Dance with Me" has a segment of Rueda
dancing which helped poplularize the dance in this country.
Rueda can be done to any salsa music. It is best danced to music with a
driving beat and no rhythm breaks. (Latin music often changes rhythm
throughout one song, unlike American music.) The timing of the dance is
"quick, quick, slow"----exactly the same as salsa. The "slow" beat is
twice as long as the "quicks." Hence there are 4 beats to a measure and
the dancer steps on 3 of them.
Note that salsa dancers can step on beats 1, 2 and
3 or on beats 2, 3, and 4. The former pattern is called
"dancing on 1" and the latter is called "dancing on 2," assuming that the
first step is the break step. Some dancers prefer to dance on one and
some prefer dancing on two, which is a little more musically difficult.
Rueda in this country is generally danced on one. To the reader, this
difference--which beat the dance pattern starts on---may seem like a small
matter. But to serious "on 1" or "on 2" dancers, it is the stuff of
endless discussion and debate!!
Salsa/Rueda is related to the ballroom dance mambo. Mambo is always
danced "on two" and the moves are sharper. In mambo, you hold still on
beat one. In salsa you continue to glide through the beat even when you
are not taking a step. This creates a more fluid, undulating feeling to
salsa---like an ocean wave.
(To read an article published in a dance magazine about Rueda, click here .)
OTHER LATIN DANCES
Danzon
Danzon is a Latin dance wih a very formal structure. First the music
has an introductory section during which people don't dance. They chat,
the lady fans herself, they applaud the orchestra, etc. The dancers all
begin to move at precisely the same moment, when the next section of the
music begins. This is a melody to which dancers do something resembling an
American Rumba. The introduction often repeats later on, followed by
another melody. Dancers always stop dancing whenever the introductory
section is played. They again applaud the orchestra, chat, etc. Finally,
the last segment of a Danzon is the liveliest one and is called the
montuno. It is the montuno that went on to ultimately develop into Salsa
which is popular all over the world today.
The dancer's rhythm during the slower melody is slow, quick, quick,
slow, quick, quick, slow, quick, quick, slow, close. This is 4 measures of
music in which each measure has 4 beats. The man begins leading by going
forward on his left and he does a box step. Because the second box is not
completed, successive basic steps would result in the couple "migrating"
slightly to the man's right. Only closed figures are done during the
slower melody, which means that the woman and man face each other as they
dance.
During the faster montuno section of the dance, the dancers may open up
into moves where they don't face each other if they wish. During that
segment, they may also do complete boxes, running the slow, quick quick
rhythm continuously. That is, they do not close their feet (i.e. bring
them together) on the fourth measure.
Danzon (pronounce the "z" like an English "s") remains popular today in
some places such as Mexico. In Mexico City on most nights, for example,
hundreds of people can be found doing Danzon in public areas. The
development of this dance can be traced to the late 1700's. There was a
bloody Haitian revolution, after which many people fled to Cuba. They
brought with them "Contradanza," which was popular European-based dance
music. Eventually by the late 1800s, this evolved into Danzon. Much of the
original structure of the dance still remains today, and its multiple
sections provide an element of variability which make the dance a rich
experience.
Rumba Rumba
is a sultry and romantic dance, often referred to as the "dance of love".
Its roots can be traced to Africa where it was a street and courtship
dance. During the late 1920s, Rumba spread to New York, and a greater
emphasis was put on the tune or melody of the music.
The rhythm for the basic step of Rumba is slow-quick-quick. Notice that both the Rumba and the Salsa have an underlying pattern that includes one “slow” and two “quicks.” But in Salsa you begin with the “quicks” and in Rumba you begin with the “slow.”
Cha Cha Cha
Cha evolved and developed around the mid-1900’s. Cha Cha music is similar
to Salsa, but the tempo is slower. Thus there is time to replace the slow
step found in Salsa with the “cha cha chas.”
Cha Cha quickly became very popular and remains today the most
well-known of the Latin dances to Americans. Cha Cha music is catchy, and
has a lively, happy sound.
You’ll notice that most dances have “rhythm breaks,” or steps that vary from the basic rhythm of the dance. If you watch Cha Cha closely you may be able to see some of these different patterns which include syncopations and other types of variations. These rhythm breaks make the dance more interesting and challenging. They are particularly easy to notice in Cha Cha because any alteration of the “cha cha cha” tends to stand out.
Merengue Merengue is the national dance of the Dominican Republic. This
dance was developed in the early 1900’s. The music has a repetitive
quality and pounds out a steady beat. The dance rhythm is
quick-quick-quick-quick. It is the only dance that doesn’t have a mixture
of “quicks” and “slows”.
The movement of all Latin dances is characterized by “Cuban motion.”
This is the hip sway that is created by stepping onto a bent leg and then
straightening it. “Cuban motion” is most easily taught in Merengue due to
the steady beat. As a result, it is the Latin dance that beginning dancers
often start with.
In the basic movement of Merengue, one leg is dragged slightly. There is a story of how this dance originated. The story goes that during one of the revolutions in the Dominican Republic, a great hero was wounded in the leg. He came home to a celebration in his honor. When the villagers danced at the celebration, they all limped and dragged one leg as a gesture of sympathy for him.
copyright: 2002 by Barbara Bernstein
| 
Salsa is one of the most dynamic and important
musical phenomena of the 1900's. In many Hispanic communities, it remains
today the most popular style of dance music. Salsa represents a mix of
Latin musical genres, but its primary component is Cuban dance music.