Approximately as taught by Sebastian at Estilo Dance Studio on Thursday night. Rueda varies from place to place, some of these differ from Mike's calls which differ from Darlin's calls which differ from yours. These are my personal notes... if you really want to learn, show up!

Enchufle double con something-double con abooya-double. Enchufle double. Then rock into the circle on one-two-three, setting her up for an outside turn that carries her in and out of the circle on five-six-seven, yelling "heeeey-ya" on the one-two-three. She echoes on five-six-seven. Do that twice. Dile que no.

Dedo. Break back on one-two-three, as for an enchufle. On three take her right wrist with your right hand and let go with your left. Outside turn her as she comes across and you turn right. Keeping that one hand, do an enchufle con muerte (enchufle with a hook turn for you), then a regular enchufle. Ends like the previous move with the rock into the circle, but no abooya and you only do it once.

Sombrero. Break back on one-two-three. Change hands and outside turn her as she comes across. Sombrero (arms over your respective heads) by seven. Dile que no.

Sombrero con bachanga step. Begin with a somebrero; stay that way. Tap forward on one, return your left foot to its usual place right away on two; same for the right foot on three-four. Keep that going through five-six-seven-eight. She does the same on the opposite foot (but still forward, not back). Dile que no.

Sombrero double. I'm surprisingly good at this, I think I've been messing with it on the social dance floor or something. Begin with a sombrero. Now, lift up the arms again and inside turn her as she comes across, settling into somebrero again by seven. Now lead her back across in a simple reverse cross body lead.

Chico derecho. Not really a move that requires any explanation, I'm just amused because for the first time in maybe eighteen years I heard a command in Spanish and immediately understood and carried it out without explanation or repetition. If only all calls were as simple... okay, that'd be pretty boring. Oh yeah, the move: guys step into the circle on one, step around their partner to the right, claim their next partner on five-six-seven.

Tags: dance, estilo, philly, rueda, salsa, south philly

Katie Henry is THE front-page featured seller on Etsy as of this writing! Holycrap! Her original sewn art is on my wall yo.

I better start keeping "Party Party Party" in a friggin specimen jar! Protected by alien laser beams!

Here's a permalink to her featured seller interview.



I am super proud of my neighbor.

Tags: art, benna's, katie henry, philly, south philly

Setente siete as taught by Sebastien at Estilo Dance Studio, and as misremembered by me. Don't just read about it, come join the rueda class!

Begin the setente as usual: Break back and come forward, making a wing with her; break back again and turn to the right, bringing her into a hammerlock.

Enchufle on one-two-three. On five-six-seven, DO NOT turn right, resist temptation! She's behind you now, that's a GOOD thing. On five-six-seven do a hand shuffle: your right to your left shoulder on five, your left joins it by seven.

On one-two-three bring the hands out in front of you, bringing her around you. On five-six-seven right turn her.

Enchufle (yes, you do turn this time); let go of the arms to undo the knot on five-six-seven.

Dile que no.

Tags: dance, estilo, philly, rueda, salsa, south philly

Estilo Dance Studio is in the Fitness Works at 7th and Reed Streets in South Philly. Don't just read about it, come take classes!

There is an additional rueda instructor at Estilo now: Sebastien. Sebastien has taught rueda in France. He's awesome. French-accented Spanish rueda calls are your best entertainment value.

He threw in some silly variations on the enchufle. Principe bueno is an enchufle ending with a kiss on the hand as you sweep by to the next girl. Principe malo ends with a turn away and a stomp. Principe... heckiforget ends with mussing the girl's hair wildly. DO NOT TRY THIS WITH STRANGERS IN CLUBS IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO TASTE SPIKE HEEL. In a way you won't like.

I worked on the candela, a not-too-fancy move that I've nevertheless had persistent trouble with, and seem to have it down:

Break back and cuddle her in, then push her out again.

Repeat that.

On the third repetition, cuddle her in as usual on 1-2-3. On 5-6-7, keep both hands high, and turn left away from her. On 5, bring your right hand to your left shoulder (which is what kept biting me in the ass before). Now on 6-7 you'll settle the left hand to the right shoulder.

Now march in place in the direction you're now facing. When "paribe" (I think) is called, turn left to face your partner again, but keep marching in place.

When "dorito" is called, raise your left arm and walk under it to the next girl.

When "daiquiri" is called, reach over your partner's arm to the arm of the next girl, but don't go anywhere yet! When "zefir" is called, complete the move by raising your arm and passing your current partner under it and behind you, welcoming your new partner in front of you.

When "dile que no" is called, cross-body lead your partner and you're back to normal.

Tags: dance, estilo, philly, rueda, salsa, south philly

Baillala: dile que no, tap your left on eight, her right in your left. Give her a free spin inside turn. Chill out and wait for her to finish. Dile que no.

Baillala dos: dile que no, tap your left on eight. Give her a free spin inside turn. Turn left yourself.

Adios medio: like a regular adios, then step into the middle of the circle, then step out five-six seven. Repeat that bit.

Siete coca-cola: dile que no, tap your left on eight. Roll her in, push her out again, continue into a 360. Don't let her get away from you, keep her close, keep it tight and continuous, don't let her step back and away.

We spent a lot of time on the setenta complicado again, which is good because, we'll, it's complicado but it's nice to have it falling into place and not completely beyond me anymore. Rock.

We need more people in the rueda! Philly has a zillion salsa dancers, we need more rueda visibility. Any salsa dancer can pick it up quickly...

Tags: dance, estilo, philly, rueda, salsa, south philly, tom's life

The Thursday night salsa rueda class at Estilo needs more people! Jump in! Mike and Darlin are open to starting a beginner's catch-up class at the same time if there's call for it (so to speak). You should have at least a few months of social or classroom salsa dancing experience under your belt going in.

I rueda really a lot. But I've been trying to learn the setenta call for months. The dam finally broke tonight.

I have goofy explanations for my triumph: my brain is full of gourmet theobromine thanks to solestria! Rapid progress is only possible with $20 chocolate bars!

But it's really because I took the parts of the move I did have down and incorporated them on the social dance floor... a lot... building my vocabulary of basic moves so that I can better understand complete sentences. This is almost always the real reason why you "just can't" learn a pattern: you don't know the pieces yet. Break 'em down.

Setenta. Break back on one, then bounce back, coming side to side with her on three; the two of you are like a wing at this point, with you on the left. On five-six-seven, as she comes across, right turn her into a hammerlock; turn right to face her.

Enchufle on one-two-three. On five-six-seven, chaqueta: tuck your right elbow outside her arm.

Dile que no (cross-body lead), bringing your elbow in again on one-two-three.

Setenta complicado. The first set of eight is the same.

Enchufle on one-two-three. On five-six-seven, make a window with your right arm; as you step back on five and return on six, pull her through it; on seven turn left to face her, letting go with the right hand. Reclaim her left in your right; you have a normal hold again.

Enchufle on one-two-three, stopping her with your right hand on her hip so she winds up facing the same direction as you. On five-six-seven, glide her back.

Dile que no.

Siete. Easy-peasy one. Dile que no, tapping on eight. On one-two-three, break back and roll her in; on five-six-seven roll her out again.

Dame por... something: cross-body lead opening on one-two-three. On five-six-seven, inside turn her into a hammerlock with your left hand, letting go on seven; she comes across but you remain facing your new partner, and go straight into guapea (basic). This means your next partner is clockwise rather than counterclockwise. That also happens in other calls when pariba is added to them.

Darlin and Mike said something to the effect that they need to add more calls soon, so I expect to be back in kindergarten very shortly. But it was a very nice feeling to be Right There With It.

I like the feel of rueda moves and I'm noticing that they are very leadable on the social floor in Philly, since we dance on one here anyway.

Tags: dance, estilo, philly, rueda, salsa, south philly

Taught today in Mike Andino's 12:30pm Saturday basic salsa class at Estilo Dance Studio. Don't just read my crappy notes, go take the class:

Normal hold, left hand only. Walk-walk-turn her, bringing your right hand to her left shoulder on three, turning her right on seven. Don't telegraph your intentions ahead of time, just walk her across.

Man's half right turn on one-two-three. On one, you step forward— not to the right. Step to the left a little, even. By three you're both facing in the same direction and you're out of her way (at her left); change her right hand into your right. On five-six-seven, inside turn her as she comes across (that is, she turns left). Now you're in a handshake hold.

Give her a plain ol' right turn, but claim her left hand underneath with your left on one. After her turn your left hands are on top.

On one, bring your left hand behind her head and let go. On two, bring your right hand behind her head and let go. On three, open up for a cross-body lead and claim her left hand in your left. On five-six-seven, inside turn her as she comes across.

Taught in Mike's intermediate 1:30pm class:

Double handshake hold, rights over lefts. Outside turn her.

By one, bring your left arm behind her head so her elbow is locked, letting go with your right hand. Open up to the right by three (not to the left as you normally would for a cross-body lead). On five-six-seven, half left turn her. On seven, stop her with a "hug" around the shoulders with the right arm, turning half left yourself on seven so you are both facing back the way she came.

On one-two-three, break back, letting her pose (you still have her left in your left to point out with). On five-six-seven, roll her into your left arm (this is a left turn for her, but you keep your left hand low so she wraps into it and must stop turning as she faces you again).

Change hands on one, opening up for a cross-body lead by three. On five-six-seven, check her again: again it's a left turn for her, but while your right arm stays high, it stops at her right shoulder so she must remain facing away.

On one-two-three, use that right arm at her right shoulder to "run her around" (turn her half left to face you again). I had trouble with this bit, don't take me too seriously here. On five-six-seven, she naturally walks forward (because you're well out of her way), and you signal her for a right turn with your right hand so that she rolls into your arm again.

After that it's just a chase scene (that's as far as we got).

Tags: dance, estilo, philly, salsa, south philly

My brain is full. Please deposit twenty-five cents for the next three rueda calls.

Enchufle con muerte: enchufle, exchanging places on one-two-three. On five-six-seven, hook turn yourself under the arm. On one-two-three, let go and brush past on your way to your next partner. On five-six-seven, cross-body lead your new partner.

Adios con muerte: adios (break back on one, right hand to her left hip by three and get out of the way so she can pass on your right; on five-six-seven right turn her with the hand at her hip; her arm passes over you as you turn right). On one-two-three, rather than just walking forward three steps to your next partner, execute a progressive left turn to reach them. Five-six-seven, cross-body lead them as usual.

Hilo: starts out as an enchufle con muerte. Then travel to your next partner with a progressive left turn instead of a simple walk forward.

Sombrero: cross-body lead her, changing hands by five, right hand on top. Tap on seven, getting out of the way so that she can pass on your right on the next set of eight. On one-two-three, right turn her as she comes across (yes, you're turning her on one). On five-six-seven, settle your arms behind your left shoulder and her right. Cross-body lead her.

Coca-cola can replace any of these cross-body lead endings, indeed any cross-body lead anywhere at any time. Coca-cola can strike without warning. Do not taunt happy fun coca-cola. Really. You have no idea: your left hand to her right shoulder by one, opening up for a cross-body lead by three. Free-spin left turn her (i.e. tug toward you and release on five) as she comes across. 360 her around. You gotta lead this, put some oomph into it, don't be shy.

Pasilla is another alternate ending. On five-six-seven, open up to the circle, allowing your partner to do the same. On one-two-three, go get the girl to your left. I am never quick enough with this, so I suspect I'm still not doing it quite right.

Roughly... very roughly... as taught by Mike Andino at Estilo Dance Studio. Rueda classes are held every Thursday night at nine-thirty. C'maaan, you know you want to! I do recommend completing a basic salsa class first. Plenty of those at Estilo too.

Tags: estilo, philly, rueda, salsa, south philly

Week three of rueda at Estilo! I played hooky from salsa and bachata tonight to have dinner with mah pal jeremym, who called me up and said "meet me for Thai or I'll kill this marbled murrelet with my bare hands" or something along these lines. I acquiesced to this demand and we went to Tamarind on South Street, which is surprisingly affordable and tasty. Since the change of management at Pad Thai I don't really recommend them anymore, so Tamarind wins.

But never mind that, you want to hear about rueda calls.

A few that I remember well enough to try to write them down, which is a good sign. When I know darn well I didn't hear the name of the call clearly, I've italicized it.

Evelyn (Eva-LEEN). This starts with an apache whip: break back but not too far, bring your left arm around behind her back by three and transfer her right hand to your left arm, getting out of her way so that she can unroll and pass by you on five-six-seven as you execute a hook turn of your own. You'll need to release her hand on seven. You have exchanged places. Now lead her in a simple right turn, making sure she steps into the circle on one. End with a cross-body lead.

Asilico (Obviously, I didn't hear this one right). Begin with a cross-body lead, opening up on three as usual; after that, you STAY in that open-to-the-center position, and she rolls out to face into the circle as well. On eight, tap in the circle with your left foot. On one-two, execute a J-hook across your body so that she can execute a double... right turn; I think. You're snapping and letting go on two, not three (I was constantly late with this).

Coca-cola. Not that different from its usual meaning... open up for a cross-body, but bring your left hand to her right shoulder, and free spin inside turn her toward you on five. Then a cross-body lead.

Quarto con a rolla. Enchufle. Then, on the next set of eight, walk in a circle around the your next partner. Then cross-body lead her.

There's more... I'm getting the hang of it a little at a time.

Tags: dance, estilo, food, philly, salsa, south philly

The folks at Nuevotec do high-definition video of salsa performances, and man do they ever do it right. Their documentary film Salamentary, which I've mentioned before, follows Darlin Garcia and Kat Eccleston's journey to the 2006 world salsa championships. Strongly recommended.

Turns out Nuevotec is also producing the DVD of last weekend's Estilo Student Showcase— and they have the finale performance up as a teaser.

Now, this finale number was put together in two weeks' notice... if you were lucky. In the case of our class, it was put together on twelve hours' notice. And we did just fine. Much better than I thought, actually. But there's a reason we look so... focused. (;

Watch the finale (just a hair over two minutes).

Tags: estilo, nuevotec, philly, salsa, south philly