We’ve all heard of salsa — its a delicious and sometimes spicy dip that goes great with chips, but it’s also a sensual yet athletic social dance set to music.

In America, there are two distinctive salsa styles: salsa on one and salsa on two. The style you see most frequently often depends on which side of North America you live, east or west. 

But a third, lesser-known salsa exists, too, difficult though not impossible to find. It's called Salsa Rueda.

Salsa Rueda is also referred to as Salsa Casino, and differs greatly from the more well-known versions of salsa commonly danced in America. In Salsa Rueda, dancers are required to know a set of predetermined danced moves that can be performed in a social setting. Traditionally there is someone directing the audience as to what moves to perform and in what order.

The History

Rueda has roots in Cuba, but its true genesis lies in France. Rueda evolved from a dance style known as the contradanzas, a type of dance performed in aristocratic Europe, particularly France, in which nobility were required to know set choreographies that could be performed at designated times in unison.

As the French colonized places in the Caribbean, they brought their fancy dances with them. In Haiti, indentured servants mimicked these dances. After the Haitian Revolution (1791- 1804) many Haitians found themselves as refugees in Cuba where they continued to mimic these aristocratic dances while adding their own flare until, voila, the Cuban contradanza was born.

The Cuban contradanza required participants to know pre-planned figures to be performed in the court under the direction of a bastonero. This dance quickly spread throughout Cuba and, over time, evolved into the Salsa Rueda known today. The alternate name Rueda de Casino exists because one history traces the dance's origins to a place called "El Casino Deportivo."

Why You Should Dance Rueda

Salsa Rueda is danced with a partner in a circle formation. Couples learn certain moves by name and all partners in the circle perform the same move simultaneously when instructed by the bastonero. There are hundreds of possible moves and combinations, and dancers usually dance them in a social setting such as a nightclub.

What makes Salsa Rueda so unique is the group dynamic. Anyone who knows the moves can join in with a partner and dance in synchrony with the others. Rueda is a joy for dancers because many of the moves require the lead to pass the follow around the circle, meaning that dancers will pass from partner to partner, back and forth. The upside is that you don’t have to ask someone to dance every time there is a new song — you can hop in the circle and be continuously passed to partners until your dancing feet can take no more. It's a thrilling activity that one could easily get addicted to.

Thanks to the immigration of Cubans to Miami, America is beginning to catch on to the Rueda movement. There's been a wide expansion of Rueda across Miami, and now you can find a Rueda nightclub on almost every corner.

This obscure yet immensely fun variation of salsa continues to grow as more and more social dance enthusiast are exposed to it. Whatever you do, don’t hesitate to take a Rueda lesson or visit a club if the opportunity presents itself. We promise you won't be disappointed.