What is Salsa Rueda? Who can possibly dance it? Where does it come from? Is it a totally different kind of salsa? These questions and more could be the least of your concerns when you’re already up on the dance floor and enjoying your time with your group of friends or family. However, knowing the answers to these questions will help you appreciate Salsa Rueda more. You will also comprehend the importance of each movement, or why it’s created that way.

Here are tidbits of information in relation to Salsa Rueda:

1. There is more than one couple that dances in Salsa Rueda. This could be one of the most obvious differences between a conventional salsa and a Salsa Rueda. The former only requires a pair, while in the latter, you can have four or more. As they say, the more the merrier. As to who your group mate can be, it’s definitely up to you. If the rest of your family members or your friends can do the Salsa Rueda, then you can always create a group. Normally, when you’re in ballroom classes, the students would be asked to perform their routines, including the Salsa Rueda, in groups.

2. The formation is circular. A lot of ballroom dances are lane dances. This means that they are performed in a line or a lane. A couple should not go beyond the lane to avoid hurting other people or worse ruining the entire routine. The Salsa Rueda dance, on the other hand, is different. It’s usually performed in a wheel motion, which means the members of the group will form a circle. The formation should not be broken all throughout the Salsa Rueda.

3. The most popular dance is that of Cuba. There are actually different types of Salsa Rueda performed in different parts of the world, so it becomes a little hard to trace where the dance really originated or how it came about. Nevertheless, among the Salsa Rueda dances, the most popular is the Cuban version called la Rueda de Casino. It derived its name from casinos in the country, which were later turned into dance halls when the former was not earning anymore.

4. There are three types of people in Salsa Rueda. In a Salsa Rueda, the participants can be labeled into three. You have the leader, usually the male, who would take the lead and guide the woman all throughout the dance. The other is the follower, or the female. Their role is to make sure that men will have no difficulty guiding them. They can do so by raising their left arm, so the guys can instantly hold them. You also have the caller, who will provide directions for the group.

5. Hand signals can be used. Salsa Rueda is normally performed in clubs, and these places can get pretty noisy. If such thing happens, dancers should watch out for hand signals from the caller. This may also mean extra effort to the Salsa Rueda dancers since they don’t only have to take note of the beat, but they should also glance at the caller a lot of times.