Classes
Casino Salsa
Casino is known globally as Cuban Salsa, where it originated, though Casino is a dynamic combination of rhythms from the world’s African and Latin regions. Cuban salsa is smooth and joyful, it has a very free approach to body movement and footwork. Casino is a dance to be enjoyed, and to fall in love with as you loosen up and become more comfortable with your moves. This style of salsa is danced in its original circular form, with a great deal of feeling, sensuality and cadence. It is not a competitive dance in essence, but rather a social dance. However, one could compete in this style since Casino is characterized by complicated arm movements while maintaining a fast pace and a circular motion.
Son
Cuban Son is the root of most salsa music today. It is a musical style that originated in the Oriente province in the eastern part of Cuba, and was accepted with much enthusiasm throughout the island after the success of the “Danzón”, Cuba’s national dance, traditionally found in upper class social clubs. Son combines the influence of two musical cultures, Spanish and African, into a modern style of music many refer to as Afro-Cuban. One of the foundations of Son is the rhythm know as “clave”. You will learn to identify this rhythm, and therefore begin to dance Son on the proper beat, the third clave, which is often mistaken for “on 2” dancing as it is contratiempo or “counter-time”. With the clave setting the rhythm, Son is without a doubt, the heartbeat of Cuban music.
Salsa Suelta
Salsa Suelta means "loose salsa" - salsa danced without a partner. Similar to rueda de casino, salsa suelta is initiated when people want to party and dance together as a larger group. But instead of dancing in a circle as in rueda, salsa suelta is danced in lines. It is like a step routine combined with imaginative gestures and moves that have evolved from a variety of Cuban dance traditions including rumba, orishas, son, cha cha cha, mambo, casino, and the modern influences of timba and hip hop. Salsa suelta is an easy-going dance style that can be learned as you go, and because there is no partner involved, it can be danced anywhere, in almost any situation. It will greatly improve your timing, skills, creativity and footwork when on the dance floor!
Body movement & Isolations
Cuban motion, "counter-position" body movements and isolations are the foundations of a great, versatile salsa dancer. Without proper body movement, the steps look flat and mechanical. Your dance comes to life when body isolations are added to the basic salsa steps, making the dancer's movements look beautiful, fluid and graceful. Each class includes a breakdown of how to isolate body parts such as the ribcage, shoulders and hips and specific stretches to encourage this type of movement. You will learn special exercises and practice techniques which focus on how to incorporate Cuban motion and latin movement into your basic reggaeton, bachata, afro-cuban, cha cha cha and salsa steps, to make these dances look authentic and not mechanical!
Rueda de Casino
Rueda de Casino was developed in Havana in the late 1950's and early 1960’s as way of dancing Cuban salsa where pairs form a circle or “wheel” (rueda) and partners are swapped frequently. The “cantante” (caller, or literally singer in Spanish) gives commands that correspond to certain moves that all the dancers should know. The names of these moves are mostly in Spanish, or Spanglish (i.e “un fly”) and some names are known in different versions, usually recognizable to Spanish-speaking dancers, though perhaps confusing to the rest. The reason that names can vary is because the pioneers of the Rueda wanted to keep others from participating and made up their own calls, so in turn, different towns across Cuba also made up their own calls to keep their own identity.
Cha Cha Chá
The Cha-cha-chá evolved from the Mambo and Rumba in the early 1950's in Cuba and the new rhythm was called "mambo-rumba" before being renamed the cha-cha-chá. In 1954 the cha-cha-chá dance style and rhythm was created by the Cuban violinist Enrique Jorrín, after listening to the sound made by the dancer's shoes on the floor when they made these small, gliding steps. Soon this phenomenon swept through Havana and New York, then to Europe, as dancers started adding a variety of footwork. The cha-cha-chá, like most other Latin rhythms, is played in 4/4 music yet it is danced over 2 slower beats followed by 3 quicker beats, where the cha-cha-chá is incorporated.
Cuban Cardio Rhythms
Come and discover how to increase your heart beat while learning to improve your dance beat! FiestaCubana has created weekly routines using different sequences of authentic steps from various Afro-Cuban, French-Haitian and popular Cuban dances. You will get a good workout during this class, using high-energy beats such as Reggaeton to make you sweat, then using more contemporary Latin rhythms such as Bachata to cool you down. This unique aerobics class for all ages will make you laugh, sweat and dance while exercising your body and your mind.
Cuban Rumba
Reggaeton
Afro-Cuban Movement
Afro-Cuban movement spans a variety of African dances such as Palo, Congo, and Macuta. We also teach basic steps from the Yoruba cycle and several different Orishas (Afro-Cuban gods and godesses) such as Eleggua, Ochun, Ochosi, Ogun, Chango, Yemaya, and many others. This also includes French-Haitian dances such as GaGa (includes the steps Paille and Pingue) , Bodu, or Bantu. Dancing to this distinct music will help you enjoy these Afro-Cuban beats and expand your Latin dance repertoire and range of movement.