Korea Carruseles

Through the glass darkly..........?

Do you ever think about the future of dancing?  I mean....we know that art forms change and evolve and mutate, right.  But where will (for example) bachata be 4 years from now.  Particularly the latin dances we're familiar with?

I don't think anybody can tell for sure.  But it's fun to try to see.....through the glass darkly.

I do see a very real potential connection between bachata and kizomba and tango.  I'd really say that kizomba is where the two most intersect.

Point is, I found some very cool video clips tonight and a cool band called OtrosAires (www.otrosaires.com).  How I found it was through a 'friend' request through my Facebook account from a guy named VicTor Kizombafr.

I thought it was probably a fake name at first.  I still think it is but, after following through and clicking around I have a higher appreciation for the artist talent behind the name whether it's fake or not.  

He found me through a mutual Facebook 'friend' we have.....Jose N'dongala.  Jose, you'll remember, is one of my kizomba instructor friends.

Anyway, VicTor apparently has a band called OtrosAires.  They're Argentinians.  I haven't heard much of their music but the two songs I heard sound great.  It's the kind of progressive electronic stuff I like.

I haven't fully explored their site yet but I'll bet there lots more good stuff on it than what I saw.  Looks like it's a 'flash' based site too.  Here's three video I saw:

Casino Rueda in Seoul, S.Korea.

In case you didn't know, I've been over in Korea teaching English since June of 07.  Generally speaking it's been fun but the best thing about it is the dancing is really spectacular over here.  And I'll mention that there's still a big demand for more teachers.  Basically all you need is a 4 year degree in anything.

It's a good deal and you can get more information here: www.asknow.ca/teach .  But that's not the purpose of this post.  A small but enthusiastic portion of the foreigners over here (like me) salsa dance in the huge number of excellent clubs here in Seoul.  Although you'll still find a lot of that "LA Style stuff and that 'on 2' ridiculous-ness, one can still have a great time in most of the clubs.

There's a little bit of casino rueda going on.  But not much.  So, I'm going to crank up my activity on this blog again in hopes of getting some of my aquaintences and friends here on the same page as far as the patterns we're doing and how we're doing them.

I'm a member of a social group, www.seoullatindanceandsalsa.com and we have several sub-groups.  Most of them are small and don't actually do very much.  But we do have a few people who are interested in casino rueda. 

I've decided to collect and feature as many good casino pattern videos as I can.  I'll be grouping them into (probably) three groups:  the first group will be the kinds of patterns that people usually learn the first few months in casino rueda.  The second group will have more advanced patterns.  Then, if we get that far, I'll have a third group of really hard core patterns.  But frankly I don't think we'll get that far.

A new era of isolationism for the WanderingSalsero?

Well yeah, I suppose in a way you could say that.  For the time being I'm going back to trying to please the person that counts......me!

My idea and motivation for starting the Korea Carruseles was sincere.  I wanted to give people a chance to see how much fun casino rueda is and a chance to be in a group of like minded dancers where we could all enjoy it together.

Apparently there was something wrong in either the strategy or the tactics or even perhaps the basic premise of the idea in the first place because I couldn't get people to commit to putting in the time it takes to learn casino rueda.

Looking back, I can make several observations:

• The fact that the classes were free might have tended to preclule people from taking them seriously. 
• Just because somebody came for one class doesn't necessarily mean they'll come for the following classes.
• Many dancers seem to get disappointed if there aren't partners for them.
• Beginners seem shy about being in classes with more advanced dancers.
• More advanced dancers seem to not like wasting time going back to review stuff for dancers who need to catch up (I can understand that)
• I made a mistake thinking that we could depend on having the special practice room at Top Salsa Club.
• I think communication problems with Korean club owners is to be expected and furthermore that, regardless of what they say or how they act in the beginning, they're going to 'take care of their own' before they worry much about how they treat a group of foreigners.
• Korean dancers don't need another community because the Korean salsa community has too much activity as it is, and
• The average 'foreigner' dancer here in Korea (i.e. in the Seoul area where we are) is what I would call too 'immature' as a dancer and not eclectic enough to have much interest in casino rueda.  Once a person has learned 'on1' or 'on2' as a style, they usually think that's all they need to learn.  Therefore they look at casino rueda as too much effort.

So.....I could be wrong about some of those observations and, if I am, I'm open to suggestions and comments.  But what's up for me next?

Well, I'm going to still be going out and if I do try to do anything else with casino rueda it's going to be strictly on a very, very small, very personal level.  I'll be looking for an agenda that'll include me, a partner and one other couple only.  We'll take it and run with it until we can get up into some level 2 or 3 patterns.

After that, if somebody else wants to learn casino from me, then they'll be required to pay for it.  The instructors will be me and/or my other couple.

Also, part of the reason I came over here to Korea in the first place was because I wanted to spend more time on acquiring some internet marketing skills.  I've started to to that now and, for my long range purposes, it really would be a smart thing for me to dance less and spend more time working on these internet things I'm interested in.  I've got a realistic chance, right now, to be earning a full-time income within maybe 5-6 months if I can stay focused on that goal.

So......I might be dancing less for awhile.

However, I'm always open minded to dancing and hanging out with anybody who wants to do it.  Especially if she's pretty :-)  So, whether you're a guy or a gal......don't hesitate to gimme a call if you want to go dancing somewhere in sassy, sizzling Seoul.

Art                                                                                                                                                       82 10 9122 8095

Advice from Sandra in Austin....

I have a good friend Sandra Moro Sleeper, back in Austin, Texas who has one of the most successful rueda programs in the country.  Most of what I know comes from her and the good times I used to have when I'd drive from Houston to Austin for her Sunday afternoon rueda groups at Ruta Maya Coffee House. 

Here's some good info I got in a recent email from her:

One reason why Rueda is truly unique is that it is a group dance. Whereas this makes it great fun to dance, it also means that the normal "protocol" applied to partner dancing is not quite enough to keep the circle turning smoothly. Here are some guidelines to help with handling this group dance.

Joining a Circle
Do:

• Feel free to join any Rueda - it is supposed to be a friendly, fun, group activity.
• Ask someone who has done at least level 2 of Rueda to partner you.
• Get into the "Guapea" hold with your partner and signal the "Caller". Wait for "Dame" to be called, and ease into the circle with the "Guapea" step.
• Be prepared for "Dile que No".

Don't:

• Ask someone with no Rueda experience to partner you. Even the best of dancers just aren't prepared for this if they have not been exposed to it before.
• Push into the circle before "Dame" is called. Besides accidents,  it can also cause a good deal of irritation to the dancers trying to perform the calls and pass partners.
• Wait for the 'appropriate' gender - some girls can lead and some guys can follow!

Dancing in a Rueda

1. If you don't know or don't hear a call, stay in Guapea and watch for the "Dame"! You will avoid fumbling, embarrassment and missing the "Dame" which can save the circle.
2. Read Rule 1 again! Be patient and courteous with whomever you are dancing with, even if they are not as proficient as you are. We all need support and encouragement to improve.
3. Keep your eyes and ears on the caller, but spare a smile for your partner as you whiz by!
4. Be alert for calls like "Dame Dos", "Una Para Abajo" and "Pa' Fuera" - They can undo you and the circle quite suddenly!
5. Keep an eye on your neighbors, and try to match the size of their steps and gestures - this way you will assist in keeping the shape of the circle.

Leaving the Circle
After a Rueda is finished; thank your partner and those around you for the dance!

If you need to exit the circle before a song is finished, signal the caller, wait for "dame or dile que no", and exit with your current partner. It is essential to balance the ratio of leaders to followers in Rueda.

In an emergency, if you cannot get the attention of the caller, try to exit with your partner while the circle is 'stable' (i.e. not switching partners). If you are the unfortunate partner, exit graciously and find another partner if possible, or wait until your partner is able to return. Re-enter using the aforementioned
guidelines.

Starting a Rueda
You don't have to wait for a Rueda to start in order to dance in one - Start your own! Get a few Rueda couples together and start with "P'al Medio" or simply break out of your salsa, into "P'al Medio" and direct your inward motion towards another Rueda couple - this is an irresistible invitation. You know what that means though don't you - Be Prepared to Call!

Calling a Rueda
Try not to call anything too complicated to start of with - work your way up from simple to difficult. This way you can gauge the level of the circle. If you're not sure who knows what, avoid calls like "Dame Dos", "Una Para Abajo" and "Pa' Fuera/Pa' Dentro" these will undo your circle very quickly if anyone is in doubt. Mostly everything else can be managed by staying in "Guapea" and watching for the "Dame". Keep eyes out for couples wishing to enter or exit
and call "Dame" as soon as possible.

Use hand signals where possible in conjunction with your calls.

Time your calls so that the dancers have enough time to prepare for and execute the step. Try to call your calls on the "down beat" or "the one".

Project your voice and your personality to the centre of the circle so that everyone can hear or see you, and everyone knows who is calling. Try not to leave the circle idling in "Guapea" for too long. Try Calling "Dame" or "Festival de Enchufas" which will give to time to think......

You may pass the calling responsibilities on if there are 'eager callers' in the circle - It's nice to share! (It can be a relief too!)

New and 'Soon to Be' Rueda Dancers
Do not under any circumstances walk through the center of a happening Rueda - it is inexcusably rude! It can also cause accidents and leaves everyone feeling offended. It would be just like someone barging through you and you partner on the Salsa floor - very poor taste. Also, don't not attempt to push out a couple who has decided to occupy the center of the circle. It can start a fight. Wait for them to move out & then keep the circle tight in order to prevent others from attempting to steal the center.

Don't be shy to give it a go - if you don't know a move, don't panic, Just stay in "Guapea" and watch for the "Dame".

For everyone
Be considerate, courteous and encouraging to your fellow Rueda dancers. Remember, the aim of all this is to have fun!

Check out Sandra's site at http://www.streetsalsa.com

New, funky and do-able rueda pattern

Check out this cool video clip of a rueda party.  If you look at what they're doing in the range of 1:50 to around 2:16 minutes on the slider you'll notice they're doing something called 'dame con manos'.....guys going into the center of the circle and then coming out.  And at the same time they're weaving around the circle in and out of the girls' line.

But they're doing it to some really funky, groovey and 'slow-burn' music.  It's not salsa (not at that point in the clip anyway).

The patterns they're using are really pretty basic and consist primarily of dames, dame con manos, and enchufla.  None of those are hard.  The only real challenge a beginner might have would be timing.

If we wanted to do it, all we'd need to do is add some claps......guys do the quarter notes on '1' and girls do the double eigth notes on '3'.  And maybe throw some well time shouts or something in there too. 

My idea would be to continue that groove until the caller pulls the group out of it.  The way I see it in my mind is pretty cool and we're going to try it.

And BTW.......I have inside information and confirmation that the hot, local Seoul salsa band called Orquesta Escencia is playing at Top this month.  I hope we can have a few people ready and able to do some simple rueda by then.

Bachata Musicality

Music is art and art is supposed to be a dynamic thing....i.e. it's not supposed to stay the same all the time.  It's supposed to change just like people change.  One of the less than totally desirable things that happens when something becomes popular, just like salsa has been in recent years, is that you start seeing the 'experts' trying to establish 'norms'.

Sometimes that's OK but sometimes it's not.

I'm thinking of how bachata is enjoying a burst in popularity lately.....if you know where to look for it.  I'm frankly surprised that more of the salsa gurus aren't teaching more bachata.  But, there's a whole new crop of bachata instruction stars circulating lately.  Bachata is very popular in Europe right now, as is casino rueda. 

One of the hot, new, bachateros circulating and spreading 'bachata-love' around the world lately is my friend Jorge Elizondo.  Jorge is from McAllen (or is it Brownsville?), Texas.  I'm from Texas too in case you didn't know.  Anyway, Jorge has been  travelling all around the US and Europe lately teaching bachata as well as salsa and some casino rueda.  He has yet to come to Korea but I'm trying to get him over here.  It'll be a real treat for Korean salseros, salseras, and bachateros and bachateras if he is able to come.

But......my point about the music and about 'art' is that it is possible and actually very beautiful and enjoyable to use the bachata style in conjunction with types of music other than traditional bachata.  These two video clips that I snitched from YouTube tonight will show you what I mean.

Notice that they both use non-bachata music.  And also notice the tremendous musicality of the dancing of the single couple clip:

This next one is the one that I especially like:

I did a post about this over on my personal blog, in case you'd care to see it:

click here

Building a Korean rueda tradition

Local tradition and culture should always be respected but the fact is that many dance forms owe their beauty and enjoyment to the fact that they come from countries where they were developed over many years.  And as the saying goes in English, "If it ain't broke...don't fix it!"

That means 'if it's doing a good job and it works fine already...don't mess it up by changing it.

So what does that have to do with rueda?

Simply this: 

One of the nice things about rueda is they there are over 450 patterns, some very short and simple and other very long and complicated, which are done pretty much the same way all over the world anywhere reuda/casino is danced.  That means that you can almost instantly 'fit in' to any casino rueda community in you go.

Something I want to focus on with our group is that we learn our basics well.  There's probably about 60-100 rueda patterns which, if we learn them and can do them well, we'd really never need to learn anything elseabout casino rueda the rest of our lives because we'd have more than enough material to combine and re-combine to make our dancing fun for us and beautiful to watch for others.

Probably 98% or more of the people who'll be attending our Sunday class are people who already can dance salsa

In the first 3 hours of our class at Buena Vista we'll probably learn over 20-30+ patterns.  Generally rueda is taught in a series of 'levels'.  For example in Miami, Florida, where you probably find the highest concentration of people who dance casino style there are many studios which teach casino and casino rueda and they usually divide their curriculem into 6 - 9 levels. 

Personally, I only know most of the level 1 and level 2 patterns because I never lived in a city where there were a lot of people who danced that style.  But, I do have almost 20 DVDs with most of the other patterns on them and I enjoy referring to them sometime for new ideas.

If you like casino style you will possibly do the same thing I've done....i.e. you'll learn a few of the basic patterns and then you'll use them in different combinations for all of your social dancing.  The point of this post is to remind you that your first priority should be to learn the basic, traditional patterns but after that there's nothing wrong with inventing some patterns of you own that you can do amongst your circle of friends.

Furthermore, any time somebody tells you they want to teach you casino style and casino rueda you should be somewhat skeptical until you've verified for yourself that what they teach is also being taught by some person or studio who is internationally recognized or by somebody who has taken lessons in such a place (or from such a person). 

If somebody teaches you a pattern or a style which in fact is not done anywhere else then you haven't really expanded your circle of dance partners have you?  It really upsets me to see false teachers simply invent material to take advantage of the innocense of young dancers.

There are only 2 or 3 things which make casino and casino rueda unique and one of them is the 'dame'.  A 'dame' is similar to the corssbody lead we do in regular salsa and we'll try to learn that in our first class.  Once we get that accomplished, we'll be able to get into the real meat of casino rueda. 

Our first set of patterns to learn...

Hi Readers:

Hope everyone (all 7 of you) are having a good weekend.  I'm in a PC Bang in Itaewon tonight.  Earlier I went to see and hear Oscar DeLeon.  He put on a good show and I was able to get up fiarly close to the stage (much to my surprise).  I knew he'd put on a good show though because I saw him once in Houston.

I've been wanting to post some information about the first group of patterns I think we should learn....so here it is:

You'll remember that I said I think we may as well try to follow the www.streetsalsa.com syllabus as much as possible.  Sandra, the Director there, has been very successful so I thought we'd be safe in following her experience.

Here's the link to that page: 

http://streetsalsa.com/_wsn/page4.html

You'll notice she has several levels (4 or 6.....I'm not looking at the page now).  Let me say something about Level 1.

The level one moves are all pretty easy and we can learn them in about an hour.  A few of them have special significance in the rueda though and I want to comment on them.....Son Montuno, Enchufla Que No, Taro, Taro de Mentira, Suena and Suena con Bulla.

The special thing about 'son montuno' is that it gets the circle moving.  Each couple dances counter-clockwise.  The guy is going forward and the gal is dancing backward.  It's the same rhythm.....the only difference is that the couples are dancing in the same counter-clockwise direction.  If you look at enough casino rueda videos on YouTube, you'll see'em doing it.

Now....prior to doing that 'son montuno'......how did the circle get started?

Well, here you've got to realize that the rueda can start with the couples facing either direction....i.e. the guy facing clockwise or counter-clockwise.

Sometimes, if you're at a club and you're just regular dancing with your partner and you suddenly see some friends of your who you know do some rueda, you might call them over to start dancing with you.  At that point you have the option of starting right into the 'guapea' (which I know most of you know already) but sometimes you might start out doing a move called 'para al media' (i.e .'towards the middle'). 

Pa'al media requires the guy facing counter-clockwise and the couple to rock in and out towards the middle of the circle.  Again, you can probably see it on some YouTube videos.  The purpose of pa'al media is only to get the group syncronized to the same rhythm.  Nothing more than that.  In my mind I equate it to an airplane sitting stationary on the tarmac (i.e. runway) engines running but not moving.  It's just a warm up move....that's all.

Normally the couples will progress from pa'al media to either 'abajo' or 'son montuno' but it all depends on the flavor of the music and the preferences of the caller.  The important thing is that you know the patterns well enough to be able to do them immediately without missing a beat when the caller calls them.

Another important move (and I'll tell you why in just a minute) is enchufla que no.  That move is important because it's one of the moves that results in the direction of the circle being reversed.  Some of you (those who've been going to the Monday rueda class at Macondo) already know enchufla.

The difference between enchufla and enchufla que no is that in the later move, the guy doesn't slip past the girl and move to the next girl.  He simply stays with the girl he already has.....except now him and his girl have changed places and (if they do a son montuno) they'll be walking counter-clockwise.

So my point in trying to explain this two or three patterns is to inform you that by making the correct calls, the caller can reverse the dancing direction of the circle.  If it's not clear to you simply by reading this, I can understand.  But you'll see it right away when we have a chance to actually rehearse it.

There's also another member of the enchufla family called 'enchufla de mentira'....but I won't go into that now.

Now...as for Level 2 on Sandra's page.....I know the majority of those calls but there are a few I'm going to have to review before I try to teach them.  Rueda patterns are just like anything else....i.e. if yo don't use them you're liable to forget them (consciously anyway). 

All these Level 2 patterns can be found on most of the DVD instructional videos that are out there and in some cases you might be able to find them as video clips on the internet too.  In the near future I'm going to be posting links to video clips of specific patterns we're working on (for your learning use).

On the subject of videos, one project that I'd like to undertake with you all is to make video clips of all the patterns as we learn them.....and videos of us doing groups of patterns.  To the best of my knowledge there's no systematic collection or archive of all those patterns anywhere on the web and we could really gain some notariety by being the first to make them.

That's all the educational talk I've got but the other thing I want to mention is that at the concert tonight I met a guy name "Joey".  Joey works at that new studio in Itaewon.  The one that I said was going to start a casino rueda class towards the end of this month.

Well, Joey told me that they're not going to have that class because the instructor is moving.....or something.  So......I guess that means it's just us (including the classes at Macondo).

I'm planning on coming into town for the Monday class at Macondo.  I hope some of you can make it.  Last week we did do some rueda after the class.  I was a little cautious about starting anything like that myself because I didn't want to insult the teacher.  But on the other hand I feel I paid my money to be in the class and in the club just like everybody else so if somebody want to share some of my knowledge then that ought to be OK, right? 

What that means is that if you can make it Monday, I'll show you some of these other calls and we'll be able to start doing some simple but fun ruedas.

I'm going to be in Seoul Saturday night too and if you want to meet me somewhere just give me a call at 010 9122 8095.  Also, I've got all three different sets of my rueda instructional DVDs with me and if we can find a computer or DVD player to play them on, I can show you what the patterns look like when done well.

Posted on Dave's ESL Cafe

We've got an online presence now.  My friend Brent has a website called SalsaFire.  I believe it's a .com site.  It's fairly new though and there's not much content on it yet. 

Myself, I have a blog over on Typepad but I don't have it's URL (which is sorta long) redirected to the domain name I bought at GoDaddy (www.koreacarruseles.com). 

The long Typepad URL is
http://wanderingsalsero.typepad.com/korea_carruseles/  All I've got there so far is a welcoming message but later today I'll be be posting the first item of content on it...the first of what will be many and often.

I'm picking up some cards on Tuesday and Brent already has his.  None of you know Brent yet but he's also a teacher (and recently married!) and apparently he was thinking sorta along the same lines I was when we met through this board.  Both he and I were thinking that we wanted to have a card to give people if/when somebody expressed an iterest in  going our social group.

Having cards will make it easier for us to publicize the group....i.e. sometimes you don't have time to go into all the details about something when you meet people in spontaneous social situations.  But, having cards will mean that we'll have better odds of bringing you (a potential member yourself, right?) more members to intermix with.

Which brings up another observation:

There's lots of good salsa clubs in Seoul but I've observed that Korean dancers don't go out of their way to talk to or mix with us foreigners.  I suspect a lot of that is just due to the language barrier but whatever the reason is it also means that we foreigners are going to have to 'bring our own' (i.e. dance partners) to the club if we expect to have somebody to dance with. 

That's one of the advantages I see to having this group up and growing.  We have the potential of creating our own social dance community. 

If we can build a dynamic, excited group on our own, then I think the Koreans will be wanting to take part in what we're doing......which I'm all in favor of.  And if, at some point in the future the rueda style starts to grow in Seoul.....then it'll be a more open social situation too by the very nature of rueda.  But I think we've got to take the initiative in creating a situation where we're 'making it happen'.

I'm going into Seoul this afternoon to attend the evening lesson over at Macondo (in Hongdae).  And I plan on going to the Tuesday lesson also.  I'm not sure what the difference is but they both are billed as 'casino' or 'rueda'. 

Based on what I've seen myself (last week) and what I heard from Brent, I don't have much hope of those lessons being very good over there. 
I say that mostly because of the language situation. 

It's a mixed nationality class and I just think it's difficult to move forward very fast when the person who's teaching has limited command of English and the 'local nationals' (i.e. the Koreans) probably don't understand it very well either.  But, on the off chance that it might succeed and prosper, I'd want to be a part of it.  No need for me to reinvent the wheel if something else is working.

Supposedly that gal at Macondo has been to Cuba.  But I do know she can't speak Spanish and I'm not sure how much rueda she really knows nor am I sure how good a teacher she is.  I've only been to one of her classes.

When 'we' eventually start our own get-togethers, it'll take me about 90-120 minutes probably to teach you all the basics of casino rueda.  That's really about all you need me (or any other teacher) for.  From that point on you'll really be able to learn at your own pace in as far as there are several good instructional DVDs on the market. 

Once you learn your basics, the value of being part of a group will be that you'll have somebody to practice your rueda techniques with....and maybe to learn 'calling' if you want to.  If we decide to continue our meetings for the purpose of some coordinated learning of patterns..and practice.....that's fine with me.  Personally I'm hoping to find a regular practice partner for myself and a small group to hang out with. 

Probably what'll happen is that there'll be a group of, say.....8-16 of us who like it....and on any particular evening at least 2-4 couples will be able rendezvous somewhere.  I have a friend in Austin, Texas who has a up-and-running rueda club called www.streetsalsa.com .  And that's the way it happens in Austin.

Just for your understanding of 'the bigger picture'.....the next element of the rueda puzzle to fall into place is for these lessons at the studio in Itaewon to start.  I've seen that studio.  It's a nice one. And although I think they're a bit overpriced, at least they appear to be somewhat professional. 

Supposedly they've got somebody scheduled to be a teacher who knows what they're doing.  Time will tell. 

I told the person at the desk there that I didn't want to pay the kind of money they were talking about for a beginner class but I would like to audit and perhaps 'help'.  I  don't know if they'r going to be agreeable to that or not.  My suspicion is that they won't.  Often times people in the dance busines tend to be very secretive and possisive.

On the subject of Itaewon however, Caliente is the salsa club in Itaewon (if you didn't already know) and it's been my observation that people don't get there til fairly late in the evening.  I think Caliente might be a club where we'd be able to dance at once we get going.

One problem we're going to have is finding clubs where we'll have room to dance.  4 couples makes a nice sized rueda but larger ruedas, 6-12 couples are even more fun.  But if you've seen Seoul salsa clubs you know there just isn't that kind of room there. 

That means that we're going to have to learn to dance in small ruedas (i.e. 2-5 couples).  That's really a good thing.  People tend to assume that rueda circles have to be BIG.  But they don't.

Another thing that we might be able to do in the not-to-distant future too is take a trip to Busan or even Japan to do some rueda there.  Whatever little group we're able to form might really be able to build a reputation locally.....but I'm just thinking forward.  We gotta get to square one first.

I'm going to go over to post on the Korea Carruseles blog now.  Don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions.  Actually I'd prefer a call rather than email.  My number is 010 9122 8095

Keep those feet moving!

Art

Starting a casino rueda community in Korea

All I know is that I like casino rueda.  And my experience has been that most people who see it feel the same way.  But for some reason casino rueda hasn't taken hold in Korea yet.  Frankly it doesn't make any difference to me 'why'.  I just know what I like and I know that there are other people who feel the same way.

There's something magical and awesome about dancing in a rueda with your friends....the music is 'pumping', it's funky, your adreneline is flowing, your emotions are intense, you're focused on following the calls, and everybody is contributing to and sharing the energy generated by the circle.  And if the people in the circle weren't your friends before you started dancing, the fact that you've shared such an exciting and magical experience with them has made them your friends. 

It's sorta like sharing a roller coaster ride with other people...you get through it and the feeling is...."Whew!!!"

Salsa is fun but it's always been my feeling that the traditional salsa route that most people take leads them too far away from the social side of salsa rather than towards it.  What do people really (I mean really...) get into salsa for?  People really get into salsa to meet other people...i.e. guys wanna meet girls and girls wanna meet guys, right?

Well, traditional salsa tends to become something that's too competitive and sometime tends to separate people into the competants and 'less-competants'.  LA Style in particular does that but it's my desire that Korea Carruseles become something that brings dancers together rather than separates them.

What most salsa dancers don't understand about casino rueda, and especially the 'rueda' part of it, is that there's plenty of room within the style to express their creativity.  Most dancers, whether they be on 1 or on 2, spend their time going to lessons, workshops, sometimes buying videos and DVDs, sometimes going to congresses....and constantly looking for new moves.  Yet at any one time they're probably only using 15-25% of the stuff that they've actually been exposed to (and at one time could do).

Dancers seem to think that their salsa experience will get miraculously 'better' if they learn more moves but that's not what usually happens.  Ask yourself this:  Why is it that most of the people doing salsa are younger people? 

I think I know.

It's because younger people think the perfect partner is just around the corner, that this next workshop is going to give them the tools they need to really be popular with the opposite sex, that they only need just a little more zing to really be a popular dancer.  But they don't ever seem to find it do they?  Instead they eventually settle down in their jobs or get married or get into some new hobby.

I'm of the opinion that they loose interest in salsa because they don't get the kind of meaningful social interaction that they're really looking for.  And that's what I think casino rueda offers.....i.e. the chance to develop a reportoire, a common language that puts them in touch with thousands of other dancers around the world and gives them the ability it instantly interact with other casineros and casineras around the world to 'put on a show' anytime and anywhere.

Being a casinero or casinero is sorta a middle ground between being a social dancer and being a member of a dance team.  You can dance casino style with other individuals but if and when you meet other friends, you can instantly collaborate on the dance floor to create a thing of beauty called 'a rueda'.....a rueda that's frequently as good as any show a fully trained dance team would do.

There are over 450 different patterns known to exist in casino style dancing.  And the thing that actually makes dancing  casino style so exciting is that they all have names. They also tend to be somewhat progressive....i.e. they build upon one another.  That's why people who dance casino style usually can do on 1 just as easily as they do their casino style but dancers who are strictly 'on 1' or 'on 2'  often can't do rueda.

Another good thing about learning rueda is that, because we dance with other couples within the rueda, we develop a much better understanding of timing relative to our partners and other dancers on the floor.  And we also become much more precise in our understanding of  'the slot'.  How many times have you seen dancers in clubs dancing all over the floor and bumping into people.  Kinda annoying isn't it?

In casino rueda, that won't work.  When dancing in a rueda, it's imperative that you be where you're supposed to be at the correct time.  If you're not where you're supposed to be at the right time, you don't make your connection with the next partner and, well.........you're in deep trouble! 

In fact, that imperative for correct timeing and position is one of the  reasons why some traditional salsa dancers think rueda is too restrictive.  And in a sense, they're right!  It is restrictive if they aren't willing to learn to be part of the group.  But isn't that similar to dancing on a dance team?  I think so.

So here on this blog I'm going to put as much information as I can that I think will make our casino rueda experience an enjoyable and productive one.  There's lots of resources out there on the internet.....and mostly for free too.  I'll be sharing video clips of rueda patterns, dance routines and shows that I think are noteworthy. 

Me......I learned the casino style and rueda patterns that I know mostly back in Houston, Texas (where I lived before I came to Korea).  Matter of fact I had a small group that I used to teach every week.  It's my opinion that there's only two basic elements of casino rueda that make it unique....(1) the 'dame' and (2) the  'tap'.

The dame is simply the 8 count  step of changing from one partner to the next.  That's what links the multiple couples in the rueda together.  It's really where the critical timing and coordination element of rueda comes into play. 

The 'tap' is a stylistic and rhythmic element of casino style that utilizes the 4 and the 8 count.  It isn't used on all casino patterns and initially it sometimes feels a bit awkward to some dancers when they're first  learning casino style.  But once they 'get it'...it makes all the sense in the world and becomes something they do naturally.

If you're just getting started in casino rueda with our group, one of the early things we'll be teaching is the 'dame'.  Then we'll learn some simple casino steps and patterns, then we'll gradually learn a few of the patterns that employ the 'tap'. 

From that point on your development as a casinero or casinera will consist primarily of learning new patterns and how to recombine them with your own creativity and if you're already an on 1 or on2 dancer you'll probably find that learning casino style will enhance your skill for those styles too.

Some of you who are 'leader' types will want to learn how to be a 'caller'.  The caller is the person in a rueda circle who gives the commands for what patterns the group is supposed to do.  That's a skill in itself.  If you decide you want to learn to do it, it's a little awkward at first because you're not only worried about your own feet but also about what everybody else is doing. 

With practice however, giving the calls becomes much easier and in fact a lot of fun.  The caller is, in effect, the spontaneous choreographer of the group and there's lots of room for expressing your skill as well as your artistry when you're giving the calls. 

I'd like to see lots of members of our group learn to be a callers because frankly that's the only way we can really spread the joy of casino rueda and grow.  Usually the caller is the leader of the group.  Here's what I think will happen with casino rueda if we follow a plan.

Right now most dancers in Korea don't know anything about casino rueda or even that it exists.  Once we get to the point where we can 'come out of the closet' and start to do some simple ruedas in some of the clubs around here, I can promise you that you'll observe that we become the center of attention for many of the dancers in the club.  If they see how much fun we're having and that we're having it together as a group, there's lots of dancers who'll want to be part of it.

We'll quickly get to the point where we'll have people wanting to join our classes and dance with us.  At some point in the not-too-distant future, we'll have members of our group sharing in our group ledership.  Then I'm sure some of our members will 'break off' and be starting their own ruedas and probably buying their own instructional materials and maybe even going to other casino rueda lessons here in Korea or elsewhere.  That's fine with me.  Rueda is for everybody. 

What I see Korea Carrusels as is an 'incubator' for getting casino rueda started, self sustaining and growing in Korea.  You may or may not know it but there was somebody teaching casino rueda here in Seoul in the past but for some reason it stopped.  Currently there's a class (of sorts) going on a Macondo (in the Hongdae area) on Monday and Tuesdays and it's my understanding that the recently opened studio in Itaewon is planning on starting a class towards the end of this month.

Are they going to be a success?  Well.....I dunno.  But like I said previously, all I know is that I like it and I'm not waiting to try to get something going on my own.  It's my guess(for various reasons) that these other groups probbly won't go very fast. I think Korea Carruseles can do better.  I think we can be the 'standard' for casino rueda in Korea.

I've only been here a bit over two months but I've seen a lot of great dancing talent in Seoul.  For that reason I think Korea could be one of the biggest and best casino rueda communities in the world.  I've seen the energy and focus that Koreans put into anything they do.  There are several very big casino rueda regional events and congress around the world but the two that I personally know of are the big congress in Miami, Florida, (USA) and the one in Vancouver, Canada.  I hope that someday we might be able to take a delegation from Korea to dance at one or both of those congresses.  I know that groups from Japan have already been going for the last few years.

In closing this post I want to also mention that our group will and should be mostly Korean because, well.....this is Korea.  But obviously we'll have 'foreigners' (like me) in our group too.  That's one of the great things about salsa and casino rueda....i.e. that it's something that is being enjoyed by people all over the world.  I think that as Korea becomes a greater and more prominent member of the global community, having a thriving casino rueda community is a logical part of 'the mix'.

So....let's get mixing and cooking!!