More Rueda with Rhona & Helen

September 8, 2005

Setenta (new version)
open hold
1,2,3 it wasn’t clear at all to me whether Pimienta away step was being used – in any case, follower probably did get into overtake position on 3/4
5,6,7 lead follower to a traveling clockwise turn with L-R high and R-L low to end in Setenta position (R-L at follower back R waist)
1,2,3 basic forward probably works okay
5,6,7 unwrap while exchanging places – R-L goes to leader’s head for an almost-but-not-quite a hat
1,2,3 release R-L and do an enchufe exchange with L-R high
5,6,7 circle around each other again clockwise to get into Dile que no position
1,2,3,5,6,7 Dile que no

Pelota moderna
1,2,3,5,6,7 enchufe doble finishing with R-R hold and a half clockwise turn for leader
1,2,3 enchufe with R-R
5,6,7 on place on 5 then move to next follower with a clap on 7

Comment on clapping – instead of clapping on 1, most clapping has been changed to 7.

command ? (starting from facing inside the Rueda circle normally)
1,2,3 in place and change to R-R
5,6,7 lead follower to a full clockwise turn ending essentially in open position
1,2,3,5,6,7 Dile que no ending with both facing outside the circle (my approach was to point R-R to follower’s lower right side to help her face toward the outside the circle on 1, then do Dile que no)

different command ? (starting from facing outside the Rueda circle)
1,2,3 in place and change to R-R
5,6,7 lead follower to a full clockwise turn ending essentially in open position
1,2,3,5,6,7 Dile que no ending with both facing outside the circle (my approach was to point R-R to follower’s lower right side to help her face toward the outside the circle on 1, then do Dile que no)

Por ti, por mi
1,2,3 Enchufe start
5,6,7 walk under L-R to exchange place (getting back into starting position)
1,2,3 get into mirror image closed hold (follower taking leader’s posture and leader taking follower’s posture)
5,6,7,1,2,3 Dile que no with follower taking leader’s part then placing her R hand on leader’s L shoulder on 8 (rather like Chicas no except for the gender bender)
5,6,7 second half of normal Dile que no

Sombrero mambo?
1,2,3,5,6,7 sombrero as usual
followed by some footwork

a command (name?) for continuous Sacala

sacala followed by exhibela
1,2,3,5,6,7 sacala with R-R then switch to L-R
1,2,3 into the circle and turn around
5,6,7 complete exhibela

Crusada
I don’t like it

Adios
1,2,3 open break on 1 and get into closed hold and start rotating around clockwise
5,6,7 continue rotating clockwise together
1,2,3,5,6,7 Dile que no

Is it my imagination or is new Rueda standards emphasize group play more than partner dancing compared to the old standard? It certainly is rather annoying to have gotten to a point where I knew pretty much everything used in class only to find whole lot of changes, which seemingly are simply different rather than improvements. I also have my doubts about chances of people succeeding in standardization of Rueda within England, let alone Europe or rest of the world. I have yet to see any changes in the internet that reflects changes made in the recent Norwegian Rueda congress. I suspect that Rueda for me is going to be more of an end – something like a game or a diversion - rather than something that will improve my salsa dancing.

On the rumor mill, I asked Vishal about new classes. Vishal’s story is that Ivan and Sally not Cristian and co. will start teaching classes at Club Salsa possibly in December (?!) – I have no idea why there will be such a long delay. I can’t imagine that it’s due to insurance issues (as is the case with Mariella) since Ivan and Sally have been coaching the CDC Salsa team for some time. By the way, is every salsa instructor in Cambridge insured and how much does it cost? (I recall reading some complaints about uninsured instructors in the Salsa Mafia forum.) Vishal wasn’t sure whether Ivan & Sally’s classes would be held on Mondays or some other day of the week. In any case, it didn’t sound like Cristian will be adding any new dates at Club Salsa, meaning I talked to Cristian last night with wrong assumptions, which led to more misunderstanding. I had thought that Cristian did not seem particularly enthusiastic about the new classes – I might guess that Vishal advertising new classes by another set of teachers with the pretext that people try another night instead to relieve crowding wasn’t something Cristian would have been thrilled to listen to. In any case, I’m hearing and getting too many rumors and mistaken impressions while making way too many foolish conjectures.