SALSA casino rueda classes in medellin
Salsa dancing has long been one of the most important and influential social dances in Medellín, Colombia.
Before 2012, most salsa dancing in Medellín took place at local salsa bars, crossover bars, viejotecas, neighborhood gatherings, and social events where salsa was one of the primary genres played. The city’s best-known salsa radio stations were, and continue to be, Latina Stereo 100.9 FM, known for salsa brava and salsa classics, and El Sol 107.9 FM, which focuses more on mainstream and contemporary salsa.
At that time, many people who danced salsa had learned socially rather than through formal training at dance schools. The salsa most commonly danced socially throughout Colombia was part of a broader Colombian salsa tradition. However, as the local dance community expanded, international styles began to influence the scene. One of the most vibrant, social, and culturally rich formats of salsa dancing to take root was Rueda de Casino, often simply referred to as Rueda, which is based on Cuban-style salsa, known as Casino.
The term “Casino” traces its origins back to the Casinos Deportivos (social clubs) in Havana, Cuba, where the dance style developed in the late 1950s. Casino is characterized by its circular movement dynamics, intricate arm work, and rhythmic interplay. When this style is danced in a synchronized group format, it becomes Rueda de Casino (Casino Wheel). In a Rueda, multiple couples form a circle and execute moves called out simultaneously by a leader, known as the cantante (caller). Over time, this highly interactive style gained an international following and became a part of salsa communities globally, including in Medellín.
Because Rueda de Casino is inherently a group dance, it places a massive emphasis on community, social interaction, and fun. It shares many of the rhythmic and movement characteristics associated with traditional Cuban social dances, but the constant changing of partners and playful group dynamics prioritize social connection and improvisation over individualized stage performance.
Before the growth of the formal social dance scene in Medellín, there were already salsa schools offering private and group classes, as well as performance companies focused on training professional dancers. However, outside of specific niches and performance groups, Medellín still had a relatively limited organized social dance scene for dancers interested in structured partnerwork training and internationally recognized salsa styles, including Casino and Rueda.
In 2012, DANCEFREE began offering free group salsa and bachata classes followed by social dancing. During its first two years, DANCEFREE focused exclusively on free dance classes before later expanding into paid private classes, group classes, practices, and socials.
For private classes, DANCEFREE offered multiple dance styles, including salsa on1, salsa on2, Colombian style salsa, Cali style salsa, Cuban style salsa (Casino), bachata, tango, porro, merengue, kizomba, bolero, hip hop, and more. For group classes, DANCEFREE focused primarily on salsa and bachata. While group salsa classes focused heavily on the international partnerwork structure of salsa on1 and some elements of Colombian and Cali style salsa, DANCEFREE's social events welcomed all salsa styles, including Casino and Rueda.
DANCEFREE’s first salsa and bachata social was held every Thursday and quickly became one of the most recognized weekly social dance events in Medellín. Over time, DANCEFREE expanded to offering salsa and bachata group classes six nights per week, dance practices multiple nights per week, and socials several nights per week, sometimes continuing until 4:00am. DANCEFREE became an important meeting point for students, instructors, performers, and social dancers, contributing to the continued growth of Medellín’s salsa community.
Here is some basic information about salsa Casino and Rueda to help you get started:
Salsa music is generally organized into phrases of 8 beats.
Most salsa basics involve 6 weight changes danced across the counts 1-2-3 and 5-6-7, with stylistic pauses or taps depending on the dancer and style. In Casino, dancers often step on the 1 (a tiempo) or sometimes on the 2 or 3 (contratiempo), connecting with the underlying percussion.
Salsa Casino and Rueda place a strong emphasis on circular partner movement, continuous flow, intricate arm threading (nudos), body isolation (despelote), and group coordination.
The group dynamic of Rueda de Casino is driven by the cantante (caller) who uses specific vocal calls and hand signals to direct the circle. The vocabulary includes fundamental moves like Guapea, Dile que no, Enchufla, Dame (switch partners), Exhíbela, Setenta, and Sombrero, alongside hundreds of fun, complex, and sometimes localized variations.
The leader commonly begins with the left foot stepping back or in place, while the follower begins with the right foot stepping back, executing the characteristic Casino basic step known as Guapea.
Compared to many internationally taught salsa styles (like on1 or on2) that emphasize linear partner movement, Casino is circular, with the leader and follower continuously moving around a shared center point. In Rueda, this circular dynamic expands to the entire group.
As dancers gain more experience, they may begin learning multi-hand turns, partner exchanges, knots, Afro-Cuban body movement integration (Rumba, Orishas), and Rueda calls that require sharp mental focus and group synchronization.
Casino developed primarily through social dancing traditions in Cuba and was influenced by traditional Cuban Son, Cha-Cha-Cha, Mambo, and Danzón. The Rueda group format emerged shortly after, evolving into a global phenomenon that celebrates Cuban musical culture.
Artists and orchestras especially associated with the musical culture surrounding Casino and Timba (the contemporary, rhythmic evolution of Cuban salsa music) include Los Van Van, Havana D'Primera, Elito Revé y su Charangón, Pupy y Los Que Son Son, Charanga Habanera, and Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor.
Traditional instrumentation commonly includes piano, bass, trumpets, trombones, congas, bongos, timbales, cowbell, güiro, and the clave, the fundamental rhythmic pattern that dictates the structure of Afro-Cuban music and Casino dancing.
DANCEFREE offers private Cuban style salsa classes in person in Medellín, Colombia, and online via Zoom and Google Meet. Our in-person classes are available 7 days a week, while our online classes are offered on weekdays only, subject to availability. We have experienced salsa instructors who teach students of all levels, from complete beginners to advanced dancers. If you would like to take private Cuban style salsa classes, click here to view the steps for beginning private classes. If you would like to view our calendar for salsa socials and more, click here.