Swing meets Salsa

[peachexploration]

From SwingRueda.com

Using the Cuban original as a template, Jeff Miller and Elaine Hewlett created Swing Rueda. Since its creation it has been spread around the country, with reports of it traveling as far as Sweden and Singapore.

Some of the moves' names are the same in both the Swing and Salsa versions of the dance. For example, Dame (which translates as give me) is used to get a new partner. Other names have changed slightly due to the largely non-Spanish speaking dancers in Swing. For example, Enchufayla became Chalupa. Other names are not related at all to the original Salsa version, such as Sushi or Amoeba.

I've also seen this being called Swalsa. Anyone taken these classes? If so, give us the scoop. :D

[danceguy]

Never heard of this Peach...but for some reason the whole concept sounds like a bad idea to me...hmm...sometimes things shouldn't be changed too much from their original forms... :?

SG

[SDsalsaguy]

If people are enjoying it, all the power in the world to them... but it just sounds like a gimmick to me. :?

[Sagitta]

I see no reason why swing cannot be done in a circle, with moves that result in switching partners. However, I wouldn't participate with other dance styles in a circle as I am not into that music.

[peachexploration]

I'm a diehard salsa addict myself and prefer to keep them separate but it does exist in many forms. Here's a clip:
www.2plyswing.com/class_details.htm (See BAL-Rueda Clip)

[Vin]

I have been in a class learning swingrueda. It was all lindy though. I thought it was fun. I haven't done it much though.

[voilsb]

Swing rueda is a lindy thing. There's also Bal rueda. They got the concept and name from salsa dancers, but it's not mixing the dances or anything. I've seen numerous swing ruedas and a couple bal ruedas, and nothing in either of them resembled salsa at all.

I have yet to learn either, however :(

[peachexploration]

Swing rueda is a lindy thing. There's also Bal rueda. They got the concept and name from salsa dancers, but it's not mixing the dances or anything. I've seen numerous swing ruedas and a couple bal ruedas, and nothing in either of them resembled salsa at all.

I have yet to learn either, however :(

It really throws you off because of the music and the true basic step is lindy however, they do use alot of the casino rueda moves like Dame, Dame Dos, Enchufla (Chalupa). :D

[Flat Shoes]

Swing Rueda is not mixing salsa and swing. It's just using the rueda concept in a swing setting, that is dancing in a ring, switching partners, a caller calling out steps and a few special rules.

I learned in a workshop once, haven't done it since :)

[voilsb]

It really throws you off because of the music and the true basic step is lindy however, they do use alot of the casino rueda moves like Dame, Dame Dos, Enchufla (Chalupa). :DThey might use the same names, but neither the dancing nor moves doesn't appear to be similar to salsa whatsoever. It still keeps a step-step, triple, step-step, triple swing rhythm, which is kinda hard to do with salsa moves.

Maybe we've seen totally different ruedas.

[SDsalsaguy]

Swing Rueda is not mixing salsa and swing. It's just using the rueda concept in a swing setting, that is dancing in a ring, switching partners, a caller calling out steps and a few special rules.
This would make sense to me... although I'm not sure why they'd still use the name Rueda, but an actual codified mix--with names and calls and all--just seems silly to me.

[pygmalion]

Either way, it sounds like a blast to me, although I can see where calling it rueda would create unnecessary confusion. Why not just name it something completely different?

Hmm. I wonder if anybody around here teaches it. Time to google. 8) :wink:

[peachexploration]

Well, I have actually seen many casino rueda moves done to Lindy music. It is true that salsa is not really salsa unless it's done to salsa music but I have taken casino rueda classes and can identify the moves quite easily and have seen Swing Rueda many times but hey, "What do I know"? *shrug* I guess no one else has taken these classes. Anyway, I was just curious to see if we had any enthusiasts here. Thanks for the replies. :D

[Dancegal]

I've tried salsa rueda and swing rueda (lindy) and liked the lindy version better. It's suitable for the dance (since the basic swingout is circular in nature) and as long as one can do basics well it works. I have to admit the names adopted "amoeba", etc. are a bit weird. I took a salsa rueda class and did not enjoy it at all. It seemed to require everyone to be perfectly syncronized (in Lindy you can cheat a little and end up ok, but not in salsa) or else it just won't work.

Changing the word "enchufala" (plug her in) to chalupa for ease of pronunciation is just plain weird. :roll: ...

[pygmalion]

Amoeba? Chalupa? What are those? Names of specific swing rueda moves?

[etchuck]

I won't knock anything until I've tried or seen it, which I have done neither in this case. Albeit it sounds like a fun idea, I don't know... it sounds like a joke turned serious (like Baseketball).

[Sagitta]

I've tried salsa rueda and swing rueda (lindy) and liked the lindy version better. It's suitable for the dance (since the basic swingout is circular in nature) and as long as one can do basics well it works. I have to admit the names adopted "amoeba", etc. are a bit weird. I took a salsa rueda class and did not enjoy it at all. It seemed to require everyone to be perfectly syncronized (in Lindy you can cheat a little and end up ok, but not in salsa) or else it just won't work.

Changing the word "enchufala" (plug her in) to chalupa for ease of pronunciation is just plain weird. :roll: ...


Actually, for salsa rueda there are only a couple critical points in each move where one must be synchronized with the rest of the group, usually around the time where one switches partners. Of course, one must always be in synch with one's partner, and I think that goes without sayng for any dance. And also, if one couple isn't synchronized with the rest of the group it doesn't look as good.

[d nice]

Swing Rueda is not a mix of salsa and lindy hop. Jeff and Elaine are both salsa and lindy hop dancers. They love both dances, and had no interest in diluting either dance. They did want to bring the joy of group dancing that is casino rueda in salsa and bring it to the lindy world.

They kept the rueda name to honor the original inspiration. They kept some of the same names for the same reason, others were changed for ease of pronounciation, and new moves were created that were in the tradition of lindy hop, but fit the rueda ideal and given sily irreverant names that lindy hoppers would connect with.

The interesting thing is that I know some people who have learned swing rueda and after decided to branch out into salsa.

[SDsalsaguy]

The interesting thing is that I know some people who have learned swing rueda and after decided to branch out into salsa.
Well, in that case this is a wonderful thing! :wink:

[pygmalion]

They kept the rueda name to honor the original inspiration. They kept some of the same names for the same reason, others were changed for ease of pronounciation, and new moves were created that were in the tradition of lindy hop, but fit the rueda ideal and given sily irreverant names that lindy hoppers would connect with.


The inspiration for keeping some terminology makes sense to me now. I was just envisioning hapless folks on discussion boards (or the equivalent) twenty years from now, coming to blows over terminology. :shock: :lol: Of course, there's already plenty of that in the dance world, not? :roll: :lol:

[SwinginAngel]

Hmm. I wonder if anybody around here teaches it. Time to google. 8) :wink:

I love the swing rueda! I do it almost every week when I am at school in the Tampa area. It is so smooth it feels like lindy is perfectly suited to the rueda. I do want to see and try the salsa rueda sometime to compare them.

I don't know where in Florida you are, Pygmalion, but they teach it in Tampa at the Zendah Grotto. Their website is www.swingang.com. I think it is taught on the third Sunday of every month. The price is seven dollars and includes the rueda lesson, an east coast lesson, and the dance.

You should definitely try it if you get the chance.

[pygmalion]

Thanks for the tip. I'll take a peek at their web site. 8) :D