![]() | Open position
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Videos
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amistad
amistad complicado
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enchufla para hombres
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ocho para mujeres
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patin
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por mi por ti
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Tumba Francesa
Tumba Francesa > siguelo
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Tumba Francesa > cambia direccion
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Tumba Francesa complicado
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More videos coming up:
Coca-Cola, pa’ti pa’mi, patineta,
patin con Bamboleo, patineta con Bamboleo,
setenta, setenta complicado, setenta por las manos,
enchufla y al medio > derecha, izquierda,
caja de bolas, vamos
+ figures in progress:
cadena > complicate, mujeres, hombres
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Explanations
amistad | The footwork in this ábaco figure is referred to as cepillo, meaning brush. (There are several other variations of cepill in various dances, like mambo and cha cha cha.) Note that the ábaco finishes with dile que no twice, like the rueda figure, and a rotation at the very end. |
amistad complicado | This ábaco figure is just slightly different than amistad, as is the rueda figure. Getting back for the dile que no, you need to step on 4 with you right foot. |
Coca-Cola | |
enchufla para hombres | The general idea in this ábaco figure is to do an enchufla y dile que no using men’s regular footwork, starting on left foot on 1. This is the mirrorwise from the regular enchufla y dile que no in ábaco. Like in the rueda figure enchufla para hombres, the ábaco figure starts with getting into position on 1-2-3, by doing half a basic step, going forward on right foot on 1. Then you do enchufla y dile que no, starting on left foot on 5. And finally swithing back to regular steps, by doing half a basic step, going forward on 5. |
ocho para mujeres | The rueda figure ocho para mujeres provides a nice challenge for the ladies / followers. This ábaco figure joins the fun, following the same pattern as the ladies / followers do in the rueda figure. During this figure you should be ‘visiting’ 4 spots: 1. starting with your own, 2. then the spot where the dancer diagonally forward/left started the figure, 3. continuing to the spot where the dancer to your left started the figure, 4. and a swing by the spot where the dancer in front of you started the figure, before you return to the spot where you started. The rueda figure ends with dile que no without partner change, so the ábaco figure ends the same way – dile que no without rotation. |
pa’ti pa’mi | |
patin | This ábaco starts with enchufla and ends with dame una, like the rueda figure patin. The ábaco figure uses movements from rumba (yambú) in the “skating” part of the rueda figure. Note that men and women have slightly different upper body movements. Yambú (by Sergio and Teresa) |
patineta | This ábaco figure is very similar to patin, but with a few differences: You start with 1,5 enchufla steps (1-2-3, 5-6-7, and 1-2-3), so the yambú part is oriented the opposite way and started on the opposite foot. After the yambú part, you do a half enchufla step (on 5-6-7), and the figure ends with dile que no without rotation, because the rueda figure patineta ends with a dile que no with the same partner. Yambú (by Yuliet Estrada and Andy Gonzalo Varona) | Yambú for women (by Yeni Molinet) |
patin con Bamboleo | This figure is similar to patin, but instead of doing one 8-count of yambú movements, you do two 8-counts of Bamboleo steps. The Bamboleo steps are the same as in the rueda figure patin con Bamboleo. |
patineta con Bamboleo | This figure is similar to patineta, but instead of doing one 8-count of yambú movements, you do two 8-counts of Bamboleo steps. Note that you start Bamboleo on the other foot than in patin con Bamboleo. The Bamboleo steps are the same as in the rueda figure patineta con Bamboleo. |
por mi por ti | Por mi por ti (= for me for you) in ábaco uses movements from the Cuban dance yuka. When using this specific figure to salsa / timba music, we step on 7-8-1 and 3-4-5. The ábaco figure starts with a basic step (on 1-2-3, break on 4), and a tap-step (on 5-6). Then you are in position for starting the yuka steps with your right foot on 7. Exiting this figure, a clap at the end (on 7) is sometimes used. Yuka (by the Cuban dancers/instructors Wilmer Najarra Mora and Maria Del Carmen). |
setenta | |
setenta complicado | |
setenta por las manos | |
Tumba Francesa | The rueda figure Tumba Francesa starts with enchufla. Then there are 4 changes in a chain, and finally enchufla y quedate. Quedate means stay, so the figure has no partner change at the end. In the ábaco figure, the 4 changes are marked with diagonal son / contratiempo steps. The beginning and end of the figure follow the rueda figure, using enchufla and enchufla y quedate. Tumba Francesa is the same as enchufla y cadeneta, except when to end. In Tumba Francesa you finish with the fourth new partner, and in enchufla y cadeneta you continue until you meet your partner again, hasta la tuya (until your own). In enchufla y cadeneta, it helps the ábaco to know when to end if the caller gives a hint when finishing, adding the call se fue or similar. Tumba Francesa is a bit easier to follow in ábaco, just count to 4. |
Tumba Francesa > siguelo – se fue | Siguelo is a general call, used in various rueda figures. It means continue. Siguelo refers to the chain part in this rueda figure. In this ábaco it refers to the contratiempo part. When siguelo (continue) is called, it is called off with se fue. This means that the figures now continues with the regular ending. |
Tumba Francesa > cambia direccion | Cambia direccion means change direction. In the rueda the dancers makes a turn and dance the other way (man goes arriba, ladies abajo). In the ábaco figure we make a parada, doing a step without shifting the weight. When we continue we are now on the men’s fottwork, stepping on left foot on 8. If cambia direccion is called again, in ábaco we repeat the parada, now with the left foot. Afterwards we are back on the original contratiempo steps, stepping on right foot on 8. It is common to end Tumba Francesa after one cambia direccion with an enchufla figure. To exit you need to step on 8 with your left foot to get into enchufla on right foot on 1. |
Tumba Francesa complicado | This ábaco figure combines steps from son and cha cha cha alternately. The rueda figure Tumba Francesa complicado continues until it is called off, usually with dame una. This rueda figure is a bit advanced, and probably not very commonly used. |
cadena | |
cadena > mujeres | |
cadena > hombres | |
cadena complicate | |
enchufla y al medio | |
> derecha | |
> izquierda | |
> caja de bolas | |
> vamos | |
> dile que no |
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