Torno means lathe, a machine to make figures and patterns from various materials.

In rueda torno you turn the orientation of the couples all the time. These turns can be a quarter turn (90 degrees) or a half turn (180 degrees). The positions pa’dentro (= regular rueda de casino, open position) and pa’fuera (= rueda por fuera) are quite common, but torno also introduces two new positions.

In the two new positions the couples are oriented on lines from the centre of the circle, similar to spokes on a wheel (spokes = radios in Spanish). The position where the leader faces out of the circle is called luminoso, and the position with the leader facing the center is called foco.

The 4 positions of rueda torno:

• pa’dentro
• pa’fuera
• foco
• luminoso

 

Transit commands

Commands to change the orientation 90 degrees:

1. Counter clockwise rotation of the couple:
   • enchufla torno
     
2. Clockwise rotation of the couple:
   • tornoté
     

Commands to change the orientation 180 degrees:

3. Between pa’dentro and pa’fuera:
   regular transit commands for Rueda por fuera
   • enchufla flip
   • cambió (la dirección)
   • adentro / por fuera – depending on the position

4. Between the two spokes positions:
   any regular partner change will change the orientation
   • dame una
   • enchufla
   • la prima
   • etc.

 

Note that a normal (abajo) partner change in one of the radios (spokes) positions is always to the side where the couple is ‘open’. Partner changes p’arriba and “dame directo” are to the ‘closed’ side.

 

 

Here is a video from a Rueda torno workshop by Jaroslav Hluch at SalsaNor’s Rueda Congress 2016 in Trondheim where Jaro is also expanding the Rueda torno idea using elements from Rueda caleidescopia, where Rueda torno is combined with Rueda llanta and Rueda mixta.