Casino Rueda **** ** **** ***

I bleeped out that figure of speech there. Specifically, it's an old Jaideepism and means the opposite of "tapes it back on." If curiosity gets the best of you, just ask in the comments.

Back on topic though, I mean to say it was most definitely teh awesome.

I've been taking the Salsa classes at Let's Dance for a few months now, and I seem to be fast turning into one of the regulars. I started taking their Casino Rueda class tonight, and it was just about the most fun I've had there yet.

Wait, what is Casino Rueda? It's just like Round Dancing Big Circle Dancing (a variant of Square Dancing, corrected) but with Salsa steps. There is a caller (who is usually also dancing) so most of the pressure is off while leading--you don't have to think anymore! Plus, since partners constantly change, you don't have to put up with bad partners for very long. Better yet, good partners don't have to put up with you for very long!

There's this whole synchronized clapping gimmick that's quick to pick up and really fun. Anything "con dos", for example, means you clap twice--specifically on the first and second beat of the (usually) final basic. Or there's "festival", which means do a step con unos, con dos and then con tres. I've watched people doing this before at the practice after class, and it was always really cool to watch.