Paso casino is the basic step in Cuban salsa literally translating
to “Casino Step” in reference to this dance having originally been called
Casino, with Cuban salsa being merely a neologism as per my previous posts. It
is the most basic form of the dance and usually the first step people will
learn when attending a new Cuban salsa class.
Paso casino is the default step people will use when dancing
en parejas or en rueda before executing more complex steps and turns and it is
the one step in Rueda de Casino which will never be called out loud, rather it
is the step we always go back to if no other instructions are given.
The step is executed with both partners facing each other
and the leader making an L-shape with his left thumb which the follower will
hold on to lightly with their right hand after which the leader closes their
left hand and relaxes it afterwards. This marks the open-hold position of
couple dancing in Cuban salsa which is usually adapted for most of the song.
For the most basic form of paso casino, leaders will step back with their left
foot on 1 then step on the spot with their right foot on 2 and bring their feet
together on 3 while pausing on the 4. Subsequently they will step forward with
their right foot on 5, step on the spot with their left foot on 6, bring their
feet together on 7 and pause again on the 8, completing one full 8-count of a
salsa song. For followers the basic step is the exact mirror image of the
leader stepping back with their right foot on the 1.
In general, the step can be changed in almost any way as
long as the structure and timing of it is not lost so that any open
hold move can be led from Casino on the 7. I.e. it is entirely possible to
throw in side steps, cross over steps etc. as long as it has no impact on the
dance overall and the body position is correct on the 7. Adding variations to
this step are usually distinguished from the basic form by calling it Paso Casino
plus the description of the variation in Spanish. I.e. one of the common variations
is to open up with the body on 1 for both leader and followers which is sometimes
referred to as “Paso Casino - Abre Y Cierra” meaning Casino step – open and
close. This form in particular can lead to a lot of
confusion as some dance schools will actually open up on the 7 which can be
seen as a signal for the move Vacilala if it is not led well so incorporating
this into the basic step means that there is a danger of creating ambiguity
between the lead for Vacilala and the basic step.
For more complex variations of this step the name is usually
changed to “Guapea” from the Spanish word guapear = acting tough, being brave,
showing off. I.e Guapea roughly translates to “show off” step. In English
people sometimes refer to any form of Casino as “Cuban step” or “Cuban basic”
to distinguish it from cross-body salsa elements but this is not strictly
speaking correct and it is needless to say that Cubans would never say Cuban
basic when referring to their own dance.
As there are so many different versions of this step I have
heard heated debates between students and teachers as to which version
constitutes the correct “Cuban” form of the step. The truth is, however, that
no form is superior to another and many Cubans will simply mix up different
versions of Paso Casino within one song to make it look like their feet are
constantly doing something different. The only thing that can be said is that
the form described in this blog is the most basic form and even though there are
many variations it is a good idea to introduce students to the absolute basic
version first before adding styling elements.
