Rueda Hand Signs (Part 6) Enchufla Doble

Enchufla Doble is one of the many variations of Enchufla and is arguably the most common Enchufla version that is being taught and danced internationally. It creates a very nice visual effect despite the fact that it is a simple modification of the standard Enchufla version and is therefore often taught fairly quickly after students have mastered the Enchufla step. “Doble” meaning “double” is a common qualifier that is used to differentiate various salsa moves such as Vacilala Doble, Sombrero Doble, Rehilete Doble, Setenta Doble etc.

Other tuples such as triple, cuádruple, quintuple, etc. as qualifiers for salsa variations exist as well but they are significantly less common than the doble versions. Usually, the way the doble version of a move is executed provides a general structure for how the n-tuple version of a move should be done. I.e. this means after learning Enchufla Doble dancers can immediately extrapolate from what they have learned to be able to incorporate Enchufla Triple, Enchufla Cuádruple etc. into their dance without having to be shown these moves explicitly. However, there are some n-tuple moves which are standalone versions and have to be learned separately i.e. Bayamo Triple.

What differentiates tuples from other qualifiers such as complicado, loco, moderno etc. is the fact that the move is executed several times according to the number implied by the tuple while being changed at least once from the standard version of the move. I.e. it is like connecting different versions of the same move into one large combination.
It is common for tuple combinations to contain the standard version at least once (i.e. Enchufla Doble contains Enchufla, Vacilala Doble contains Vacilala, etc.) and usually there will be a reversal of some of the steps as part of the move (i.e. in Enchufla Doble the first 3 steps are reversed on 5,6,7. In Sombrero Doble the first 8 count is reversed in the second 8 count etc.)

This is a key differentiation to cardinal numbers being used as qualifiers which either signal repetition of the move when mentioned before the name of the move (i.e. Dos Vacilala), or signal repetition of a key element of the move (i.e. double turn in Vacilala Dos), as supposed to a sequence of different versions of the same move (i.e. Vacilala Doble). The fact that these nuances sound similar especially when being called in a noisy environment does not make it easier for students to grasp these somewhat technical but very important differences. Many students as well as teachers therefore, get confused between the various number systems used to describe specific versions and it is not uncommon to find instructional videos or classes that mix up these terms (i.e. calling a move Siete Doble but meaning Dos Siete etc.).

In terms of the hand signals used for qualifiers, generally speaking the hand signals follow the same order as the name of the move. I.e. Signalling Dos Vacilala uses the signal for “Dos” followed by the signal for “Vacilala” whereas signalling Vacilala Dos switches the order in which these components are being signalled. Additionally, cardinal numbers are signalled with the palm of the hand facing the inside of the Rueda whereas tuples are beings signalled with the back of the hand facing the inside of the Rueda. To signal “Doble” we lift both the index and middle finger in the air forming a fist with the other finger and showing the back of the hand to the centre of the Rueda. To signal Enchufla Doble we show the signal of Enchufla followed by the signal for Doble.

 

To see a video of the move Enchufla Doble as well as the hand sign, please click on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H38D0yz9HZg&feature=youtu.be

Clave (Part 3) – Clave Definitions

Clave, in its broadest sense, is sometimes understood as any type of rhythmical pattern which organises time in music. In this sense it can be seen as any temporal structuring devise in music that acts as a reference for the musicians to keep the rhythmical structure of the song. It is a rhythmic ostinato, also referred to as timeline that repeats throughout a song and can be felt rather than sounded. In fact, it is common practice for modern salsa bands to remove the clave from a musical piece while maintaining the same underlying structure, that is, all the instruments respect the clave event though it is no longer an audible component of the song, an effect known as implied clave. Since a higher level of musicality is required for all musicians (as well as dancers) to maintain the clave rhythm in a song which no longer has a clavero playing it out, it is often seen as a higher achievement to produce or dance to songs which have their clave implied. Latin music communities which have a high degree of musical experience sometimes regard songs containing a sounded clave rhythm as beginner songs and many bands will practice without the use of clave. If the pattern is subsequently lost during a particular music section, the band leader will sound the clave out aloud to get everyone back into rhythm. This is often felt as a form of punishment for losing the rhythm in the first place and many bands will aim to incorporate solos, improvisations etc. into a musical piece without the band leader having to sound the clave once.

When all the musician in a band synchronise with the clave then the musical piece is said to be in clave. On the other hand, a certain rhythmical pattern that is simply superimposed on a song, without acting as a guide to the other instruments is usually not considered a clave even if it bears similarities with the structure of say a Rumba clave when viewed in isolation. I.e. it is the usage of a structure shaping pattern rather than just a rhythm that turns a repeating sound into a clave.

Outside of this general definition it is easy to find sub-definitions among musicians internationally as to what criteria a pattern has to fulfil for it to be considered clave. Many popular patterns have been widely discussed as to whether they deserve the classification as clave or not particularly when compared to similar patterns of Bazilian, North American and African origin. I.e. the famous Brazilian “bossa clave” aka bossa nova pattern or Brazilian clave which differs from son clave by only one note is not actually being considered clave by its inventor Antonio Carlos Jobim who regretted how the role of this pattern was misunderstood by many musicians.
Some people consider the standard bell pattern a clave which is simultaneously rejected by a number of musicologists and further distortions of the name clave such as Wynton Marsalis calling the tresillo rhythmic figure the “New Orleans clave”, even though the pattern is actually only half a clave, have contributed to this concept being widely misunderstood.

In this series we will be looking at the structure and history of the Afro-Cuban clave patterns which were introduced in the last post: Son clave and rumba clave. These are often seen as the archetypal forms of clave and we will analyse why they have become so popular and what their significance are with respect to Casino and other forms of Cuban dances.

Salsa Nudos

A lot of complete salsa beginners are generally amazed when they see more experienced dancers on the dance floor and while it is the interplay between the footwork, the arm movements and the body movements that creates the picture they see, it is usually the arm movements that catch their attention first particularly in Casino.

Many beginner students are very enthusiastic about learning moves involving complex arm patterns as it is the most obvious visually pleasing aspect of the dance rather than subtle body movements which can be missed more easily. Particularly in the beginning stages, students tend to be much more concerned with the way their dancing looks rather than the way it feels which has given rise to a plethora of complex turns, spins, dips and moves involving complex arm movements, often referred to as nudos (Spanish for knots) in the salsa community. These have become popular to the point where a whole range of moves now contain the word “nudo” in their title i.e.: El Nudo, El Nudo Complicado, Nudo Complicadito, El Nudo Del Dj, Nudo Sintético etc.

One of the difficulties associated with these type of moves is not only to learn the signals and the particular hand and body positions that will let you move your arms in certain ways but also to master spatial awareness to the point where you know when it is safe to include nudos in your dancing. I.e. some factors that you will have to consider before executing these types of moves include speed of the song, distance between you and your partner, you and your partners size and arm length, distance between you, your partner and other people on the dance floor. etc. Ignoring these may leave you stuck in a rather awkward arm position that you struggle to get out of without abandoning the move completely, or worse it may result in injuries to you or others on the dance floor. This can be very difficult which is why nudos tend to be introduced mainly in advanced Casino classes. At the same time, however, it is the apparent difficulty of making such moves look good while performing them perfectly on the dance floor at the right time, that creates an ambition in many students to master these advanced moves.

It is certainly appealing to be able to connect your arms with your partner in ways that will leave spectators puzzled as to how you will ever get out of this move again, only to follow it up with an even more complex move with such a smooth transition that it almost seems to look like part of the same pattern. As a result, many dancers aim to improve their dance ability by adding more and more complex patterns while dancing socially. However, people are often surprised to see some of the best dancers do the exact opposite.
I.e. many people who have been dancing for years are less concerned with how their dance looks and instead aim to improve the way it feels to them when dancing. That is, they may actually end up doing very simple moves and instead focus on the way they synchronise with their partner and the music. As a result, I have met people for whom learning “nudos” is like the Holy Grail of salsa as well as people who have no interest in learning “nudos” as it distracts them from other aspects such as body movement, musicality, etc.

Personally, I have gone through periods of both and still have evenings where I want to do lots of complex moves in a row as well as evenings where I want to do simple moves but execute them perfectly connecting them to the song and the lyrics etc. In the end, even if you prefer one way of dancing salsa over another, it is the ability to change your dance style that will give you complete different experiences and variety even if you dance with the same partner to the same song.