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Abrazala

Rueda de Casino embrace figure

RuedaLevel: Advanced1 min read3 citations

Abrazala is a named Rueda de Casino partner figure whose Spanish call is understood as an instruction to hug the follower, rather than as a generic cross-step or slot figure.[1] It belongs to the rueda calling system: several couples dance in a circle while the caller names figures that the couples execute together, often with partner circulation between calls.[2] In its common taught form, the figure begins from a right-to-right handhold with a Vacilala con la Mano action on 1-2-3, after which the leader passes under the joined arm on 5-6-7 and places that arm behind the leader’s back.[1] The next measure contains the embrace: the leader uses the free left arm to make a brief hug while both partners keep the casino stepping rhythm, then the figure releases into a Vuelta on 5-6-7.[1] The move sits inside the Cuban rueda lineage that formed in Havana in the early 1950s and later circulated through Cuban communities abroad, especially Miami.[3]

How it's danced

Lead and follow cues

CountCasino/rueda 8-count phrasing: steps on 1-2-3 and 5-6-7, with one break per measure on 1 and 5 when danced a tiempo/On1. Phrase 1: Vacilala con la Mano on 1-2-3, leader under the arm on 5-6-7. Phrase 2: embrace on 1-2-3, Vuelta release on 5-6-7. Phrase 3 may continue with Enchufala on 1-2-3.

Lead

From right-to-right handhold, leader breaks back on left on 1, replaces on 2, and uses 3 to send the follower into Vacilala con la Mano while staying compact. On 5-6-7, leader steps through under the joined arm, rotating in stages: about 1/4 by 5, about 1/2 by 6, and finishing with the right arm comfortably behind the leader's back by 7. On the next 1-2-3, leader keeps the rhythm and adds a brief left-arm embrace without pulling the follower off axis. On 5-6-7, leader releases the embrace and leads a normal Vuelta, then may continue to Enchufala on the following 1-2-3.

Follow

From right-to-right handhold, follower mirrors the leader's timing by breaking back on right on 1, replacing on 2, and completing the Vacilala con la Mano action through 3 without anticipating travel. On 5-6-7, follower keeps compact casino steps while the leader passes under the joined arm; the follower allows the hand connection to wrap behind the leader rather than forcing a turn. On the next 1-2-3, follower stays balanced for the brief embrace. On 5-6-7, follower turns the led Vuelta in staged rotation and returns to face the leader, ready for a possible Enchufala on the following 1-2-3.

Song timingFits medium social salsa and timba tempos where rueda calls remain clear, roughly 150-185 bpm; above about 190 bpm, the leader-under wrap and hug release become fast-end execution rather than comfortable social timing.

Learn first

Prerequisites

  • Rueda de Casino closed and open-position timing
  • Right-to-right handhold control
  • Vacilala con la Mano
  • Vuelta
  • Enchufala
  • Comfort with wrapped arm positions

Watch out

Common mistakes

  • Leader pulls the follower forward on count 1 instead of both partners breaking away from their own centers on opposite feet.
  • Leader passes under the arm too late, leaving the right arm jammed behind the back rather than staged into place by 7.
  • Follower anticipates a large travelling turn during the leader-under section instead of keeping compact casino steps while the leader rotates.
  • The embrace is held too long, blocking the Vuelta release on 5-6-7.
  • Partners collapse posture during the hug, causing the next Enchufala or partner change to start off balance.

Don't confuse with

Easily confused moves

  • Beso: a related rueda figure with a kiss-like concluding action rather than the hug used in Abrazala.
  • Abrazo: a general Spanish term for an embrace, not necessarily the specific rueda call Abrazala.
  • Paso cruzado or cruzado: cross-step vocabulary, not an attested name for this figure.

Around the world

Other names

  • Cuba / Casino rueda

    Abrazala

    Often written with the Spanish accent as Abrázala; the call means 'hug her'.

  • International English-language rueda teaching

    Abrazala

    The Spanish call is retained; English glosses explain the hug action.

References

  1. 1.salsayo.com
  2. 2.dancetravelling.com
  3. 3.wikipedia.org

How to cite this article

Choose a style and copy the citation.

APA

Bailar Editorial Team. (2026). Abrazala. Bailar Biblioteca. Retrieved July 4, 2026, from https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/rueda-abrazala

MLA

Bailar Editorial Team. “Abrazala.” Bailar Biblioteca, 2026, getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/rueda-abrazala. Accessed 4 July 2026.

Chicago

Bailar Editorial Team. “Abrazala.” Bailar Biblioteca. Accessed July 4, 2026. https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/rueda-abrazala.

BibTeX

@misc{bailar-move-rueda-abrazala, author = {{Bailar Editorial Team}}, title = {{Abrazala}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {Bailar Biblioteca}, url = {https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/rueda-abrazala}, note = {Accessed: 2026-07-04} }

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