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Azuquita

Rueda de casino figure

RuedaLevel: Intermediate1 min read3 citations

Azuquita is a rueda de casino call in the Setenta family: it normally begins from the wrapped-hand pathway associated with Setenta, then adds extra rotational redirection and a partner exchange rather than resolving immediately to the original partner.[1] In mechanics, the leader preserves the rueda circle while opening and redirecting the follower through staged turns; the follower mirrors the basic breaks, then travels only after the lead has created the opening, so the figure does not begin with a forward break by the follower. The rotation is distributed across measures: the Setenta entry supplies the first wrapped orientation, the middle measures unwind and redirect it, and the exit completes the partner change back into the rueda flow. Rueda de casino itself derives from Cuban casino and is organized as multiple couples dancing in a circle to called figures.[2] Because rueda vocabularies are locally variable and extensive, Azuquita is best treated as a named rueda call with scene-specific execution details rather than as a universal linear-salsa figure.[3]

How it's danced

Lead and follow cues

CountCasino/rueda a tiempo, described in On1-style 8-counts: breaks once per measure, on 1 and 5. Azuquita is normally danced across multiple linked 8-counts beginning with a Setenta entrance; each measure has one break and then continuation steps on 2-3 or 6-7.

Lead

Casino/rueda a tiempo. From guapea, lead the Setenta entrance: on 1-2-3 the leader breaks back on left, raises the connected hand, and invites the follower's right-turn entry without pulling her forward on 1; on 5-6-7 he changes weight through the circle and keeps the hand frame clear for the wrap. Continue with the Azuquita redirection over the next 8-count: on 1-2-3 open the wrapped pathway and redirect the follower, then on 5-6-7 release or pass as required by the local version so the partner change resolves into the next rueda position. Rotation is budgeted in stages: entry wrap, middle unwind/redirection, then final re-facing into the circle.

Follow

Casino/rueda a tiempo. From guapea, the follower mirrors the leader's break by stepping back on right on 1, then accepts the Setenta entry only after the opening is led on 2-3; on 5-6-7 she completes the wrapped orientation while maintaining compact arms. On the following 1-2-3 she unwinds or redirects according to the leader's raised-hand path, and on 5-6-7 she travels to the next partner or re-forms the rueda position as called. The follower's travel occurs after the initial back break, not as a count-1 forward break.

Song timingBest at moderate casino/rueda social tempos, roughly 150-185 bpm; above about 190 bpm the wraps and partner change require smaller steps and clearer hand discipline. The count description assumes a tiempo/On1-style casino timing with breaks on 1 and 5, not On2 mambo timing.

Learn first

Prerequisites

  • Guapea
  • Dile que no
  • Setenta
  • Enchufla-style partner change
  • Comfort with raised-hand wraps and unwinds in rueda

Watch out

Common mistakes

  • Starting the follower forward on count 1 instead of preserving the mirrored back break.
  • Treating the figure as one abrupt spin rather than staged rotation through entry, redirection, and exit.
  • Collapsing the raised-hand frame during the Setenta wrap, which traps the follower's shoulder.
  • Losing rueda geometry by drifting out of the circle during the partner change.
  • Breaking twice inside one measure instead of keeping the single-break casino count structure.

Don't confuse with

Easily confused moves

  • Setenta: Azuquita commonly begins from Setenta material but adds redirection and partner-change content.
  • Azucar: a common Spanish word and musical exclamation, not automatically the same rueda call.
  • Cross-body lead: a slot-salsa exchange of places, not the circular rueda structure of this figure.

Around the world

Other names

  • Cuba / casino rueda

    Azuquita

    Attested rueda call name; execution may vary by caller and school.

  • International rueda scenes

    Azuquita

    Generally retained as the Spanish call name rather than translated.

  • Miami casino / rueda scenes

    Azuquita

    Used as a rueda call name where Cuban-style rueda vocabulary is taught; no separate sourced Miami-only name is established here.

References

  1. 1.youtube.com
  2. 2.salsavida.com
  3. 3.wikipedia.org

How to cite this article

Choose a style and copy the citation.

APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

BibTeX

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

Editor-in-Chief: Paul Thomas Plawin

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