Un Tarro
Rueda de casino horn-gesture call
RuedaLevel: Beginner1 min read2 citations
Un Tarro is a compact rueda de casino figure: a caller-led Cuban casino action performed simultaneously by couples in a circular formation, consistent with rueda’s call-and-response structure.[1] The base form is usually treated as an enchufla-family action with a playful “one horn” accent: both partners break away from each other on count 1, the follower is led into a left, counter-clockwise reorientation across counts 2-3, and the leader stages the connected arm or free hand near the head as the tarro image rather than adding a separate turn. On counts 5-6-7 the pair re-forms the rueda relationship, commonly returning to guapea or continuing into the next called change. Rueda de casino is traced to Havana’s Club Casino Deportivo milieu in the mid-1950s, so the figure belongs to a Cuban call vocabulary rather than to the fixed slot terminology of New York or Los Angeles salsa.[2] The call is best documented in practice as a Spanish-name rueda item; outside Cuban and Miami-linked rueda scenes, dancers generally retain the Spanish call or do not use a distinct local name.
How it's danced
Lead and follow cues
CountCuban rueda On1 phrasing: one break per measure, on 1 and 5. First half 1-2-3: shared back break on 1, enchufla-family reorientation and tarro accent on 2-3. Second half 5-6-7: second break and recovery into guapea or the caller's next linked action.
Lead
On 1 the leader breaks back on the left while maintaining the rueda hand connection. On 2-3 he redirects the follower through an enchufla-like left, counter-clockwise reorientation while staying compact in the circle. During the 1-2-3 half he shapes the connected arm or free hand near the head as the single tarro accent without pulling the follower off balance. On 5-6-7 he restores the open guapea relationship or completes the called resolution, matching the follower's count-7 landing.
Follow
On 1 the follower breaks back on the right, away from the leader. On 2-3 she follows the lead into a left, counter-clockwise reorientation, turning in stages rather than snapping at the end: approximately a quarter turn into the exchange, then enough rotation to face the leader again as the figure resolves. On 5-6-7 she steps out cleanly to the next guapea or called position, landing with the leader on count 7.
Song timingFits Cuban rueda social tempos around 150-185 bpm; above about 190 bpm the gesture should stay small so the circle remains synchronized. The card assumes On1 casino/rueda phrasing with breaks on 1 and 5.
Learn first
Prerequisites
- Guapea timing
- Basic enchufla lead and follow
- Comfort maintaining compact rueda spacing
- Clear light hand connection
Watch out
Common mistakes
- Treating the tarro accent as a forceful arm crank instead of a brief visual shape.
- Having the follower step forward on count 1; the follower breaks back on the right on 1, then travels or turns on the later counts.
- Adding an extra break inside the same measure instead of keeping one break on 1 and one on 5.
- Letting the horn gesture delay the count-7 recovery.
- Over-enlarging the figure so it disturbs the neighboring couples in the rueda.
Don't confuse with
Easily confused moves
- Sombrero: a different Cuban casino figure with a two-hand wrap/hat-like ending.
- Enchufla: the related base action, but without the tarro head/arm accent.
- Cross-body lead: a slot-salsa traveling exchange, not the circular rueda frame of this call.
- Paso cruzado or cruzado: footwork terms, not regional names for this figure.
Around the world
Other names
Cuba / Cuban rueda
Un Tarro
Spanish call name; literally evokes a single horn.
Miami Cuban rueda
Un Tarro
Commonly retained as the Spanish rueda call rather than translated.
International Cuban-style rueda classes
Un Tarro
Usually taught under the Spanish call name.
References
How to cite this article
Choose a style and copy the citation.
Bailar Editorial Team. (2026). Un Tarro. Bailar Biblioteca. Retrieved July 4, 2026, from https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/rueda-un-tarro
Bailar Editorial Team. “Un Tarro.” Bailar Biblioteca, 2026, getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/rueda-un-tarro. Accessed 4 July 2026.
Bailar Editorial Team. “Un Tarro.” Bailar Biblioteca. Accessed July 4, 2026. https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/rueda-un-tarro.
@misc{bailar-move-rueda-un-tarro, author = {{Bailar Editorial Team}}, title = {{Un Tarro}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {Bailar Biblioteca}, url = {https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/rueda-un-tarro}, note = {Accessed: 2026-07-04} }
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