Dame Arriba
Rueda de casino partner-change call
RuedaLevel: Beginner1 min read3 citations
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Dame Arriba is a rueda de casino partner-changing call: the caller names the figure and all couples execute the same exchange in the circle at the same time.[1] In the usual casino timing frame, the leader releases the current follower after the first half-measure, travels to the next follower in the arriba direction, and reestablishes a light open or closed connection on the second half; the follower keeps her own basic timing, marking the first half with the departing leader and receiving the arriving leader without being pulled across a slot.[1] The figure belongs to Cuban rueda rather than linear salsa: multiple couples dance in a circle under a caller, not in independent slots.[2] Rueda de casino is commonly traced to Havana and the social milieu around Casino Deportivo in the mid-1950s, with later international spread through Cuban casino and salsa communities.[3] Dame Arriba therefore functions less as a turn pattern than as a directional partner transfer, and its main regional variation is whether local scenes preserve the Spanish call or explain it in English during instruction.[1]
How it's danced
Lead and follow cues
CountCasino/rueda a tiempo, On1-style phrasing: one break per measure, with movement counted 1-2-3, pause or tap on 4, 5-6-7, pause or tap on 8. Dame Arriba is normally completed within one 8-count: preparation and release on 1-2-3, partner travel and reconnection on 5-6-7.
Lead
Casino/rueda a tiempo. On 1-2-3, mark the basic with the current follower and begin preparing the release without yanking the arm. On 5-6-7, release, travel around the circle in the arriba direction to the next follower, and reconnect by 7 with weight settled and frame ready for the next call. The leader does not rotate the follower through a linear slot; he changes partners around the rueda.
Follow
Casino/rueda a tiempo. On 1-2-3, keep the basic rhythm with the departing leader, maintaining balance and a compact frame. On 5-6-7, stay in place or make the small circular adjustment customary in the rueda, receive the arriving leader's hand or frame by 7, and finish ready to break again on the next 1. The follower is not sent forward across a slot.
Song timingBest at moderate casino and timba social tempos, roughly 150-185 bpm. At 190 bpm and above, the partner change becomes fast and requires tighter spacing, earlier release, and compact travel. The card assumes casino/rueda a tiempo with breaks on 1 and 5, not On2/mambo timing.
Learn first
Prerequisites
- Casino basic timing.
- Rueda circle spacing.
- Recognition of arriba versus abajo travel direction.
- Clean release and reconnection without gripping.
Watch out
Common mistakes
- Treating the call as a linear cross-body lead and sending the follower through a slot.
- Changing partners too late, leaving the arriving connection unresolved on count 7.
- Pulling the follower during the release instead of allowing the leader to travel to the next partner.
- Confusing arriba with the opposite partner-change direction used by the local caller.
- Breaking timing by rushing across counts 4 or 8 instead of preserving the rueda pulse.
Don't confuse with
Easily confused moves
- Dame: the more general partner-change call; Dame Arriba specifies the arriba direction.
- Dile que no: a Cuban partner-position change often used in casino, but not this rueda partner transfer.
- Cross-body lead: a linear-slot salsa figure, not the circular rueda exchange described here.
- Paso cruzado or cruzado: cross-step footwork terms, not accepted names for this figure.
Around the world
Other names
Cuba / Cuban rueda
Dame Arriba
Attested Spanish call name for the partner-changing figure.
International rueda classes in English
Dame Arriba
Commonly retained as the Spanish call; instructors may gloss it descriptively rather than replace it.
Miami rueda scene
Dame Arriba
Used as a Cuban rueda call in Spanish; no distinct English replacement is supported by the available sources.
References
The bracketed numbers in the text show which source each fact comes from. Tap or click one to jump to that source in this list.
- 1.rueda.casino
- 2.ruedawiki.org
- 3.salsavida.com
How to cite this article
Choose a style and copy the citation.
Bailar Editorial Team. (2026). Dame Arriba. Bailar Biblioteca. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/rueda-dame-arriba
Bailar Editorial Team. “Dame Arriba.” Bailar Biblioteca, 2026, getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/rueda-dame-arriba. Accessed 13 October 2026.
Bailar Editorial Team. “Dame Arriba.” Bailar Biblioteca. Accessed October 13, 2026. https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/rueda-dame-arriba.
@misc{bailar-move-rueda-dame-arriba, author = {{Bailar Editorial Team}}, title = {{Dame Arriba}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {Bailar Biblioteca}, url = {https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/rueda-dame-arriba}, note = {Accessed: 2026-10-13} }
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