RCR hosts a Cuban Dance Party every 1st Saturday of the month at the LMDC in Oakland.

At 5:00pm, Ryan’s listening class will be devoted to the four types of clave and how they can change in a song. We’ll talk about 2:3 versus 3:2, son vs. rumba, and how these changes can affect us as dancers (in particular when the “1” and the “5” flip during a song. Then at 6:15pm Or will offer a Rueda Timing class, new structures where the different couples execute moves on different beats (e.g. alternating couples dancing on 1 and dancing on 5). Finally at 7:30pm we offer a 1-on-1 social dancing Salsa-Casino class (two separate levels taught in different rooms simultaneously).

At all of our monthly parties we celebrate the birthdays of everyone born in that month. Contact us in advance if your birthday is in July and we’ll put you on the guest list for the party (workshops not included, see below).

The Lake Merritt Dance Center is a PERFECT venue for dancing, featuring a smooth vintage hardwood dance floor with ample space to dance. Here’s the full schedule for the night:

5:00pm Rhythm & Listening Music Workshop: Clave and Clave Changes (understanding Cuban music taught by Ryan)
6:15pm Rueda Timing Workshop (with Or, for current L3 and L4 students — must have already completed L2 of RCR Curriculum)
7:30pm 1-on-1 Cuban Salsa (Casino) Dance Workshops (two levels Int/Adv and Beg)
8:30 - 11:30pm DJ Ritmo spins Música Cubana

Registration Links

5:00pm Workshop (INCLUDES ADMISSION TO party)

Sliding Scale: $20 - $15 - $10

6:15pm Workshop (INCLUDES ADMISSION TO party)

Sliding Scale: $20 - $15 - $10

7:30pm Workshop (INCLUDES ADMISSION TO party)

Sliding Scale: $20 - $15 - $10

Party Only (8:30 to 11:30pm)

Sliding Scale: $10 - $7.50 - $5

We offer all of our classes and events on a sliding scale to make them accessible to as many people as possible (we are professional artists so if you are able to pay the regular price it is much appreciated). When you check out, you can enter either 25OFF or 50OFF as codes to receive 25% or 50% discounts.

There is absolutely no food or drink in the ballroom, including water — be sure to keep all food and drink (including water) in Hall 3, the Lounge, or the lobby.

In this 5-week workshop you’ll learn a Rueda de Casino choreography with your fellow students to perform at the Cubason Congress in New Orleans on Thursday, August 8th.

In the workshop you will apply and develop your knowledge of partnering technique, turn patterns, rhythm, and body-movement, taking your salsa skills to the performance level. Each week you will learn a section of our original choreography, our Homage to the Fundadores de la Rueda de Casino — we’ll be dancing in the traditional style and with the original movements used in the first Ruedas from the late 1950s and early 1960s in Havana. The workshop is for dancers who are currently taking Levels 3 or 4 in our regular drop-in classes, i.e. have completely mastered Levels 1 and 2 from our curriculum.

We will meet every Sunday from July 7th to August 4th. Each session is offered on a sliding scale ($20 to $40 for each two-hour session). We will allow drop-in for the first week of the workshop but after that we will require dancers to register for the full workshop. Participants will also need to purchase their own costume and purchase a pass for the Cubason Congress (discount is available to performers).

Participation in the performance workshop will require individual and/or small group review outside of the weekly meeting times — we expect that the material taught one week will have been practiced and internalized to the best of your ability so that we can continue with new material each week. We will take videos during each session and share them with the participants privately so that you can review during the week.

Dancers who will not be traveling to New Orleans to perform can still participate in the workshop.

Participation in the workshop does NOT guarantee a spot in the performance. In the final sessions of the workshop if we assess that you have not learned the choreography in the correct sequence, with the correct timing, and with the correct style you will not be able to participate in the performance. We will also do our best to find an even number of leaders and followers but if there is an imbalance some dancers may not be able to participate in the performance — in this case we will include the dancers who have best mastered the choreography.

If you have questions about your level or other aspects of the workshop please contact us.

These workshops, and all RCR classes, are offered on a sliding scale. When you check out, you can enter either 25OFF or 50OFF as codes to receive 25% or 50% discounts.

Registration Links

Drop-iN (July 7)

FULL SERIES (Five Sessions)

We are excited to announce that after our regular classes on Friday, July 12th Guajirón will again be providing LIVE CUBAN MUSIC during our weekly dance party. Guajirón is an SF-based group that plays Cuban dance music, directed by longtime Bay Area dancer and RCR student Michael Terkowski.

We will still hold our regular Friday night classes on 7/12. Here's the complete schedule:

6:00 - 7:00pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 1) — register as a follower — register as a leader

6:00 - 7:00pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 3) — register as a follower — register as a leader

6:00 - 7:00pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 4) — register as a follower — register as a leader

7:15 - 8:15pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 2) — register as a follower — register as a leader

7:15 - 8:15pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 3) — register as a follower — register as a leader

7:15 - 8:15pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 4) — register as a follower — register as a leader

8:30pm — Dance party with Guajirón (free with any class but tips appreciated), otherwise $5 - 10 (sliding scale, cash or Venmo)

Registration for the above classes will open on the previous Saturday (6 days before).

We will still be offering our regular 7:30pm class at ODC (as we do every Friday):

FRIDAY AT ODC, 7:30 - 8:30pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 1) — To register please visit the ODC website, then scroll down to the calendar and select the date and then the class. ODC is located at 351 Shotwell St.

RCR’s weekly Friday classes and Cuban Salsa Dance Party are at Mars Bar once a month, every 3rd Friday.

Beginners are welcome in all Level 1 classes, and we are now offering three separate classes at both 6:00pm and 7:15pm at Mars, just like we do at MNC. Here’s the schedule:

6:00 - 7:00pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 1) — register as a follower — register as a leader

6:00 - 7:00pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 3) — register as a follower — register as a leader

6:00 - 7:00pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 4) — register as a follower — register as a leader

7:15 - 8:15pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 2) — register as a follower — register as a leader

7:15 - 8:15pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 3) — register as a follower — register as a leader

7:15 - 8:15pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 4) — register as a follower — register as a leader

8:15pm Open dancing with DJ Ritmo — free with any class, otherwise $5 - 10 (sliding scale, cash or Venmo)

Registration for the above classes will open on the previous Saturday (6 days before).

Mars has a full bar and kitchen — please support them (menu here). They usually have drink specials for salsa class and party attendees.

We will still be offering our regular 7:30pm class at ODC (as we do every Friday):

FRIDAY AT ODC, 7:30 - 8:30pm Cuban Salsa & Rueda (Level 1) — To register please visit the ODC website, then scroll down to the calendar and select the date and then the class. ODC is located at 351 Shotwell St.

We have classes EVERY FRIDAY & SUNDAY in SF, plus MONDAYS in Oakland:

www.RuedaConRitmo.com/classes

Immerse yourself in the Cubason experience: a tailor-made nook for the lovers of Cuban social dances. Enjoy the most "sabrosa" Cuban music through themed parties and workshops with methodological and international instructors.

2024's perfect rendezvous between communities of dancers and schools from all over the world will be held in New Orleans. Dile Que NOLA and Cubason Congress have joined forces to bring this event for the first time to the United States (previously in Spain and Mexico). This one-of-a-kind edition will mix the magical warmth (in more ways than one) of The Big Easy and the masterful educational mission of Cubason. We will be hosting all sorts of incredible Cuban dance workshops: Casino, Rueda de Casino, Rueda Structures, Son, Danzon, Rumba, Afro-Cuban, Changui, Musicality, Music History, Musical Structure.

For a complete schedule of events and more info, please visit the Cubason Congress Website.

When you sign up for the event here, please use RCR’s discount code “Ponche” to support RCR — discount code must be entered at the very top of the first page after clicking “get tickets.”

We will be offering a performance workshop open to dancers currently taking Levels 3 and 4, selected dancers will be able to participate in the performance in New Orleans on Thursday, August 8th and take advantage of the performer pass discount. See complete details here.