It’s Clave Month! From 2/3 to 3/2, in our Online and In-Person (Outdoor) Classes we’ll be focusing on four songs that illustrate different elements of the clave and how to dance to it.

Clave (pronounced "CLAH-vay") is a simple instrument with a profound significance. Consisting of just two wooden sticks, clave is the rhythmic foundation of almost all Cuban music, including Salsa, Timba, Son, and Rumba. Understanding clave will enhance your appreciation of Cuban music and increase the rhythmic depth and precision of your dance.

Ryan (who devoted his Stanford Thesis to the clave) will be focusing on these four songs in his Salsa Suelta Classes (on Zoom Fridays at 7:30pm, as well as in-person (outdoors) on Fridays at 5:30pm and Sundays at 3:00pm ), as well as his Timba Listening Class (RCR Facebook Live Mondays at 7:30pm):

Friday 2/5, Sunday 2/7, & Monday 2/8: La Moda Cubana by Angel Yos feat. Havana D’ Primera
concepts/steps: Son Clave vs. Rumba Clave, A tiempo (on 1) vs. Contratiempo (on 2), Tresillo
Friday 2/12, Sunday 2/14, & Monday 2/15: La Perorata by Jóvenes Clásicos del Son
concepts/steps: 2:3 Clave vs. 3:2 Clave, Clave in Son, Clave Changes, Remata, Tun-tun
Friday 2/19, Sunday 2/21, & Monday 2/22: Con Clave by Pupy y Los Que Son Son
concepts/steps: Implied Clave, Cáscara, Bombo Bell, Cuatro, Upbeats vs. Downbeats
Friday 2/26, Sunday 2/28, & Monday 3/1: Changüí Clave by Elio Revé y Su Charangón
concepts/steps: Clave in Rumba, Seis Por Ocho (6/8), Chachalokefún

Series will be progressive but it is also possible to drop-in to individual sessions.

There are 3 different ways to participate in Clave Month Classes:

1) Outdoor Salsa Suelta Classes (Fridays at 5:30pm & Sundays at 3:00pm) - sliding scale of $10, $15, or $20 per class (click here to register).

2) Zoom Salsa Suelta (Fridays at 7:30pm - click here to register) - sliding scale of $40, $60, or $80 for the series (or $10, $15, or $20 per class), or contact us to get a “scholarship” and participate even if you are not able to contribute financially.

3) Listening Class on Facebook Live (Mondays at 7:30pm) There is no pay wall, but suggested sliding scale donation is $5 - 20/session or $20 - $80 for the full 4 week series. We have Venmo (to @Ryan-Mead-1) and PayPal (to ryanandsidney at gmail -- make sure Sidney is spelled with an 'i'). Important: be sure NOT to use the words “Cuba” or “Havana” when using Venmo or PayPal (last four digits of phone number are 6142). Please participate in the listening class even if you are not able to contribute financially!

Want to do some individual study? Check out the clave entry in the Media section of our website (scrolling down to "Clave"), and download the Clave App for Android or Iphone.

Here’s the playlist of all four songs for clave month.