About Casino
Casino, Rueda and Cuban Son
Cuban Son is both a musical tradition and a partner dance, with deep roots in eastern Cuba. Smithsonian Folkways traces its expansion through early recordings and the sexteto ensembles of the 1920s and 1930s. Its music continues to connect dancers, musicians and communities across generations.
Casino developed as a Cuban social dance in the 1950s. Cuban dance scholar Bárbara Balbuena’s account links its beginnings with recreational clubs and Havana’s Club Casino Deportivo. Earlier dances, including Son, Danzón and Cha Cha Chá, are part of that history.
Casino can be danced by one couple or in Rueda de Casino, where several couples share a circle, coordinated figures and partner changes. The circle is a way of dancing Casino together; it is not the only way to dance it.
Today, our dancers listen and respond to both historical recordings and contemporary Cuban music. Learning the rhythms, musical phrasing and cultural context is part of learning the dance. We teach these traditions by their names and acknowledge the Cuban artists and communities who sustain them.
Searching for “Cuban Salsa”?
Casino is a style of Son, not a style of salsa. Our learning guide challenges the commercial label “Cuban salsa” and introduces the dance, the music and their Cuban history through named artists, sources and performance recordings.
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