Rueda Etiquette

Ask permission from the cantante (caller, group leader, or literally “singer” in Spanish) before joining a circle that has 2 – 6 dancing couples.
Exception: You had permission to be in the rueda at the beginning of the song, but you and your partner had to step out for a moment to address an issue that has now been resolved.
Example: You discovered your shoe lace was untied when your partner tripped on it. You and your partner stepped out of the rueda so that you could tie your shoe lace.

Do not ask the caller questions or make comments during the rueda. (Questions about entering can be adressed non-verbally by dancers wanting to enter.)
Exception: There is an emergency that can not wait until the caller is done calling and everyone needs to stop dancing right now to address the emergency.
Example: The building you are in is one fire.

During a rueda, and do not ask the cantante if other people can join in and do not give permission for people to join the rueda unless you are the cantante.
Exception: None

Find a partner to enter with you when you join a rueda circle.
Exception: The cantante told you to join the rueda without a partner.
Example: At a large dance event and when the cantante is trying to include as many people as possible in a big and very simple rueda which will mostly limited to calls like dame, guapea, un fly, echeverria, and enchufla.

A leader may leave a rueda circle only if they leave with a follower (and vice versa).
Exception: You were at a point in the rotation where you had no partner and your leaving makes the lead to follow ratio of the rueda even or closer to even.
Example: You are in a large inclusive rueda where the cantante has told people they can join without a partner and dance marking the space where their partner would be.

Only join a rueda circle with a partner who is at the same dance level or higher than the other dancers.
Exception: The cantante asked you to join the rueda circle with this dancer.
Example: The cantante is doing this rueda for the benefit or inclusion of this dancer. Places this might happen include a beginning rueda class where the intermediate level dancers have come to dance with and help train up the dancers in the beginning class, a house party where a group member has brought along a less experienced guest, etc.

Watch the rueda, make sure it is not an exclusive rueda, and make sure you can execute the calls the way this group is doing them before joining in.
Exception: The cantante personally asked you to be in the rueda.
Example: You are a good follow and the cantante invited you to participate in this rueda because they think you will be able to get through the moves well enough that your mistakes won’t “break the wheel” (mess up the rueda so bad everyone has to stop and regroup to recover from the mistake). If you do make mistakes in this situation, just smile, have fun, do your best, and recover as quickly as you can.

Before publicly announcing (DJs, Party Hosts, MCs, etc.) can. that a cantante is going to lead a rueda, check in with them and privately ask them is they would like to lead one. When possible, ask them in advance. Also, always check in with a cantante immediately before you are about to play their music/introduce them to make sure all of their dancers are present and ready to go.
Exception: None.