Dance to the Rumba

In Rumba, three steps are taken during each measure of music. In other words, three steps are taken to four beats of music. The steps are actually taken on beats 2, 3, and 4 of each measure and knee straightening, weight transfer, and turns are performed on the intervening half beats. No step is actually taken on count 1, but hip movement does occur on count 1. In American style Rumba, the step timing is sometimes counted quick, quick, slow; quick, quick, slow. Rumba, the step timing is counted 2,3,4-1, 2,3,4-1. Recall that stepping action only occurs on counts 2,3, and 4. Hip movement and spiral turning actions occur on count 1. All steps should be taken to the inside edge of the ball of the foot. As steps are taken, the pointed toe of the moving foot skims the floor as it moves into place. As with all Latin dances, the footwork is ball-flat, ball-flat for all steps. All steps are taken with foot turn out.

Rumba influence came in the sixteenth century. Black slaves imported from Africa performed a native Rumba folk dance consisting of exaggerated hip motions and sensually aggressive attitudes on the part of the male dancer. The female partner displayed a defensive attitude. The music played to this dance had a staccato beat in keeping with the expressive dance movements. Maracas and drums are common accompaniment. During Prohibition in the United States, a form of Rumba called American Rumba was performed in conjunction with crude short plays that featured racial stereotypes. The American Rumba is thought to be an ancestor of the cha-cha-cha. Rumba has been considered the most sensual of Latin dances. It is the second slowest of Latin dances, somewhat faster than Bolero. It features a slow rhythm and extensive hip movements. Originating in Havana, Cuba, in the 1890s among the black community, Rumba was often suppressed. Authorities viewed this sexually-charged Afro-Cuban dance as dangerous and lewd. Although the main growth of the dance came from Cuba, similar cultural developments were happening on other Caribbean islands and in Latin America. The Rumba has come a long way from its Afro-Cuban roots, becoming more stylized, more sedate, and slower. The original dance was wild, improvisational, and fast-paced, whereas the modern ball room version is slow and sensual. In both cases, the Rumba is said to be a dance of passion, emphasizing the play between partners and sexual tension. Correctly performed, even the slowest Rumba can be a dance of sizzling tension.

List of my Favorite Song and Playlist Below :

amandasheree84's Playlist 1 by amandasheree84 on Grooveshark

Unbreak My Heart....Toni Braxton
Lady in Red......Chris de Burgh
Heart....Alone
All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You...Heart
Because You Loved Me....Celine Dion
Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me.....Weatherly
Break the Walls......John Secada
Burn.......Jo Dee Messina
I won't give up on us.....Jason Mraz
Crush......3G's
I Belong To You.......Lenny Kravitz
I'm Your Angel........Kelly
Isn't She Lovely...........Stevie Wonder
I Turn To You..........Warren
Just The Way You Are........Billy Joel
Love Will Keep Us Alive.........The Eagles
Paradise.....Styx
Power Of Two.......Indigo girls
When You Say Nothing At All..........Alison Krauss
Your Song..........Elton John