Rumba is a Cuban ballroom dance with roots in African communities. This combination makes rumba a very sensual and sensual dance. The steps and figures of the rumba require excellent motor coordination and courage, as the characteristic hip movement in the rumba is daring and erotic. Check the specifics of rumba, learn about its steps and figures, and learn more about the rumba costume and music for this bold dance.

Rumbais a dance of love and senses. The partners in rumba, with the help of dance figures and sensual movements, get as close to each other as possible to reflect its erotic character.Figures in rumbaabound in smooth, plastic movements, resembling snakeskin wrinkles. The partner should lead his partner and seduce her, and she is supposed to tempt him with sensual movements of the whole body: especially legs and hips.

The social rumba is based on a game of appearances. The dancers deceive each other, arousing tension among themselves and arousing desire. The music and rumba costume are to create a coherent, sensual whole together with the story told by the dance partners on the dance floor.

Learn the history and characteristics of this dance of love!

Contents:

  1. Rumba - dance history
  2. Rumba - dance and figure characteristics
  3. Rumba - basic step
  4. Rumba - dance styles
  5. Rumba - music

Rumba - dance history

Rumba is a Cuban Latin American dance, like most Latin American dances, started by African slaves. Rumba also owes its origin to the so-called solares, African communities that settle in large numbers in small towns. It is in this environment that the term "rumba" was born, meaning loud dance parties. Also from this word comes the word "rumbero", which in turn is to describe someone who likes fun, i.e. today's partygoer.

The famous dancer and choreographer Pierre Laffite is primarily responsible for the development of rumba in Europe.

Rumba developed the most in Cuba. In its original, folk version, it was an extremely sensual and erotic dance. It was established more or less in the 1880s, which was directly related to the abolition of slaveryin Cuba.

Rumba came to Europe in the 1920s. Initially, Europeans did not like this dance due to its courageous nature, but with time its popularity grew, especially in the United States. In the 1930s and 1940s, a conflict arose between dancers over which variety of rumba (and there were three of them at the time: Cuban, American, European) should be used at dance competitions. Ultimately, it was the Cuban rumba with possible variants of simplified steps from the so-called Rumby square.

Rumba - dance and figure characteristics

Rumba is an extremely sensual and erotic dance. In order to properly dance the rumba, one should adopt a tense and upright posture, leading to even hyperextension in the knees. The feet and the work of the legs and hips play an important role in this dance. The hip and body movements are snake-like and require rubbing against your partner. The degree of rapprochement between the dance partners depends on the rumba style they practice.

The basic and most frequently used figures in rumba are: New York, hand to hand, spot turn and various types of spins. Rumba tact is 4/4.

Rumba - basic step

The basic step of rumba is easy to remember and quite technically simple:

  1. Shift your weight onto your right leg.
  2. Take a step forward with your left leg and activate your hip to work.
  3. Return to the starting position with a hip movement.
  4. Take a side step with your left leg along with your hip work.

Repeat the same sequence on the other side:

  1. Shift your weight onto your right leg.
  2. Take a step forward with your right leg and activate your hip to work.
  3. Return to the starting position with a hip movement.
  4. Take a side step with your right leg along with your hip work.

See a basic rumba demo

Rumba - dance styles

Cuban rumba is divided into three styles:

  • Columbia- is performed solo by a man. La Columbia is only practiced in Cuba. It consists of technically difficult movements with acrobatic elements taken from iremes and diablito cubano dances. Columbia is a fast variety of rumba.
  • Guaguancó- the most popular and practiced style of rumba. It is accompanied by a dance story in which the partners tempt and seduce each other, while not allowing each other to get too close. In this case, the dance follows the story sung by the rumba musicians. It is a spectacular whole, full of passion and passion. In this rumba style, the dance figures are mainly based on movementships, which are to tempt each other.
  • Yambú- This is a free rumba style. Unlike Guaguancó, this variety of Cuban rumba is danced in a slow and rather stiff manner. The lack of abundant and bold hip movements is the main characteristic of this dance.

In addition to the above styles, there is also the main variation -ballroom rumba , which is counted in 4/4 time and is part of the 10 major ballroom dances. Holding your partner can be done with two hands (closed) and one (open). Walking in social rumba should be done on straight legs and the weight of the body must be over the toes.

In the social rumba, an intimate game is played between partners: a woman is to tempt and a man to present and guide her beautifully. Escort rumba can be settled in two ways: one, two, three, four (rumba square) and four, one, two, three (rumba cubana).

Rumba - music

Rumba music is sensual and sensual. The pace and rhythm are rather slow, despite the Latin, exotic musical ties. Popular performers who present this type of music include: Melendi, Macaco, La Cabra Mecánica, Muchachito Bombo Infierno, Los Delinqüentes, La Pegatina, Ojoj de Brujo, Kiko Veneno, Gipsy Kings, Los Chichos, Peret, Gertrudis, Jose Feliciano.

Listen to classic rumba music:

Despite everything, rumba is a dance so flexible in terms of music that you can perform its steps to virtually any melody. It is important that the pace is not too fast and that you can calculate it, as in ballroom dancing, for four (slow, fast, fast). Original recordings and remixes of songs by contemporary music artists such as: Ed Sheeran, Enrique Iglesias, Gabrielle, James Morrison, Beyonce or Shakira can aptly be used for this. However, the piece must be properly selected for the rumba variety, because both the steps and the music are slightly different then.

Check out a remix of Beyonce's rumba-dancing song:

Rumba music is usually composed on the basis of the following pattern:

  • Diana - sensual instrumental introduction,
  • Décimy - improvising and introducing the singer to the story told in the song,
  • Rompe la rumby - during which dancers enter the dance floor and other musicians, e.g. drummers, join the band.
This will be useful to you

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Category:

Dance