Rumba

If you've ever watched ballroom dancers or seen "Dancing With the Stars," you have probably seen the Rumba in action. This theatrical dance tells a story of love and passion between a strong, male lover and a coy, teasing woman. Full of sensual movements, the Rumba is considered by many to be the sexiest of the latin dances. "Rumba" is a term that refers to a variety of dances or a "dance party." It is one of the most popular latin dances and is seen around the world at nightclubs, parties, weddings and so on.

Rumba Dance Characteristics
The Rumba is a very slow, serious, romantic dance that exudes flirtation between the partners - good chemistry makes the movements even more impactful. The dance is fun to watch, as many of its basic dance figures of the dance have a teasing theme in which the lady flirts with and then rejects her male partner, often with apparent sensual aggression. The Rumba spotlights the lady's rhythmic body movements and hip actions resulting in intense - almost steamy - scenes of passion.

Technique
the rumba technique is exactly the same for the man and woman although the woman will tend to be wearing a higher heeled shoe and therefore the technique looks even more pronounced due to the angle of elevation of her foot, also ladies are wearing a dress so their legs are exposed compared to a man wearing trousers. Cuban motion and figure eight are produced trough release of weight over a straight leg which makes the hips create a pendulum action from side to side and slightly diagonal in the direction of the next movement. Read more about rumba here or watch our free tutorial

Rumba Action
The distinctive hip movement, called Cuban Motion, is a very important element of the Rumba. These hip movements and characteristic sways of the Rumba are generated by the bending and straightening of the knees. The intensity of the Rumba is increased by sharp eye contact that is maintained between the man and the woman. The stillness of the upper body, while adding dramatic intensity, also emphasizes the strong, sensuous leg and foot movements.

The basic rhythm of the Rumba is quick-quick-slow with distinctive side-to-side hip movements. Hip movements are exaggerated, but are not generated by the hips - they are simply a result of good foot, ankle, knee and leg action. When these weight transfers are well-controlled, the hips take care of themselves.


Rumba Music and Rhythm
Rumba music is written with four beats to each measure, in 4/4 time. One full step is completed in two measures of music. The music tempo is usually about 104 to 108 beats per minute. Rumba rhythms, while once influenced by African-style music, have found their way into the country, blues, rock, and other popular music genres. The music is sometimes enhanced by homemade instruments from the kitchen such as pots, pans, and spoons for an authentic sound.