rumba

Rumba is universally recognized as the dance of love. It is danced to slow, sensual music with a Latin beat and features a hip action known as “Cuban Motion.” Rumba is derived from the Afro-Caribbean dance “Son” and has been popular in this country as a ballroom dance since the 1930's.

Rumba – American - the recommended tempo is 120-144 BPM (beats per minute) Rumba – International - the recommended tempo is 96-112 BPM (beats per minute) Salsa the recommended tempo is 150-250 (TBR) BPM (beats per minute) Samba – American - the recommended tempo is 104 BPM (beats per minute)

Rhumba, also known as ballroom rumba, is a genre of ballroom music and dance that appeared in the East Coast of the United States during the 1930s. It combined American big band music with Afro-Cuban rhythms, primarily the son cubano, but also conga and rumba.

Rumba is a secular genre of Cuban music involving dance, percussion, and song. It originated in the northern regions of Cuba, mainly in urban Havana and Matanzas, during the late 19th century. It is based on African music and dance traditions, namely Abakuá and yuka, as well as the Spanish-based coros de clave.

There are three Rumba rhythm styles: Guaguancó, Yambú, and Columbia.

The Rumba is a dance that 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 ballroom dances.

slow-quick-quick The basic rhythm in rumba is slow-quick-quick, with the first step taking 2 beats and the last two steps each taking one beat. It is done as a box step, just like waltz! However, that's where the similarity ends. Since rumba is a latin style, the hips are active and always moving in “cuban motion”.

Best known for the dancers' subtle side to side hip movements with the torso erect, the rumba is danced with a basic pattern of two quick side steps and a slow forward step. Three steps are executed to each bar. The music, in 4/4 time, has an insistent syncopation.

This ballroom style of rumba came from a Cuban rhythm dance called the bolero-son. The word “rumba” comes from the Spanish verb “rumbear” which means to go dancing, party and to have a good time.

The rumba is characterized by close partner work, a still upper body, and slow swaying hips and footwork that follows a slow-quick-quick pattern (American style) or a quick-quick-slow pattern (International style).

The rumba is slower than some other Latin dances, giving it a more romantic quality and representing a fusion of African and Spanish dance styles. Rumba is typically danced to the Afro-Cuban popular dance music style also called “rumba.” The rumba dance can refer to different dance styles in several different contexts.

It was a protest of sorts, a vital form of self-expression for people denied other freedoms. Slavery was abolished in Cuba by 1886, yet the rumba continued to evolve. Dancers developed different styles: the primarily male columbia, the sensual yambú, and the pelvis-thrusting guaguancó, Cuba's most popular form.