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.”
The Rumba was originally a courtship, marriage, and street dance that was African in origin. The Rumba met some opposition from society’s upper crust because of the suggestive body and hip movements. The characteristic feature is to take each step without initially placing the weight on that step. Steps are made with a slightly bent knee which, when straightened causes the hips to sway from side to side, in what has come to be known as “Cuban Motion.”
The Rumba, widely considered the most romantic and sensual of the Latin dances, has a magnetic interplay between its partners. Sometimes called the Grandfather of the Latin dances, the Rumba made its way from Cuba to the United States in the early 1920’s. Rumba music is in 4/4 time and there are four beats in each measure. Two measures of music are required for a full basic step. In four beats of music, three steps are taken.
Essential to Rumba is the Cuban motion achieved through knee-straightening, figure-eight hip rolls and swiveling action of the feet. Strong and direct walks lead by the ball of the foot are also characteristic of the Rumba.
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