Rumba

Introduction to Rumba

General Information Rumba is in the Latin-American section of ballroom and Round Dancing. The other rhythms in this section are Cha Cha Cha, Samba, Jive, Paso Doble, Mambo, Merengue, Bolero and West Coast Swing. Rumba has its rhythmic roots in Africa and, with a Spanish influence, developed in Cuba as a folk dance. The ballroom dance originated in Cuba and immigrated to the United states in the early 1930's. The Rumba, as a dance, is characterized by accentuated body movements rather than foot movements. The quick-quick-slow rhythm is usually subjected to complex syncopation. The Cha Cha Cha and the Rumba are closely related. Many of their figures have the same name and we dance them much alike.

Musical Timing The time signature for Rumba is 4/4, with a normal tempo range of 28 - 30 bars (measures) per minute. This is quite fast for all except those with much experience, so quite often we dance the Rumba slower than 28 bars per minute for comfort. Normally we take three steps to each bar of music using a rhythm of 1, 1, 1, -. This is we usually interpret as quick-quick-slow. The dominate beat is the one beat. Normally we precede a step by fully displacing the hip. If we start a step on the first beat of music then the hip would move laterally and then the foot would move. This would have the dancers taking weight on beats two, three, four/one. This is the step timing used by ballroom dancers in most competitive dancing. In Round Dancing, we are more accustom to using the first beat of a bar to take weight, therefore dancing a step timing of one, two, three/four. We will use this timing for the figures in this manual. Even though we use a different count, the dancer must remain true to the timing of each step to keep the proper feel or "flavor" of the Rumba. Place the foot on step three on count three but the hip finishes its movement on count four.

Footwork Take most steps with pressure on the ball of the foot and transferring weight, lower the heel to the floor. As the dancer lowers weight to the heel, the weighted leg straightens. As the weight releases from the opposite foot the hips move softly sideways in the direction of the weighted foot. This is not a forced sideways action. It should only be the natural movement sideways, of the hips, caused by straightening of the leg and the starting of movement to the next foot. The farthest displacement of the hip occurs when you are about to take weight on the next step. We will explain any variations to this general principle in the figure descriptions. The length of each step is what will allow you to comfortably moved over the weighted foot. Each dancer must search for comfort in his or her dancing to decide the length of each step. Normally keeping the weight forward with the hips pulled back will enable the ball flat action. The toeing out of the feet will make for better balance and control.

Dance Position For a Closed Dance Position, stand facing partner about six inches apart. The man's right hand will be on the lady's left shoulder blade. The lady's left arm will be on the man's right arm. Join the man's left and the lady's right RB - Intro - 1 Rumba hands at about the man's eye level. If viewed from the top down, the dancers' arms should make an oval. Unlike in the smooth rhythms there will be no offset or exaggerated top line. The dancers should stand eye to eye.

When in open facing position with hands joined it is important that the elbows be bent and tucked in towards the waist. The joined hands will thus be at waist level. Both dancers should "push" very slightly toward one an another to create a feeling of being "connected". This will enable the lady to receive the man's lead.

There are many other dance positions. We will explain these, briefly, following this paragraph. The important thing to remember, in any position with a hand hold, is to maintain the "connection". This is so the dancers can move together, so to speak, even when they are apart and accomplishing different foot patterns.

1. CLOSED FACING POSITION - This position is explained above.

2. OPEN FACING POSITION - You are standing away from partner and facing them. Normally the man is holding the lady's right hand in his left hand. Other hand positions are right to right, double hand hold or no hands held.

3. FAN POSITION - Lady at right angles to man on his left side. Her right hand is in his left.

4. PROMENADE POSITION - A "V" shaped position with the lady on the man's right side.

5. COUNTER PROMENADE POSITION - A "V" shaped position with the lady on the man's left side.

6. FALLAWAY POSITION - Like promenade position except the man and lady are moving back.

7. RIGHT SIDE-BY-SIDE POSITION - The lady is on the man's right side and both are facing the same direction.

8. LEFT SIDE-BY-SIDE POSITION - The lady is on the man's left side and both are facing the same direction.

9. SHADOW POSITION (left or right) - The lady is to the man's side (left or right) and slightly ahead of him. Both are facing the same way and both are standing on the same foot. Usually the man has one hand on the lady's shoulder blade and the lady's left or right hand, depending on which side he is on, in his same hand.

10. RIGHT CONTRA POSITION - A position where the partners are moving toward each other's right side, both using the same foot. RB - Intro - 2 Rumba

11. LEFT CONTRA POSITION - A position where the partners are moving toward each other's left side, both using the same foot.

Hand and Arm Positions The manual will not go into great detail on hand and arm positions. As a rule, the hand and arm action, any dancer uses, is their personal interpretation or feeling of what is necessary. The actions should look and feel natural to the dancer and not detract from the figure. There must, however, be some type of hand and arm movement or action, with most figures, to fulfill the "nature" of the dance. Some limited hand and arm actions will be furnished in the descriptions of the figures. We will leave anything beyond the basics to the imagination of the dancers and their instructors.

A basic rule for the hands and arms is to hold them in a natural and unaffected way. In figures where the partner has hold with one hand, the free arm is never static and is always moving slowly between the following three positions. They will take a whole bar of music to do so. In practice any movement is barely noticed.

Position 1 Normal closed dance hold.

Position 2 When the dancers move apart, the free arm moves away from the body at approximately waist level.

Position 3 When the dancers are moving towards each other, without taking closed dance position, the free arm moves slightly across the body.

Progressive Walks The majority of the movements danced in the Rumba are based on the action of the Progressive Walk. Progressive Walks can be part of a figure, one step of a figure or a figure by themselves. We will not detail them as a figure here but talk about the action of a forward or backward walk.

Forward Walks

Assume the proper poise and take full weight on the supporting leg. We will assume the right leg is supporting and allow the body weight to settle completely. The hips will have moved well to the right and the right leg will be straight. Due to the position of the hips the left leg will seem to be longer than the right leg. Because of this appearance, to move the left leg requires considerable use of the left knee and ankle.

To start a left foot forward walk allow the body to move forward with the upper part slightly in advance, due to forward poise. Just before reaching the point of unbalance, move the left leg forward. The maximum deflection of the right hip will be at this point. First use the toe, then the ball of the foot with some

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pressure into the floor. Then, immediately lower the heel reaching the length of the step. At the end of this step, the left leg will be straight. Collect the weight onto the left foot at a rate depending on whether the step takes two beats of music or one.

Retain tension in the right leg (the one with no weight), which should be straight initially. As the hips move toward the weighted leg, bend the knee and allowed it to move toward the opposite knee. The thigh and the toe of the right leg are turned out slightly, at the end of the step.

Use the same procedure with the right foot forward walk.

Backward Walks

Assume the proper poise and take full weight on the supporting leg. We will assume the right leg is supporting and allow the body weight to settle completely. The hips will have moved well to the right and the right leg will be straight. Due to the position of the hips the left leg will seem to be longer than the right leg. Because of this appearance to move the left leg requires considerable use of the left knee and ankle.

To start a left foot backward walk move the left foot back, without changing poise, first on the toe then the ball of the foot with some pressure into the floor. Full weight is still on the right (supporting) foot, which has a straight leg. Slightly compress the knee of the left leg. Then lower the heel of the left foot and straighten the leg, collecting the weight onto the left leg, at a rate depending on whether the step takes two beats of music or one.

At the end of the step the left leg will be straight and perpendicular to the floor. The left thigh and toe will be turned out slightly. Retain tension in the right leg (now with no weight) which will be straight. The right heel will be lightly touching or just released naturally from the floor.

Use the same procedure for the right foot backward walk. It is the same technique for the man or the lady moving forward or backward.

Turning Actions

We make most turns, in the Rumba, off the supporting foot. That is, the foot with the weight on it. When we have weight on a particular foot, we can turn either direction, e.g., off the left foot we can turn left face or right. While making a turn we think of stepping then turning or turning then stepping. The difference is, on which part of the beat, of any step, we make the turn.

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There are two actions we make to accomplish a turn. We either use a Hip Twist action or a Spiraling action. If we turn left, off the left foot or right off the right foot, we use the Hip Twist action. If we turn away from the supporting foot, e.g., right off the left foot or left off the right, we use a Spiraling action. All the turn is on the ball of the foot. When turning then stepping, the turn starts when lifting the heel of the supporting foot to begin the step. When you are stepping, then turning, the turn begins when taking weight on the ball of the new supporting foot, lowering to the flat of the foot when the turn is complete.

It is possible to have turn on both feet while taking one step. One could turn right face on the right foot to step on the left foot and Spiral right face on the left before lowering to the heel.

A Spiral and a Hip Twist are actions as well as the names used to identify figures. They are primarily actions, however, and they are descriptive of parts of some figures. We generally identify the figure by including the action in the figure's name. An example is, "Open Hip Twist". This is a figure used in the Rumba and a Hip Twist action is part of what is necessary to complete the figure.

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