Rumba
Social Ballroom · Foundation
- Time signature
- 4/4
Social tempos vary widely; part of the skill is matching the size and style of movement to the music.
Origin
African rhythm and Spanish melody, born in 19th-century Cuba out of Son, Danzon, and African drum dances. Popularized in the U.S. by orchestra leaders such as Xavier Cugat and adapted into a ballroom style — the syllabus Rumba comes from Son, the slower form.
Music
4/4 time — a slow Latin rhythm with a strong, settling hip action.
Character
The dance of love — fluid and smooth, its Cuban Motion born from the bend and straightening of the knees, on a slow-quick-quick rhythm.
Figures
- 1
Rumba Box
- 2
Slow Underarm Turn
- 3
5th Position & Left Side Position Breaks
- 4
Crossover Breaks
- 5
Crossbody Lead
Elsewhere in Social Ballroom
Want to learn the Rumba?
Every figure on this page is taught in the studio, one lesson at a time.