Review basics apply to Rumba:
- Both Am and Intl. basic use closed position. There should be a little compression with the outstretched hands.
- intl rumba basic → crossover → underarm to figure-8
- intl rumba basic → crossover → double arch turns. (Ladies try putting free hand on waist)
- (practice and backbreak lead) intl rumba basic → forward crossovers → underarm → back break → brace and turn around → intl basic.
- Rumba walks
- (American Rumba to Intl. Rumba) rumba box → ½ Rumba box → side → intl. rumba)
- (intl. to American): Intl basic → forward crossovers → underarm turn → side break → rumba box.
- (how to go from rumba box to crossovers and back to rumba box) rumba box → ½ box → side → forward crossovers → underarm turn → side break → rumba box
- (Outside turns) rumba box → ½ box → forward crossover → outside hand leads turnaround → repeat ….. → end intl. Rumba basic.
- Rumba box → ½ rumba box → side → parallel breaks → repeat….. → after right side parallel break → go forward into Rumba box.
American Rumba Box Step (basic step)
- The basic step for the American Rumba is the box step. Start the American Rumba box on the slow with the man going forward left and the lady going back right.
- box straight (square)
- box turning. (Guys, on the first slow, start moving straight forward, then curve your foot and turn your shoulders. On the second slow, start moving straight back, then curve your foot and turn your shoulders.) Remember, when a couple turns, the person going backward into a turn takes a small step, whereas the person going forward into a turn takes a larger step.
- Define box and ½ box
International Rumba Closed Basic
- The forward basic can be combined with a variety of holds including the Ballroom hold, left hand hold, right hand hold, "No hand" hold, hands-together hold, and more.
- International rumba, bolero, and mambo use forward and back breaks as their basic step. Start the international rumba basic on count 2 with the man doing a forward rock and lady doing a back rock.
- You can transition from the American Rumba box to the International Rumba basic as follows: Do a ½ basic, then the guy will step to the right on a slow, then start the International Rumba basic.
- To go back into the American rumba box, use a side break or a parallel break to the man's right side. A side break is the same as a back break except that you are in closed position.
- To go back into the International rumba basic: After lady has done a spot turn to the man's left (This can be after either an underarm turn or a turn-around.)
- To transition from American Rumba box to forward crossovers: After a ½ box, the man steps directly to his right on the next slow.
Cuban motion
- Cuban motion: step on the ball of the foot and lower to the flat on every step. Transfer weight completely with each step. This ball-flat footwork accentuates the movement of the hips on every step.
- Foot placement: The basic rumba foot placement is ball-flat with leg actions of flex then straighten, taking small steps.
- Body motion: Make your movements smoothly, and keep your upper body still.
- Attitude: A slow, sensuous and very beautiful dance of love.
5th Position Breaks
- Side-to-side Rumba
- Side breaks (closed position)
- Side breaks (open position)
Cucarachas
- Cucarachas (also called "Rocking breaks to the side"): slow forward, rock right and together, rock left and together, rock right and together, rock left and forward basic, quick, quick, slow.
Open Break
- You can transition into an open break any time that the lady is stepping back with her right foot. The lead can then step back with his left foot to make the open break.
- Open break (compression) lead
Back Spot Turn or Natural Turn
- You can transition into an open break any time that the lady is stepping back with her right foot. The lead can then step back with his left foot to make the open break.
- Open break (compression) lead
Shadow Breaks
- ½ box, side break, switch hands to a loose handshake hold and reach behind her with the other arm (keep the arm level) → then switch hands on the left side to a back break → then do a side break on the right side → and go back into the box.
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Crossover Breaks or New York
- Lead crossover hand change breaks by stepping back slightly and bringing the hands through.
- Crossover break → left underarm spot arch turn (lady put opposite hand on hip) → switch hands → right underarm spot arch turn → crossover break
- Exit the crossover breaks with a spot turn or turnaround
- The "Swizzle Step": Right side break → guy rumba walk, lady 3 swizzle steps → forward, back, back → turn-, a-, round → crossover, and, back → figure –8 → peek-, a-, boos
- the wrap: cross body and open up rock, lady walks forward and man backs up, etc…
Back Breaks or Hand to hand
- back breaks (extend free hand outward and up)
- double back breaks
- back breaks with interlocking arms
- Exit from back breaks with a brace and turn-around.
- To transition from International Rumba basic to forward crossovers: After a full basic, the guy should pull away from the lady on the last slow and lead her into forward crossovers.
- Traveling international Rumba basic: quick, quick, travel, quick, quick, travel → leads into chase or challenge
- Mambo is similar to fast international rumba.
- underarm spot turn: ½ international rumba basic, stop her right hand with your left hand and lead her on a clockwise spot turn
- side breaks (after right side break go forward into the rumba box)
6-Count Under Arm Turn or Slow Under Arm Turn
- ladies 6-count walk around (start after ½ basic). This pattern looks good if the lady makes a wide circle.
- ladies 6-count walk around with simultaneous gentlemen's turn (the man should turn-left-in-place on the last 3 counts).
Cross-body Lead
- Cross-body lead → 180º turn → (lady starts to turn on the 2nd quick) rumba forward or to the side.
- Cross-body lead → 90º turn → rumba forward or to the side.
- Closed cross-body lead → forward crossovers.
- Forward Rumba walk = 6 forward steps ending with a left slow.
- forward circle spot turn
- backward circle spot turn
- fall away
- open side breaks (after right side break go forward into the rumba box)
Parallel Breaks or Shoulder to shoulder
- Teach entering parallel breaks:
- from American Rumba
- From International rumba
- (Outside partner position)
- After right side parallel break go forward into the rumba box
Spot turn or Underarm turn
- Figure-8 underarm turns (in figure-8: guy with body turned to the right, step forward then back.)
- arch turns (underarm turns)
- double arch turns (on both sides): The lady can put her free hand on her waist.
- Outside hand turns
- Arch turns with joined hands: Both man and lady do an outside turn simultaneously with outside hands held throughout the turn.
- Double-arch turns with joined hands
- add forward and back underarm turn
- Step slightly closer when leading a spot turn
Shoulder Check or Peekaboo
- (start with an open break lead)
- peek-a-boo high hand
- peek-a-boo straight arm
- yo-yo (tuck-turn and re-wrap):
two-hand peek-a-boo into cuddle position → tuck turn out → rewrap to cuddle (Ladies, always re-wrap with the wrapping hand on-top)
- sweetheart yo-yo
Sweetheart or Shadow
- The sweetheart hold and shadow patterns start with an open break in handshake position. Pull her into sweetheart while doing the fake step to transition to same foot.
- The sweetheart shadow, skater shadow, cuddle shadow, and Don Sohn all start from shake-hands position.
- A nice way to transition to shake hands is to lead a spot turn and switch to shake-hands position as the hand comes down from the turn.
- The lead must use a fake step to transition from parallel to same-foot footwork, and vice versa.
- Go side-to-side in double sweetheart shadow matching her footwork
- To exit, fake back to the basic and switch the hands.
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Passing patterns (from open break):
- passing hand change: switch to handshake position → open break → the man pulls her to his side while he passes behind her and goes to the opposite side (as the man passes her he lets his opposite hand slide down her opposite shoulder to switch the hands) → repeat the passing hand change 3 times
- Don Sohn
- passing underarm turn
- cross-hold two-hand passing turns
- (From shake-hands position, start this pattern by first bringing one hand over her head, then ask for the other hand.)
- with man doing forward crossovers
- with man doing back breaks
Charge patterns (Can add rotation: forward turning left, backward turning left):
- same foot
- side-by-side charge
- cuddle charge
- sweetheart charge
- open skater charge
- closed skater charge
- opposite foot
- open promenade charge
- closed promenade charge
Each partner is at a 45º angle and partners are slightly apart. The man's right hand can hold the lady's side to keep her from turning.
Chase Turns
- Half turns
- Full turns
- (full chase turns) closed intl. rumba → forward crossovers → open intl rumba → apart → chase with full turns → repeat…. → guys offer left hand → open intl. rumba → underarm → closed intl. rumba.
Turkish Towel
- (start with a double sweetheart)
- (Guys, when starting the Turkish towel from peek-a-boo, step with your right when she in cuddle to start)
- Look at your partner on both sides of the Turkish Towel.
- lady starts in right sweetheart position and walks around man's left side → Turkish Towel
- lady starts in left sweetheart position and walks around man's right side → Turkish Towel
- from cross-hand hold
Forward and back patterns:
- Basic forward and back in closed
- Forward and back in open facing position with single hold
- Forward and back in open facing position with double hold (romantic if hands held together)
- Rumba in apart position
- Recapture the lady into closed
Same-hand crossover (half moon and full moon patterns):
- Start with a cross-body lead and switch to same hands and roll into a forward crossover. The man hold the lady's right hand with his right hand throughout the remainder of this pattern. The man then turns 180º and leads the lady into a cross-body lead followed by a forward crossover. This pattern is repeated several times. During each crossbody lead, the lady raises her left hand in a large circular gentle arc that ends with her left hand on her right shoulder. During each forward crossover, the lady extends her left hand straight out to her left side. At the end of the pattern, the lady does an inside double-turn to the right followed immediately by the basic.
- walk around underarm turn: After an open break step forward slow, forward quick, forward quick, side slow.
- cross backs
- Rumba turn-around pattern: ½ box → side break → slow, turn-around (quick quick), cross forward (slow) , side-together (quick, quick) → box.
waltz patterns to rumba time:
- waltz turns line of dance
- closed twinkle
- continuity twinkle
- triple twinkle
- the stroll
Fan position
- Cross-body lead > fan
- 2nd half of intl. rumba > fan.
Alemana
- Fan > Alemana > Open out > Closed hip twist > Fan
- Fan > Alemana > Open out > Spiral > Fan
Aida
- Forward crossover > spot turn > double back breaks > back 2, 3, 4&1 > Adia
Rope Spin
- Lead her around with your left hand (holding her right) > Lead her initially to do an outside right turn on 4 & 1 > Man does a side break then a back break. End the rope spin with an opening out.
- 1) Alemana > Rope Spin
- 2) Natural Top > Rope Spin
- 3) Rope Spins Back to Back (one right after another)
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