Rumba Walk

In twenty-sixth class, we also learnt Rumba Walk.
After doing a simple Rumba step (2-3-4-1 2-3-4-1), we do:
2: Male partner does simple Rumba step 2.
3: Instead of simply shifting weight on right foot, he drags it a bit behind and then shifts weight.
4: He lifts his left foot and puts it a foot behind his right foot.
1: Weight is shifted on left foot.

2: He lifts his right foot and puts it few inches behind left foot.
3: He lifts his left foot and puts it few inches behind right foot.
4: He lifts his right foot and puts it a foot behind his left foot.
1: Weight is shifted on right foot.

2: He lifts his left foot and puts it few inches behind right foot.
3: He lifts his right foot and puts it few inches behind left foot.
4: He lifts his left foot and puts it a foot behind his right foot.
1: Weight is shifted on left foot.

2: He lifts his right foot and puts it few inches behind left foot. Female partner starts doing a walk around turn towards her right (clockwise direction). He raises his left hand and she puts her left foot crossing her right foot. Her direction changes by 90 degrees.
3: Simple step 3, with weight shifting on left foot. She slides on both her feet and turns clockwise 180 degrees.
4: He lifts his right foot and puts it a foot towards his right. She does simple step 4, by putting her left foot a foot left.
1: Weight is shifted on right foot.

Simple 2-3-4-1 is done. The he does forward Rumba walk.

2: Simple Rumba step 2, with right foot going back and weight shifting on right foot.
3: He drags his left foot a bit ahead and shifts his weight on it.
4: He lifts his right foot and puts it a foot ahead of left foot.
1: Weight is shifted on right foot.

2: He lifts his left foot and puts it few inches ahead of right foot.
3: He lifts his right foot and puts it few inches ahead of left foot.
4: He lifts his left foot and puts it a foot ahead of his right foot.
1: Weight is shifted on left foot.

2: He lifts his right foot and puts it few inches ahead of left foot.
3: He lifts his left foot and puts it few inches ahead of right foot.
4: He lifts his right foot and puts it a foot ahead of his left foot.
1: Weight is shifted on right foot.

2: He lifts his left foot and puts it few inches ahead of right foot. Female partner starts doing a walk around turn towards her left (counter-clockwise direction). He raises his left hand and she puts her right foot crossing her left foot. Her direction changes by 90 degrees.
3: Simple step 3, with weight shifting on right foot. She slides on both her feet and turns counter-clockwise 180 degrees.
4: He lifts his left foot and puts it a foot towards his left. She does simple step 4, by putting her right foot a foot right.
1: Weight is shifted on left foot.

Rumba Fan step

In twenty-fifth class, we learnt Rumba's Fan step. Steps are:

• 2.
• 3.
• 4: Male partner gives lead by coming into open hold position, and extending both hands.
• 1.
• 2: During this step, he gives lead to female partner by his right hand (same lead as he gives in Salsa Cross body step 5). Instead of putting her left foot ahead, she puts it in right of his left foot (a bit rotated clockwise). She crosses her right foot with her left foot.
• 3: She turns to her left by putting her right foot rotated counter-clockwise and then sliding on it, till she rotates by 90 degrees.
• 4: She puts her left foot in such a way, that both the partners face perpendicular directions. He has to make sure that she does not move away too much, while she does the fan step.
• 1: Both partners extend their extreme hands (his right and her left) at shoulder height.
• 2: Instead of going forward ahead, he goes forward towards her.
• 3.
• 4.
• 1.
• 2: He gives lead by raising his left hand, so that she can do a right (clockwise) turn. She also does her Rumba step 2, but she starts doing a right (outside) tap-tap turn. She puts her left foot crossing her right foot.
• 3: She does a right (clockwise) turn of 180 degrees. She rotates on her left foot and puts her right foot rotating clockwise.
• 4: She keeps on rotating towards right. She picks up his left foot and completes rest of turn by 180 degrees, and then put it a foot apart, such that both partners start facing each other.
• 1.

Following video shows only first half of fan steps:

Cha Cha and Rumba change of side

In twentieth class, we learnt Cha cha and Rumba clockwise and counter-clockwise change of side steps. These are not spot turns, and are done in closed position with partner.

Clockwise change of side starts with step 2, while counter-clockwise change of side starts with step 3. Both the turns take four 90 degree turns, to complete one 360 degree turn.

Clockwise change of side:

1. In closed position, on step 2, male partner pushes with his left hand the female partner's right hand and pulls her back with his right hand. Simultaneously, she puts her right foot back by rotating 90 degrees clockwise. This gives more space for male partner to put his left leg few degrees rotated clockwise.
2. In step 3, they both became perpendicular to initial direction.
3. Rest of the steps (4-1 or Cha-Cha-1) are same as basic one.
4. In next 2 step, male partner pulls his right hand causing a push on female partner's back. Simultaneously, he puts his right leg rotated 90 degrees clockwise. This gives space to her, to keep her left leg rotated clockwise by few degrees.

Counter-Clockwise change of side:

1. Step 2 is same as basic step.
2. In closed position, on step 3, male partner pulls with his left hand the female partner's right hand. Simultaneously, he rotates his right leg counter-clockwise by 90 degrees and puts it at the same place.
3. Step 4/Cha is done in perpendicular direction to initial direction. Here male partner pulls female partner by his left hand, and pushes her with his right hand towards his left.
4. Rest of the steps (1-2 or Cha-1-2) are same as basic one.
5. In next 3 step, male partner picks up anputs his left leg rotated counter-clockwise at the same place.
6. Step 4/Cha is done in perpendicular direction to initial direction. Here male partner pulls female partner by his left hand, and pushes her with his right hand towards his left.

Rumba and Cha Cha Spot Turn / Alternate Turn

In eighteenth class, we learnt Rumba and Cha Cha's Spot Turn /Alternate Turn steps. This can be called an extension of Newyork step. After completing the last step of moving towards right, male partner performs:

1. On count 2, turn clockwise slightly, pick up and cross your left leg to cross over your right leg. Make sure that the width between your legs is that of taking a comfortable large step.
2. Move all of your weight to your left foot.
3. On count 3, turn clockwise on your left foot. Your right foot and leg should naturally turn as well. At this point, you should be facing backward from your original position.
4. Turn, rotate and step to original direction with your right foot, to complete the turn.
5. On count 4 / Cha, bring your left foot forward to be even with your right foot, but allow for some spacing between your feet. The space depends on which dance you are doing, Cha Cha or Rumba.
6. On next Cha count, slide your right foot to close to your left foot.
7. Similarly, you can do walk around and turn in other direction, rotating counter-clockwise.

Salsa and Rumba Leads

In today's (tenth) class, we were taught taking leads in Salsa and Rumba. In Salsa, we learned taking leads for basic, side and open steps. In Rumba, we learned taking leads for basic and shift-2-shift steps.

Salsa basic step:

• Female partner puts her hands in boy’s open hands. Male partners keep their thumbs pointing outwards.

• In Salsa basic step, our hands make a 90 degree angle at elbows.

• While going back or front (on steps 1 and 5), we try to move hand's elbow with the body. Elbow should not touch body, but keep it at a comfortable distance. During movement, female partner should keep her hands stiff, so that whenever male partner gives a lead, her elbow should not get back or ahead of her body; it should move with our body.

• He gives leads at 4 (end of 3) and 8 (end of 7), which she has to catch and follow the steps accordingly.

• Try not to rotate hands in rounds, while doing steps. Try to keep them at 90 degrees.

Salsa Side steps:

• Here our hands just go down in the direction of movement, and then come back.

Salsa open steps:

• Try not to crisscross the hands while doing the steps.

Rumba steps:

• In Rumba, we were taught only two leads; one when male partner leads female partner backwards/forwards or other when he leads her sideways.

• Giving leads either forward or backward means that partners have to do basic Rumba steps.

• For shift-2-shift steps, he leads by moving his hands in the opposite direction. So in step 1, when we shift our weight on left foot, we lead by stretching our right hand in the right direction. Similarly we lead movement towards right, by moving left hand in left direction.

Rumba Side-to-Side and Newyork steps

In today's (eighth) class, we added two new steps to Rumba – the Side-to-Side and Newyork steps. Side-to-Side step has count of Side-to-Side-Side-to-Side. Newyork step has same count as basic step, and is also a bit similar to it. During practice, we were asked to do two basics, then two Side-to-Side steps and finally two Newyork steps.

Details of Side-to-Side steps are:

Side – Before this step, your left foot should be a foot away from the foot right, with weight on right foot. In this step, weight is shifted to left foot and right foot’s heel gets up, while shifting weight. Simultaneously right foot is brought closer to left foot.

2 – At this moment, the weight is on left foot and only foot’s forefoot touches the ground (with heel lifted up), with both the feet side-by-side. Weight shift is made. Now weight is on right foot.

Side – Left foot again goes left by a foot and weight is shifted to it. Right foot’s heel gets up, while shifting weight.

Side – Weight is shifted from left to right and simultaneously left foot is brought back closer to right foot.

2 – At this moment, the weight is on right foot and only foot’s forefoot touches the ground (with heel lifted up), with both the feet side-by-side. Weight shift is made. Now weight is on left foot.

Side – Right foot again goes right by a foot and weight is shifted to it. Left foot’s heel gets up, while shifting weight. We come back to initial position of Rumba.


Details of Newyork step:

0 – We start with weight on right foot and left foot in line (horizontally around a foot away).

2 – We pick up left foot and place it in right of right foot (not much far). Our view line also shifts by 90 degrees clockwise and is in same direction to the movement of left foot. During this step, weight is shifted to left foot and right foot heels gets up. Our right foot also slides by 90 degrees, with pivot on right foot’s forefoot.

3 – Right foot is twisted back counter-clockwise by 90 degrees and weight is shifted on it.

4 – We pick up and bring back left foot a foot away to right foot. Our view line again comes back to initial direction. Left foot’s forefoot remains in-contact to ground and heel remains lifted up.

1 – Here we do a quick weight shift from right foot to left foot. Left foot heel comes down and right foot’s gets lifted a bit.

2 – We follow above four steps again, but with other foot. We pick up right foot and place it in left of left foot (not much far). Our view line also shifts by 90 degrees counter-clockwise. During this step, weight is shifted to right foot and left foot heels gets up. Our left foot also slides by 90 degrees, with pivot on left foot’s forefoot.

3 – Left foot is twisted back clockwise by 90 degrees and weight is shifted on it.

4 – We pick up and bring back right foot a foot away to left foot. Our view line again comes back to initial direction. Right foot’s forefoot remains in-contact to ground and heel remains lifted up.

1 – Here we do a quick weight shift from left foot to right foot. Right foot heel comes down and left foot’s gets lifted a bit.

International Rumba Basic Steps

Today's class was of International Rumba. Other style is American Rumba. Rumba, also known as the "dance of love", the "Latin Waltz" or the "Waltz with a wiggle", is a spot dance which means the couple does not travel around the dance floor like in waltz or foxtrot, but rather stays in one location.

You start dancing Rumba in a closed dance position. The man's left hand is holding the lady's right hand with the elbows almost touching. The man’s right hand is placed underneath the lady’s shoulder blade. The lady’s left hand is placed right behind the man's shoulder, flat on his back. Following video shows the correct stance:

Basic Stance for Rumba Dancing

This is a flat dance. All the time some part of both the feet always remain in contact with the dance floor.

Basic step counts are 2-3-4-1 (long 4 and short 1) -2-3-4-1.

* Displacement between legs on steps 4 and 1 is more than a foot, but very less on step 2.

0 – Male partner starts with weight on right foot and left foot stretched inline (horizontally, with forefoot touching ground and heel lifted).

2 – He moves his left foot forward (places it flat, about 10 inches ahead) and weight is shifted on it. Right foot’s heel gets lifted a little bit, but forefoot keeps on touching ground.

3 – Weight is shifted back on right foot. Left foot’s heel gets lifted a bit.

4 – He brings backward left foot sideways (around more than a foot away from right foot), making an arc (but in-line to right foot). During this step, left foot’s forefoot always remain in-contact to ground and heel always remain lifted up.

1 – Here he does a quick weight shift from right foot to left foot. Left foot heel comes down and right foot’s gets lifted a bit.

2 – He follows above four steps again, but with other foot. He moves right foot backward (placed flat, about 10 inches back) and weight is shifted on it. Left foot’s heel gets lifted a little bit.

3 – Weight is shifted back on left foot. Right foot’s heel gets lifted a bit.

4 – He brings back right foot sideways (around more than a foot away from left foot), making an arc (but in-line to left foot). During this step, right foot’s forefoot always remain in-contact to ground and heel always remain lifted up.

1 – Here he does a quick weight shift from left to right foot. Right foot heel comes down and left foot’s gets lifted a bit.

Details of all steps can be found at International Rumba Step List