Rumba (Rumba) is the transliteration of the Spanish Rumba, originated in Cuba, also known as Cuban Rumba, dance music rhythmic tempo of 4/4 beat, 27 to 29 bars per minute. Four beats per bar. The melody of the piece is characterized by a strong beat falling on the fourth beat of each bar. The steps start on beat 4 and consist of one slow step and two fast steps. The four beats go three times, with the slow step occupying two beats (the fourth beat and the first beat of the next measure) and the fast step occupying one beat each (the second and third beats). Characterized by a romantic style, charming dance, men and women are concerned about the body posture, dance soft, graceful steps, dancers, if that is the case, full of teasing meaning, is to express the feelings of men and women in love with a kind of dance. Rumba name may be derived from the word Rumboso Orquestra, which is the name of a dance team in 1807, and in the Caribbean coast, this name and rum (Rhum) name close, so some people think that Rumba and this kind of alcohol, is a product of the Spanish a kind of boisterous drinking party.
A folk dance originating in Africa from Negro songs and dances, popularized in Latin America and later developed in Cuba. In Cuba all improvised negro songs and dances are called rumba. This dance is completely self-indulgent, sometimes a man and a woman can chase each other, can also become a group dance of many people. The steps are mainly hip twisting and twirling with shoulder shaking. Accompanied by percussion-based, dancers also accompanied by shouting and singing, the rhythm of 2/4 beat, flexible and changeable. Folk Rumba atmosphere is very warm and cheerful. 20 years after the 1920s, Rumba into Europe, North America, and absorbed jazz and other dance factors, becoming an important form of ballroom dance.
The style and rhythmic characteristics of rumba can be summarized as steady swing, soft and tough, fast and slow.
Stable Swing: The rhythm of rumba is generated by labor, and when the blacks carry bananas and other fruits in large baskets, they require their upper bodies to be stable, and they walk up and down, forming a hip sway. Therefore, when dancing rumba, it is required to keep the spine straight and the shoulders flat, and the swaying of the hips is formed naturally due to the shift of the center of gravity, rather than swinging the hips intentionally. When the foot steps out, the palm of the foot is hard on the ground, the knee is slightly bent, when the knee of the other leg is straight, when the center of gravity is shifted to the foot that steps out, the heel is lowered, and the hips are then swung to the side and back; the other one is relaxed and slightly bent. The overall feeling is of lifting the breath and smoothly controlling the upper body, while the arms keep swinging freely. Soft and tough:
After the step, the knees are straight and the hips look soft and gentle, but in fact, the internal force is hard, and there is a memory of toughness, so the rumba dance will have a feeling of soreness in the hips after a long time.
Fast and slow: Rumba dance with four beats to walk three steps, the rhythm of fast fast slow, fast step a beat a step, slow step two beats a step. The hips are walking three steps and swinging three times. Its foot movement is swift, no matter fast or slow step is half a beat in place, while the swing of the hips is one beat for the fast step and two beats for the slow step. In fact, in the four beats and three steps, each step is half a beat in place, while the hips are continuously swinging left and right. This up, down, slow, fast contradictory and unified movement, forming the characteristic rhythm of rumba.