Hi All,

Please correct me if I'm wrong, my understanding in Rhumba is that we dance the beat of 2, 3, 4. After which we are supposed to hold and compress at the end of the beat 4 continuing to 1 (i.e. hold still, just settle the weight). Are we allowed to dance on the section of the beat of 4 to 1 (i.e. by taking step, spin, or other move)? Which means can we take a step and reach at 1 instead of 4?

Please advise, Thanks.


Regards,
Rianto

Very few Rumba figures have steps falling on beat one. The major exception is the Spiral, with its delayed forward walk, pointing the foot, without weight, on four, and stepping with turn ending in a spiral cross on one.

Actually, lots of rumba figures ARE danced on one, at least here in the UK, because sequence dancers seem completely incapable of dancing on the correct beat; and if you are the only couple in the room dancing "on two", you have to concentrate like hell, and get very funny looks. Such is life.

Yes you can do many things on beat 1, provided it is done intentionally, maybe to interpret the music or to achieve a foot-change by one partner so that both use the same foot at the same time.

The basic text-book figures usually just have the weight transfer on 1 but there are numerous variations that could be danced differently.

You do not say how much dancing you have done. I would suggest beginners stay with standard timings until they fully understand the dance or until their teacher gives them a syncopated variation.

I would add though that you should not 'hold still'. Even when not taking a step we are still dancing. Some part of us, body, arms, head, eyebrows, should still be moving.