Thank you, I will try this.

Great idea about slowing the chacha beat, I will give it a try.Thanks.

You're welcome. Good luck and let us know if you need any more tips! All the best!

gilli. At the moment there are two threads regarding the international Rumba on this Foram.
What should be explained is there are three steps on the basic and four beats of music. Therefore the left foot to the side and slightly back, which is the third step on beat four, is a point to the side without weight.
This then allows the hip to move on beat one. How far does the hip move. If we stood waiting for a bus with a child in our arms we would make a hip for them to sit on. Apart from that keep the rest of the body upright. This is called hip isolation. All told there are four different hip movements. Instruction is obviously needed. I always teach to count 2. 3. stop. hip.. There are your four beats and your three steps plus the hip movement. I hope this helps

Mat is correct gillli. There are 4 types of hip action in the Rumba which you would need to be taught. Beat 1 is when the hip moves and I teach the basic step as forward (2), replace (3), side (4) and settle the hip on 1. Although this is from what I have always been taught to do with great success! Hope this is useful.

3 Things (that worked for me):
A. Remember that the 1 *has* a hip movement (this would keep you with the rhythm).
B. Listen to thr rumba music (a lot) at your free time, trying to recognize the 1 and the rhythm.
C. And finly, instead of counting (234&1), I've started using "tic" and "tac" while dancing.

Hope it'll help.

Are there names for the four different types of hip action in Rumba?

I have been taught to count; and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4. I have a tendency to be too "fast" thru the 4, 1. Adding the "and" keeps me moving thru the steps not to the steps.

If my teachers are correct, the four types of hip action are:

1) Settling
2) Lateral
3) Rotational
4) Twisting

Ah thanks, I couldn't come up with Twisting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEy4G1NDRDI

Here's a link showing the four hip actions.

I like dancing Int. Rumba, but in my area few dance it. We get lots of Am. Rumba music or Bolero music and never any Latin Rumba music. Has anyone tried to dance Int. Rumba to Am. Rumba music? I have changed the beat and use QQ in place of 2-3. Am Rumba is much faster and dancing Int. Rumba to Bolero music just doesn't feel right. Any ideas on dancing Int. Rumba to Am Rumba or Bolero music?