Happy New Year to everyone.
I need some advice on dancing the rumba( international). The beat is really hard for me to pick up and when I do I lose it later and can't get it again. I then dance out of time.
Any help would be appreciated, I love this dance.

My advice would be to dance a square Rumba first where you move on beats 1, 2 and 3 and pause on beat 4. When you have established this you can then try moving on beats 2,3 and 4 and pausing on 1.

Alternatively try clapping the rhythm each time for a while and then dancing. In this manner it may get engrained into you.

Finally just imagine you are dancing a slow cha cha cha and this should help, as essentially it is the same except you don't have the final close side i.e. forward (2), replace (3), side (4) and count close-side (+1)ready to move again on the 2.

Hope this helps!

In Sq Rumba, the count is..

Fwd left foot. Slow.. 2beats, same foot 1 and 2

Side, right foot on Quick, Quick, on 3 and 4 with weight change on each beat.Continue backwards on Right foot and repeat process.

There are schools of thought, that commence Sq. Rumba sideways on a Q Q
on 1, 2 .

If the poster is dancing Intern. style ( which I suspect ), then a simpler method may be this..

Walk fwd R foot on "1".. walk fwd Left on "2".. replace weight backwards on right foot "3" then Left foot back on "4".. pause on "1" NO weight change,
and then continue back on "2" Right foot.Exit Fwd left foot 0n "3" Right foot on "4".. NOW HOLD the "1" and break fwd on "2".. left foot and repeat process

We are essentially only counting 3 notes in the bar ( 2,3,and4 ).. the "1" is held to retain the correct and constant rhythmical sequence .

Once you have established the rhythm, you can begin to refine the basic concept .

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.