How to dance cumbias with a partner
Cumbia Partner Dance Songs | Popnable
Explore list of Cumbia Partner Dance Songs. Discover music. Cumbia Partner Dance Songs playlist. The pleasant dependent companion dance styles.
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How to Dance Cumbia | The 2023 Dancer’s Guide
If you’ve been wanting to learn how to dance cumbia, it's time to grab your dancing shoes and get in the groove! This lively and exciting Latin dance is relatively simple, which makes it one of the more beginner-friendly styles of dance.
So, even if you don’t consider yourself much of a dancer, you can easily learn how to dance cumbia and master the steps with just a bit of guidance and practice.
Excited to learn how to dance cumbia, but not sure where to start? Our beginner’s guide will introduce you to the art of cumbia music and dance and provide you with all the resources you need to learn how to dance cumbia, whether you want to teach yourself or work with professional dance instructors. Before you know it, you’ll be dancing away your worries and reaping all the wonderful benefits of dance! As experts at the Better Health Channel state, learning to dance can lead to physical and mental health benefits such as improved aerobic fitness and greater self-confidence. So, let's get started!
Jump to Section
- How to Learn the Cumbia
- What is Cumbia?
- Cumbia Steps
How to Learn the Cumbia
Dance Classes
One of the best and most exciting ways to learn how to dance cumbia is to take in-person or online dance classes.
When you take a dance class, you’ll receive detailed guidance from top-rated dance teachers and have the chance to practice your skills with a partner, all while getting immediate feedback and tips from the professionals. Not only is it a great and effective way to learn how to dance cumbia, but it’s also extremely fun, especially with friends or fellow dancers! Whether you are looking to learn how to dance cumbia or some other style, be sure to check out the dance classes near you, as well as dance classes in NYC and dance classes in Las Vegas.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Of course, the best way to learn how to dance cumbia and to really perfect your moves is to practice as much as you can! The good news is that cumbia is not a particularly difficult style of dance, which means it is relatively simple to learn the steps on your own and practice, even just from the comfort of your own home. All you need is some cumbia music (and there’s plenty of playlists for free on Youtube), a positive attitude and our handy guide to how to dance cumbia.
Keep reading to learn all about how to dance cumbia. We’ll explore the history of this art form, including where cumbia is from, and easily break down all the cumbia steps and counts.
What is Cumbia?
History: Where is Cumbia from?
Cumbia music and dance traces its origin back to the country of Colombia during the 1800s, and more specifically the coastal town of San Basilia. Cumbia began as a folk dance that blended together the culture of native Colombians with that of the enslaved Africans, who had been brought over by Spanish colonizers. Then, in the 1940s, Colombian singer Luis Carlos Meyer Castandet emigrated to Mexico and started working with the Mexican orchestra director Rafael de Paz, first bringing this lively style of dance and music to the country. It quickly became popular and as more Mexicans learned how to dance cumbia, it gradually evolved into the subgenre now known as Mexican cumbia. Around the same time as the dance was being adapted in Mexico, cumbia dance was also spreading throughout other Latin American countries, including Peru, Chile and Argentina, and now it has become one of the most popular Latin dances performed throughout the world, both by professionals and amateurs.
Cumbia Music
Cumbia music is largely considered by many to be the “mother of all Latin music.” It blends together the rhythm of African drums with the melody of Colombian flutes and maracas, but since its creation has now expanded to incorporate many more instruments, including the guitar, clave, accordion and bass guitar. Cumbia music is lively and energetic, a crossover between salsa and samba. Although it doesn’t feel quite natural to dance salsa to cumbia music, dancing cumbia to salsa music is quite popular among dancers in Central America. So, as you learn how to dance cumbia, make sure you’ve got some authentic cumbia music to play!
via CanvaCumbia Steps
The Basic Cumbia Step
The back-break basic is the main step you need to learn when mastering the art of how to dance cumbia, and luckily, it’s perfect for beginners. It can be broken down into a four-count pattern. So, here’s how to dance cumbia:
First, you start with your feet together, then on count 1, step back with your right foot at an angle – you’ll want to make an approximately 45º angle with your angled right toe almost in line with your back heel (keep a fair bit of distance, though, as you don’t want your feet to be touching).
On count 2, step in place with your left foot (easy enough, right?). On count 3, step your right foot back in place with the left. Count 4, just wait and shift your weight. You can even lightly tap your right heel if you’d like to add a bit more flair to your step.
Then, you’ll repeat the same steps, only this time you’ll switch sides, stepping back with your left foot at an angle on count 1. On count 2, step in place with your right foot this time before bringing your left foot back in place again and waiting or shifting your weight for count 4. As you are learning how to dance cumbia, go through the steps slowly to start and then gradually speed up as you get more and more comfortable. Before you know it, you won’t even be thinking about it anymore, and once you’ve mastered this basic back-break step, you’re ready to move on to the more fancier stylistic elements of the dance.
Dancing With a Partner: Lead or Follow?
When you are learning how to dance cumbia, you’ll need to know if you are the leader or follower.
Although the cumbia dance doesn’t require leaders (traditionally men) and followers (traditionally women) to learn different steps, in order to dance together as partners, you’ll need to make sure you are on opposite feet. This means that the leader should first step back with their left foot, while the follower should first step back with their right foot. Doing so will ensure that your feet movements mirror each other and flow in the same direction without your feet unintentionally colliding and disrupting your groove. As you dance with your partner, you can raise your arms in front of you and hold hands before gradually introducing some of the more advanced moves together as you keep exploring how to dance cumbia.
Advanced Cumbia Moves
As you and your partner keep the basic 4-count back-break step pattern going, you can spice things up a bit by adding hip dips, spins and other moves. When learning how to dance cumbia, you must learn how to feel the music, so after mastering the basic 8-count step, you’ll want to spend some time practicing the basic dance pattern to music, letting your hips and body sway to the beat.
Once you both feel more comfortable moving to the rhythm in step, you can start experimenting and having a bit of fun with learning how to dance cumbia.
Adding a Turn
Adding a turn is one of the more advanced moves when it comes to learning how to dance cumbia. Starting face-to-face, you and your partner will each step backwards together while continuing to hold hands. Then, release hands. The leader will use their left hand to guide the turn by pulling the follower forward on their right foot.
Important note: the follower should firmly plant their right foot at this point, as this is the foot they will turn on, their pivot point. While the follower is planting their foot, the leader grabs their partner’s right hand, raising up their arm and beginning the turn. Finally, to finish the turn, the leader steps forward and to the side on their left foot to complete the turn and bring you both back to the neutral starting point.
The counts for the turn are as follows:
- Both step back
- Follower steps forward and the turn begins
- Leader steps forward and to the side, completing the turn
- Arrive back at neutral
Now you’re ready to crank up the music and start exploring how to dance cumbia! Whether you decide to learn on your own, with a partner or at a dance class, the steps are pretty beginner-friendly, which makes this Latin dance a fun and accessible option for everyone, no matter what your skill level.
Most important of all, have fun as you learn how to dance cumbia! Keep practicing and before you know it, you just might be a professional Mexican cumbia dancer.
For even more creative ideas and inspiration, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!
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8 dances of Latin America | Around the World
Stories
Latin America is a region where musical and mobile people live. The inhabitants of a distant continent from an early age perfectly control the body and know how to dance what we have to learn long and hard. "Around the World" tells what dances are popular in Latin America and why.
Salsa
Salsa is an incendiary dance of Cuban origin that originated at the junction of African and Spanish cultures.
The musical style, in which more than 10 directions, adapted to South American realities and spread across the continent and beyond. According to Latin Americans, salsa cannot be learned, it must be felt.
Bachata
Bachata is a sexy dance from the Dominican Republic, the land of passion and fleeting love. To lyrical melodies with romantic lyrics, couples move dangerously close to each other. As the Dominicans say, you need to concentrate on the partner's body, and everything will work out!
Merengue
Merengue is a fast dance where the right choice of instruments is extremely important. Tambor and dried pumpkin guira set the pace. The dance originated at the end of the 19th century, so we are more loved by the older generation, although sometimes all the inhabitants of South America are not averse to moving in this style.
Reggaeton
All Latin dances are about sex, but reggaeton is the most explicit. There are no rules in it, the main thing is to make seductive movements, invitingly squirm and merge with a partner in a passionate outburst.
And it is better not to listen to the words, so as not to inadvertently blush.
Tango is associated with Argentina, although not all the inhabitants of the country dance it. Tango is a passion, but not as open as in reggaeton. Tango is dominated by feelings, not instincts, and the relationships, expressed in smooth movements, are poignant and deep.
Samba is a Brazilian dance and a symbol of carnival. Bright outfits, white-toothed smiles, hot bodies. The dance was born in the state of Bahia, where there is a strong African influence. Samba has many directions, and even in the favelas, residents enjoy the samba of the Brazilian slums.
Cumbia
Cumbia folk style originated on the Atlantic coast of Colombia. The dance is performed here to the accompaniment of flutes, maracas, tambourines, as well as accordion and guitar. Solo and double cumbia are danced in traditional folk costumes with puffy skirts and bright sombreros.
Forro is a Brazilian folklore style with an accordion and beautiful lyrics.
At the beginning of the 20th century, forro told about the life and life of the Brazilians, but then the themes of love and suffering were added to the songs, without which Latin American life is unthinkable. This is a couples dance with merry movements, in which the distance between the partners varies depending on the region.
Photo: Getty Images, commons.wikimedia.org, Turismo Bahia / flickr.com
Ekaterina Vizovskaya
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on the threshold of Latinomania ... - Salsa caliente — LiveJournal
many are wondering what kind of master class and what is Latin Mania all about? and what is it for?
yes about showing people that you don't have to be a professional dancer to enjoy dancing.
.. well, dance to your heart's content :)
I've been wanting to organize a Latino party for a long time, but it didn't make ends meet, and thanks n_ragida , which brought all these ends together :)
I will tell about myself. On the first Friday of February 2007, I came to the cafe at 9 pm for a lesson. What are the dances? I was answered - Latin. I was terribly worried - I can’t dance! but as soon as I entered the cafe, all my doubts were dispelled. the atmosphere itself was friendly, the instructor and part-time DJ shook hands and invited to the lesson. I saw many newcomers like myself - in a circle stood girls and boys of different builds and ages. 1 hour of the lesson flew by! and the salsatec began.
I was lucky from the very first evening - I was noticed by one Mexican boy Jose and all evening he did not let me out of his hands, so to speak. He danced salsa cumbia (maybe that's why I love cumbia so much). He managed to knock out the fear of "I can't, I don't know, I can't" out of me.
After 4 hours of dancing with him, I already heard the music well (I distinguished where the salsa is, where the cumbia is), I understood where to put my feet and which way to spin :) I am infinitely grateful to him for the month during which I danced with him on 4 hours every Friday.
Do you know how in the movie "Dirty dancing: Havana nights", there was an episode when the main characters were the "king and queen" of the club? I had exactly the same feeling when José and I danced the cumbia. The people dispersed in a circle, and after the dance they applauded. It's very, very exciting, and this feeling of boundless happiness stays inside forever....
A little over a year later, I experienced this feeling again when my then-boyfriend and I danced on the same salsateca in the city of Varadero, Cuba. He danced the Cuban style of salsa, and I danced the LA style. It was the first dance in our life. First salsa. After the dance we were applauded. And we felt so embarrassed that we ran away from this salsateca to the beach .
... but here a completely different story begins :)
In general, since then my life has changed. It includes SALSA, BACHATA and MERENGUE. And I love these dances with all my heart.
at Latinomania there will be a lesson on the basics of salsa (Los Angeles style), merengue and bachata.
This variety of salsa
Salsa includes many styles and variations; in a broad sense, the term can be used for almost any music of Cuban origin, in a narrow sense, the term refers to a style developed in 1960s and 70s Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants in and around New York and its offshoots.
To begin with, let's remember the basis of salsa - Cuban son.
Son (Son (Spanish) - sound, sound; hearing, rumor) - a beautiful pair dance. The musical style of sleep appeared in the east of Cuba, in its mountainous regions. It was new music - a combination of Spanish lyrics and African musical forms. Patriotic in character, since at that time there was a war for the independence of Cuba from the Spanish colonialists.
Son is danced in pairs, but depending on the style, the dance has a different tempo. For example, the montuno sleep is a rather slow dance, while the guaracha sleep is very fast.
There are two main directions in salsa: "salsa in a circle" and "linear salsa". Circular salsa includes such directions as Salsa Casino (Salsa Casino), Dominican salsa and Colombian salsa. Linear salsa includes Salsa Los Angeles (Salsa LA), Salsa New York (Salsa NY) and Salsa Puerto Rico.
Salsa Casino. The style is based on traditional Cuban music and the dances of the son and guaracha. The basic step starts on any beat, the rhythm is maintained throughout the dance. The geometric pattern of the dance is circular. The center of the circle is usually the center between the partner and the partner. A characteristic feature of the Cuban style are knots (complex figures with hands) and "lever" dribbling without impulses. The hands of the partner and the partner very rarely break, so there are almost no female hand movements in the casino.
Lots of musical improvisation. In many countries, dancing casinos use the so-called tep (short and light hit with the toe or heel of the foot on the floor).
Dominican (Venezuelan) salsa . The basic step starts on any beat. During one dance, the proportion for the basic step may change due to the specific elements of the Venezuelan salsa. The geometric pattern of the dance is circular, the center of the circle is usually the center between the partner and the partner. A characteristic feature of the Dominican style is "impulse" leading. Salsa music for this style of dance is fast.
Colombian Salsa . The basic step starts on any beat. During one dance, the proportion for the basic step may change due to the specific elements of Colombian salsa. The geometric pattern of the dance is not rigidly fixed, there can be both linear and circular elements. A characteristic feature of the Colombian style is the presence of a large amount of footwork and the permissibility of using elements of acrobatics.
Salsa music for this style of dance is fast.
Salsa LA. Modern LA salsa was created around the 90s in Los Angeles by founders Luis Vazquez, Joby Vazquez and Luis's two brothers, Francisco and Johnny. The basic step of this style is danced to the strongest beat of the music - to count 1, the geometric pattern of the style is linear based on the movement of the cross body lead (translation of the partner along the line), salsa LA is characterized by a fast and dynamic tempo, a lot of fast combinations, less improvised solos, but a lot of feminine and masculine style. The dance is aimed at the speed and clarity of performance, the use of acrobatic elements is typical, demonstrating and emphasizing the skill of the dancing couple.
Salsa NY. The style was created in New York by Eddie Torres, who himself calls this dance Modern Mambo, based on the Cuban son. Basic step on a weak beat of music - on the count of 2 partners step back.
It is believed that since the partner starts with a step forward, this style is designed to show the partner in all her beauty, so there are a lot of movements in it, where the partner elegantly defiles past the partner. The geometric pattern of the style is a linear, fast and dynamic tempo, but at the same time soft and delicate leading, the figures are made in short impulses. The presence of solo compositions, pauses and delicate accents in music is characteristic. Acrobatic elements are used to a lesser extent. It looks like a "cat", soft dance style.
Salsa Puerto Rico . The national style of salsa in Puerto Rico. A characteristic difference is that the girls step 2 not forward, but backward. From here come some features in the conduct and execution of various figures.
Rueda de Casino stands apart. This is a group dance, several couples participate in it. The geometric pattern of the dance is circular. All figures are performed synchronously at the command of the leader or singer (comandante).
Rueda is somewhat reminiscent of a round dance, but is danced in pairs with a frequent change of partners and partners. Rueda is characterized by figures based on knots with a very clear and accurate exit, while not letting go of the partner’s hands until the moment of exchange of pairs. The partners pass the partners in a circle and improvise according to the music. Now in Cuba, the rueda de casino of the so-called new style has spread, which is characterized by the restructuring from a circle to a line as part of the rueda dance, the formation of several circles of the rueda either side by side or one inside the other, and the so-called dua elements that dance within the framework of the rueda in two couples who, after the end of the figure, return to the general circle again, as well as the use of acrobatic elements. Also, a modern figure is characterized by a more frequent change of partners and partners, so during the execution of one figure, partners and partners can change several times.
The rueda is evaluated with a single score for all participants. This dance must be viewed from above, as the ever-changing pattern is the only way to see it.
Many dance clubs in the world, in addition to salsa, also teach bachata, merengue, reggaeton, rumba. These whimsical names stand for beautiful, emotional and interesting dances.
Bachata. In the early 1920s, bachata was the name given to the noisy parties of urban poverty. Bachata music and dances were considered a vulgar product of the lower classes, telling about the problems of the poor, about unrequited love and other life troubles. That is why bachata was called “music of bitterness” (musica de amargue) and was used only by performers of the so-called “alternative music” who sang these sad songs at night parties as a kind of emotional release.
By the 1980s, bachata, with all its melancholy and melancholy, was becoming more and more popular. The choreography of the dance is simple and uncomplicated - four steps from side to side or back and forth with an emphasis on the latter.
Partners dance very close to each other, using very few turns, but quite often side passages.
Aventura, Monchy & Alexandra are the most famous bachata performers.
Merengue . The origin of merengue is still controversial. According to one version, the music was composed and performed by Juan Bautista Alfonseca, a Dominican composer. According to the second version, it first sounded like a triumphal melody after the battle, when the Dominican troops defeated the Haitians. The third version seems the most plausible - the merengue is a direct descendant of a common Cuban melody and dance called "Upa" (upa habanera), one of the movements of this dance was called "merengue".
The original dance uses a large number of figures and decorations, in particular, circular movements of the hips, rotation of the body, movements of the shoulders at an accelerated pace. But in the modern version, the merengue, whose movements are light in nature, is so simple that it can be danced without even having prior preparation.
As they say in Cuba, if you can walk, then you can dance the merengue. Turns plus perky music form the basis of the dance. It does not require space, you can dance it on any "patch" of free space.
There is a legend that the unofficial founder of the merengue is an old one-legged sailor who really wanted to dance. And he danced simply by stepping from one foot to another, limping on his right leg (on the one where the piece of wood was). This is how the merengue dance appeared, the basic step of which is the pressing movements of the legs and limping on the right leg to the count of 1 and 5.
Reggaeton. In the 1970s, Jamaican immigrants brought to build the Panama Canal introduced reggae music to the local population. From that moment, simply put, reggaeton became an international movement, which mixed raggamuffin (raggamuffin) from Panama, Jamaican reggae and Jamaican-American dance with the sound of Puerto Rican drums.
In the mid-90s of the last century, reggaeton penetrated the environment of Latin Americans living in the USA.
Young people have embraced this direction of music with great enthusiasm, partly due to its modern sound, and partly due to its Latin American origin. Reggaeton is similar to North American hip-hop: rhythmic music combined with rap swearing, which is read mainly in Spanish or spanglish (a mixture of English and Spanish).
If you have watched the movie "Dirty Dancing", then you will clearly understand what is at stake. And if you have heard the compositions of Daddy Yankee, then you will definitely understand how this music captures.
Rumba. Rumba is called the dance of love, probably because of its deep emotionality. Rumba is one of the brightest examples of a combination of two completely different cultures - Spanish and African. This fusion took place in Cuban ports, where the Spaniards worked alongside the Negroes and made music together on weekends and holidays. Rumba rhythms have been passed down from generation to generation. It has been played and is being played in the street.
