The Rumba Dance is one of the oldest Latin American dances. It is a popular ballroom dance in the United States and in other countries as well. But where did the dance originate? And how did it all began? Rumba is believed to be invented by Black African slaves who were imported to Cuba, some Caribbean Islands and Latin America. This same dynamic dance can still be seen in parts of Africa, but the Rumba we now see in the United States has been changed, modified by influence of other races and/or cultures. They say the modern Rumba Dance is a combination of different dances which includes the Cuban “Son” (a slower version of the traditional rumba), guaracha, the rural rumba, and bolero.
The word Rumba was originally a generic name used to classify a music style instead of a dance style. At present, there are three distinct types of Rumba practiced in Cuba, with the steps mainly danced as solo or freestyle. The first is called “Guaguanco,” which depicts a seduction between a man and a woman where he tries to “attack” her to get her. The second is called the “Yambu.” In this type a flirty woman dances with a man who cannot “attack” her or get her. The last is called “Columbia”. This is the more polite type and can be compared to the customary rooster and hen dance. It is like a courtship dance where the male struts his masculinity around the female.
The American Rumba is an altered version of the “Son.” It is now known as the “Latin-Ballroom” couple’s dance and is properly labelled the “Dance of Romance.”
A lot of the sensual movements of the modern Rumba Dance or Ballroom Rumba developed from the original Cuban dancers doing daily tasks such as “climbing a rope,” shoeing a mare,” or the “courtship of farmyard fowls.” The costumes that the performers traditionally wore represent symbolism. Like the woman’s ruffled train of skirt which signifies a hen’s feathers. And the man’s ruffled neckline or chest and/ or shirt sleeves signifies a cock’s hackle feathers. Now, the modern Latin costumes are more like lingerie. The Ballroom Rumba is a pleasant dance for dancers to demonstrate their technique, skill and ability, which also shows a polite sensuousness or romantic flair on the dance floor. While the Cuban Rumba is more like a rhythmic street dance which can give the impression to be a cool, yet frenzied and at times the dancers could wild abandon with the technique, rather than a popularized pretty dance form.
