Welcome to Couples Latin Dance
Term 1A 2022: American Rumba (4 weeks)

Course Details

• Term 1A - AMERICAN RUMBA:
• From 2 February to 23 February 2022 (4 weeks, 5 hours)
• Learn RUMBA, the dance of love, and celebrate Valentine's Day for the whole of February! For more info and videos on Rumba, check out my Rumba webpage here.

​PRACTISE, PRACTISE, PRACTISE!

I invite you to practise as much as you can together. Even five minutes can make a difference to building your muscle memory and getting you feeling confident and comfortable with the steps.

• If you watch TV, have a quick dance during the commercial breaks or inbetween episodes on Netflix.
• Add a quick dance to your morning routine. Have a short practice whilst you're waiting for the kettle to boil or anchor it to another habit you're already doing such as brushing your teeth.
• Or even adding it to your evening routine. It could be a good way to have some non-screen time with your partner before bedtime!​

Rumba Playlist

Lesson 1 - Wednesday 2 February 2022

STEPS LEARNED:
​​

• Basic Box Step
• Butterfly
• Alternating Underarm Spot Turns
• ​Fifth Position Breaks​​

SEQUENCE:
​​

• Basic Box
• Butterfly
• Basic Box
• Alternating Underarm Spot Turns
• Basic Box
• Fifth Position Breaks

Lesson 2 - Wednesday 9 February 2022

LESSON PLAN:
​​

• Revised Week 1 Lesson:
  • Basic Box
  • Butterfly
  • Alternating Underarm Spot Turns
  • Fifth Position Breaks
• ​​Practised Final Sequence from Week 1 (as above)
• Started Learning Grapevine, Outside Fans and Oversway Combination
  • ​​Refer to video and break down of steps below

SEQUENCE:

This is the sequence we're building up to, once we finish learning Grapevine, Outside Fans and Oversway combination.
​​

• Basic Box
• Butterfly
• Basic Box
• Alternating Underarm Spot Turns
• Basic Box
• Fifth Position Breaks
• Basic Box
• Grapevine, Outside Fans and Oversway

Lesson 3 - Wednesday 16 February 2022

​​LESSON PLAN:
​

• Revised Week 1 Lesson:
  • Basic Box
  • Butterfly
  • Alternating Underarm Spot Turns
  • Fifth Position Breaks
• ​​Practised Final Sequence from Week 1 (as above)
• Revised and Completed Learning Grapevine, Outside Fans and Oversway Combination
• Learned Fallaway and Walks

SEQUENCE:
​

• Basic Box
• Butterfly
• Basic Box
• Alternating Underarm Spot Turns
• Basic Box
• Fifth Position Breaks
• Basic Box
• Grapevine, Outside Fans and Oversway
• Basic Box
• Fallaway & Walks

Lesson 4 - Wednesday 23 February 2022

LESSON PLAN:

• Learned Walk Around Turn to Shadow Position
• Revised Fallaway & Walks
• Revised Grapevine, Outside Fans & Oversway Combination
• Revised Butterfly, Alternating Turns and Fifth Position Breaks

SEQUENCE:
​

• Basic Box
• Butterfly
• Basic Box
• Alternating Underarm Spot Turns
• Basic Box
• Fifth Position Breaks
• Basic Box
• Grapevine, Outside Fans and Oversway
• Basic Box
• Fallaway & Walks
• Basic Box
  
• ​Walk Around Turn to Shadow Position
  

VIDEOS...

Step 1. Basic Box

Step 2. Butterfly

Step 3. Alternating Turns

Step 4. Fifth Position Breaks

Step 5 (Combination): Grapevine, Outside Fans & Oversway

This video shows this combination in TWO dance styles - American Rumba and American Bolero.

Refer to the first half of the video for American Rumba:

• one, the steps are broken down as a couple without music
  
• second, the leader's steps are detailed
  
• third, the follower's steps are shown
  
• fourth, the whole combination is demonstrated as a couple with music (this is from 4:00 to 4:30 in the video)
  
• do not refer to the second half of the video after 4:30 as this is a different dance style (Bolero)

​BREAKDOWN OF GRAPEVINE, OUTSIDE FANS & OVERSWAY COMBINATION:
​

• Half Box SQQ, Link Step S
• Outside Partner QQS:
  • ​Parallel Breaks with Follower Back Right and Leader Forward Left) on one side only – QQS
    • Leader LRL / Follower RLR
      ​
• Grapevine QQS:
  • Leader: R-L-R
    • Forward Right, Side Left, Back Right
  • Follower: L-R-L
    • Back Left, Side Right, Forward Left
      
      
• Rock Steps & Turn x 2
  (Outside Fans for Leader / Ronde for Ladies):
  • Rock Rock Turn x 2 QQS QQS:
    • Leader:
      • L-R-L: Rock Forward Left, Rock Back Right, Slight Step Forward Left (or Replace Left) and Fan Right Leg & Step Across  (Turning Towards Partner) QQS
        • Fan – step left, then pivot left with right leg apart from left (not feet together)
      • R-L-R: Rock Forward Right, Rock Back Left, Step Right & Fan Left Leg Across (then left goes straight into Rock Forward)
    • Follower:
      • R-L-R: Rock Back Right, Rock Forward Left, Step Right and Ronde Left Leg
        • RONDE: Back Right Replace, Left Foot comes around and rocks back
      • L-R-L: Rock Back Left, Rock Forward Right, Step Left and Ronde Right Leg (with right leg going directly into Rock Back)

• Rock Step Lunge QQS (Lunge = Slow)
  • Leader:
    • Rock Forward L, Rock Back R, Lunge Left in Promenade Position (arm out and heads facing the side)
  • Follower:
    • Rock Back R, Rock Forward L, Lunge Right in Promenade Position
      ​
      
• Rotate S, Recover S & Fifth Position Break Exit in to Basic QQS QQS QQ:
  • Leader:
    • Rotate Follower to Face Outwards (with leader facing forwards) and Left Arm Goes Up; Feet Don’t Move
    • Replace Right Leg
    • Fifth Position Break Left Leg & Exit (back left, replace right, curve forward left into basic box)
  • Follower:
    • Rotate (right leg bent, left leg straight): Feet don’t move. Pivot Body ACW to Face Outward THEN Replace Left Leg
    • Fifth Position Break Right Leg & Exit (Back Right, Replace Left, Half Turn Right into Basic Box)

Step 6. Fallaway & Walks

Step 7. Walk Around Turn to Shadow Position

Breakdown of Walk Around Turn to Shadow Position

• Half Box SQQ + Link Step S
• Open Break / Rock Back (directly away from each other in a line) QQS
• Turn Follower
  • Underarm Turn of Follower with Leader’s Left Hand QQS
    • Follower does normal underarm spot turn LRL
    • Leader does Offset Break RLR BUT with Right Foot TOGETHER on S
• Shadow Position
  • ARMS:
    • Leader changes from Left Hand to Right Hand (so Right-Right) on the S after the Turn of Follower – the arm turn pattern flows through around to the follower’s shoulder
    • Leader captures Left Hand with Follower’s Left (so Left-Left as well)
      • Right Hands at Shoulder Height; Left Hands at Waist Height
  • FEET:
    • Leader does Side Rock in Sweetheart Hand Hold on Left
      • Side Left, Replace Right, Together Left
    • Follower does like a Salsa Open Out in Sweetheart position to side of Leader: Back Right, Replace Left, Across Right (in front of Leader)
• Turn Follower:
  • ARMS: Leader turns Follower with Left Hand
  • FEET: Leader does Side Rock to Right; Follower does Turn Footwork Pattern​

• Repeat Shadow Position & Follower Turn
  • Leader has Right Hand on Follower’s Shoulder (rather than connecting with her Right Hand) in Shadow Position
• Shadow Position with Leader Head Dress and Fifth Position Exit
  • After the Follower Turn, Leader does Head Dress of Left Hand over and behind his head and releases Left Hand
  • Then Leader uses Right Hand on Follower’s Back to “catch” follower in the Shadow Position with Left Hand Free until Exit int
  • Leader does Left Side Rock LR and then Curve Forward Left into Basic Box
  • Follower does Fifth Position Break with Exit RL and Half Turn R into Basic Box

 
Note: Left-Left Hand Hold from change of hands after first Follower Turn until head dress after final Follower Turn.
 
Summary Leader Footwork:

• ½ box – link step – open break – offset break (turn girl)
• opening out step (side rock step) left (sweetheart) plus side rock step right (turn girl) x 2
• side rock step left with head dress (LR) and curve left forward into basic box

 
Summary Follower Footwork:

• ½ box – link step – open break – spot turn LRL
• Salsa rock back RLR and Spot turn LRL x 2
• Fifth Position Exit RLR into Box on R (Slow)

THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME
FOR 4 WEEKS OF RUMBA, THE DANCE OF LOVE, IN FEBRUARY 2022!