Untrained, but with remarkable natural talent, he composed numbers in his head and never wrote them down. Sign up for the latest travel inspiration, secrets, and tips. She walked like this anytime she wanted something from one of the guys on the island). "Cuban Motion": Ballroom vs. Social | Dance Forums Ballroom Joe's "Cuban Motion Demystified, Part 2" This hip motion lets you concentrate the movement on the hips and not above the waist. all rights reserved 2011, Ive seen aspiring students spend hundreds of dollars taking lessons to learn how to do proper Cuban motion. They had several brass instruments (cornet, valve trombone, ophicleide), a clarinet or two, a violin or two and tympani (kettle drums). As you shift your weight forward, push yourself up with the straightened left, then vice versa. Youll also notice your knees will start alternately bending and straightening. Cuban Motion for Latin and Salsa Dancing - YouTube The Cuban National Ballet is also a renowned ballet company located in Havana. [14] In the 19th century there grew up in Santiago de Cuba a group of itinerant musicians who moved around earning their living by singing and playing the guitar. The dance does not start on the first beat of a bar, though it can start with a transfer of weight to the lead's right. 95 Danforth Avenue Cuba has ballet schools across the country. Try and keep your shoulders facing the direction youre traveling - if you are moving correctly, youll feel a twisting action in your stomach as your hips rotate. M4K 1N2 MAY/JUNE Pointe series with Both men and women could use Cuban motion to elevate their performance. (416) 406-3262. This should make your elbows point away from each other. Originally, all son bands were 6-person groups. Shows how to develop Cuban motion (Latin body action), which is essential for salsa and merengue dancing Continue with your wall exercise, but begin lifting and placing each foot to ensure your weight is shifting from one to the other. Contradanza itself spawned a series of ballroom dances between the 19th and 20th centuries, including the danzn, mambo and cha-cha-cha. Initially, they were small orchestra of two violins, a cello, flute, timbales, giro, and doublebass. 6 Cuban Dances You Need to Know About ViaHero Updated January 10, 2023 In Cuba, dance is a part of life, and it's everywhere. [1] The island's indigenous people performed rituals known as areto, which included dancing, although little information is known about such ceremonies. For one, your head will not bob up and down or rock side to side. 0 . chest, neck and shoulders. Check out Cuban Motion Demystified, part 2!. Your body will figure that out on its own, and it doesnt require duct tape. Seems to me that CM is something that shouldn't really be taught to a beginner because it may be too foreign a muscular concept for many. Toronto, ON, M4K 1N2. View Comments He and his wife took vacations to Aruba every year and they were both determined to join the Salsa crowds before next years trip. Cuban motion is a part of Latin dance that highlights the movement of the hips and the waist. Comment on Facebook, Adult Drop-In schedule THIS week! So thats one thing to keep in mind when trying this move, do not move your feet inward! Feel free to connect with me on any of your favourite social networks. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. From Mambo to Tango to Salsa to Bolero to Rumba. Required fields are marked *. It is a non-progressive dance that emphasizes Cuban motion, distinguished by the chasses (cha-cha-cha) typically danced during the 4&1 counts of the music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pvWtbJjlis, http://www.salsaforums.com/showthread.php?t=13842&highlight=salsa+soldiers. Slowly bend your right knee, keeping the left knee straight. As you speed up, youll notice you cant settle the hip as much on the quicks. You need only compare how easy it is to twist your hips with toes pointing outwards, compared to inwards. Go where the locals go in Cuba. At the beginning of the 20th century, the lighter and somewhat more elegant sound of the charanga emerged (see Early Cuban bands). Myth #1 You must have Latin in your blood to be able to dance like that. Dont be a stranger lets get in touch! 95 Danforth Ave., Third Floor Next time youre at the grocery store, fill a shopping cart so it doesnt roll easily. At Joy, Ballroom mixes with Lyrical and Ballet with Hustle to create a warm and inviting place to dance like nobody is watching. Foxtrot or Waltz down the aisle in Cuban motion. Join @rachelzinck on Mondays! Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9am 10pm As I took lessons years ago from Edie and as she's a great dancer and phenomenal person, I decided to look up a video of her dancing to watch her leg action. history of Latin American dance. Its in feeling the part. Dance every step with your feet at about 70 to build flexibility, and loosen the hips. When standing, concentrate on where your weight is. Dont be a stranger lets get in touch! How to Do Cuban Motion in Merengue - Howcast In traditional American Rhythm style, Latin hip movement is achieved through the alternate bending and straightening action of the knees, though in modern competitive dancing, the technique is virtually identical to the "international Latin" style. Im guessing that a few things will happen. Because these dances are kindred only in the context of Western ballroom dance, they . But all human beings have the same muscular structure and are governed by the same laws of physics. What style of dance is the Mambo? Start by stepping in place until you master the correct motion and then extend your steps until you reach your full basic step. I agree with Josh's points mostly. Your heels will rise and fall as you step, but the big toe and balls (the fleshy front part of the bottoms of your feet) are constantly in contact with the floor, giving you increased balance and control. Myth #4 The speed of Latin dances like Cha Cha, Salsa and Merengue, only make it more difficult to do the hip motion. Here's five exercises to get you started. It was backed by rhythms derived from African folk music. Transfer your weight (rolling onto the flat ball and toes as you do) completely over the ball of the foot, remembering to keep the knee bent. Bringing your feet closer together encourages the shifting of weight through your hips, while at the same time, shortening the distance you have to travel with each step. Glossary of ballet terms Glossary of dance moves Abbreviations [ edit] 3T - Three Ts CBL - Cross-body lead CBM - Contra body movement CBMP - Contra body movement position COG - Center of gravity CPB - Center point of balance CPP - Counter promenade position DC - Diagonally to center DW - Diagonally to wall IDSF - International DanceSport Federation You are using an out of date browser. But in due time, your body will get those hinges moving, starting with your ankles and moving up through the knees, into the hips, the pelvis, and all the way through your pectorals, To get 5 Free Ballroom lessons go here: https://bit.ly/2NSUZXK Cuban Motion requires plenty of concentration on footwork. While you walk, lean in to give the cart a constant gentle pressure. In the 1940s and 1950s, these grew into big bands with full percussion and horn sections. Ex-slaves began dancing rumba in the 1890s when they would spend Sunday (the day of rest) playing familiar rhythms from home and sometimes adding vocals. [2], Danzn is the official musical genre and dance of Cuba. Push the shopping cart The cha-cha-cha, or simply cha-cha, is the name of a dance of Cuban origin. 1. You can't really get much hip action if you dance on bent legs.. Cuban motion from street dancers is by intention whereas cuban motion from ballroom dancers is a consequence to knees action. Maybe some of our brains are wired differently, but that is only one factor. Youll see a unique side of a destination and travel independentlyall while saving time and money in the planning process. Dont put off until tomorrow what you can do today, dance. For the most part, Cuban motion is proper hip movement. If they tried to override any natural instinct with any particular dogma that theyve ingrained into their head, it would hinder the dance. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Your weight will shifting from foot to foot through your hips. Feeling good? #dancetor, Mark your calendars!! The goal is to relax the hip muscles enough to let the hip move. If you remember to keep your feet really close together, you are encouraging your body to use your hips. This will particularly force you to keep your weight forward, off of your heels. Correctly moving through each step on one foot, then the other, will give your hips a nice figure 8 movement, like me showing off below: I recommend practicing with beginner dance figures like a rumba box, a cha cha basic, or some other combination that lets you work on all four directions. Some of the bolero's leading composers have come from nearby countries, most especially the prolific Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernndez; another example is Mexico's Agustn Lara. Bend one knee, then keep the other straight, then smoothly alternate the action by making a twisting motion with your hip. I feel that in ballroom there is a deliberate exaggeration of cuban motion all the time. In fact, what gives the hips their natural look and feel is the bending and straightening of the knees. You have to make it look natural. You want your DK dancing to look earthen. Son combined with rumba in Havana to create salsa dancing. Remember to keep the toes turned out. Im not going to tell you how to keep it from falling. And depending on the dance style, Latin dance does require lots of hip action. Settle the hip. Heres a more detailed look at what you do when stepping out in any direction: Try each of the four steps in order, slowly. Repeat with the right foot, brushing past the left heel like you did with the forward walks. Share on Facebook #dancetor Toes turned out Your hip rotations are restricted by how 'open' your hips are, and that openness is determined by your foot positions. Modern, up-tempo versions are known as danzonete and danzon-cha. The hip action is hard to perform perfectly the first time, but you will master it in no time at all with practice. Follow us on Instagram. E-mail: ian@socialballroom.dance, Joy of Dance Centre The Cuban bolero dance originated in Santiago de Cuba in the last quarter of the 19th century;[13] it does not owe its origin to the Spanish music and song of the same name. Born in the ballrooms of Havana and Matanzas, traditionaldanzn is an elegant and delicate ballroom dance for couplesbut over time it's become much more exuberant. Exercise 3: However, in Cuban Motion you step ball first on a bent leg. On returning to England he started teaching this dance separately, and the cha cha cha became a popular dance in its own . This will strengthen the knee and allow the hip to roll back. The dancers do not dance during these sections: they choose partners, stroll onto the dance floor, and begin to dance at precisely the same moment: the fourth beat of bar four of the paseo, which has a distinctive percussion pattern that is hard to miss. This dance-related article is a stub. The act of Demystifying Cuban Motion is a never-ending process. But if youve done the other two exercises, youre already primed. See inside for more It may not display this or other websites correctly. Library Guides: Dance Resources: Dance Styles and History In Cuba, dance is a part of life, and it's. Its just that the women have larger hips and a smaller waist, so it doesnt take being stranded on a desert island with six other castaways to notice them. Because of the laws of physics, your body actually is already inclined to do proper Cuban motion, but your brain keeps getting in the way. The danzn evolved from the Cuban contradanza (also known as the habanera). Now, as you straighten the right knee and bend the left, push the left foot forward and transfer your weight. Weight shifts cause the hips to move. So do yourself a favour, and get it right the first time. As always, be patient with yourself, and be prepared to back up a step or two if you find youre trying to think about more than one thing at a time. But what I am saying is that you dont have to go through the complicated isolation process simply to experience proper technique. Keep these 7 Super Tips in mind when you do your International Latin, and they shall help you with your progress. Diaz Ayala, Cristobal 1999. http://www.cuba-culture.com/cuban-dance.html, http://www.contactomagazine.com/bailable100.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dance_from_Cuba&oldid=1138437776, This page was last edited on 9 February 2023, at 18:06. HAPPY EASTER! But Id like to present my own definition: Cuban Motion is what the body does naturally to maintain balance and control when shifting weight from one leg to the other. In Latin ballroom dancing, the Cuban Motion is executed by rolling the hip back on a stretched leg. Theyre actually moving up and down and forward and backward, and that happens as a bi-product of what you do with your feet and knees. In Latin American dance: Cuba. First off, I know this, because every single woman Ive ever danced Merengue or Rumba with, with proper frame, has automatically emulated proper Cuban motion within a minute or two of dancing with them, without consciously trying to make their hips and legs and ribcage move any particular way. In meringue if you were just to dance meringue without Cuban motion it would look a lot like a march and that's not fun. Salsa is a new dance that emerged from New York City in the 1960s and 1970s as a fun blend of son, rumba, and jazz. Myth #2 When dancing Latin dances, you have to move your hips from side to side. You cant Shares: Read on:How to legally travel to Cuba in 2023. Neither can good partner dancing and/or Cuban motion. 0 Share on Linked In First, yes, I agree with all of your post, and feel the same. Feel the floor by gently yielding into it and use it to push into the next step. However, it is one of the first things youll learn and the last you may master not because it a difficult movement but because it is different from normal movement. Ive had many Latin students who never danced before and have the same "shortcomings" as all my other students. cuban motion - is this the right way? | Salsa Forums For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The Cuban Motion + Hip Exercises to Loosen Those Hips. wow, yes, I want it to always feel like that. Dance from Cuba The idea is to kiss the floor with your heel when you step with the ball first and then roll through the rest of the foot. Cuban Motion for Latin and Salsa Dancing UltimateBallroomPwr 194 subscribers 120 34K views 12 years ago http://www.ballroomdancebayarea.com We all want to look better while dancing the latin. M4K 1N2 Cuban motion is characterized by a rhythmic rotation of the hips around the spine, caused by the bending and straightening of the knees (though the knees remain "soft" slightly bent at all times). OK, now try shifting your weight from one foot to another. Joy, note that if you do the above hip motion, added with some nice ribcage action (which I omitted but which must always accompany hip action), and keep it toned down, it will look good on any social dancer who does it well. Cuban music also contributed to the emergence of Latin dance styles in the United States, namely rhumba (ballroom rumba) and salsa. As these exercises start to sink in, you can apply some of the following techniques to smooth out the movement. Try pushing a shopping cart with limp arms. Charanga and tpicas competed with each other for years, but after 1930 it was clear that the days of the tpica were over. Dont think about which parts of your body you are using to do this and you will be more successful. However, when I dance socially I also forget technique and just let go. Would you say they are straightening and bending, or are they simply bent the whole time? Rural dances of European origin, such as the zapateo and styles associated with punto guajiro also became established by the 19th century, and in the 20th century son became very popular. It is characterized by a rhythmic swaying of the hips when the knees are bent and straightened. Note: This feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari browser. How do I know this? | Created by. This will help you get comfortable with more subtle weight changes. The open position requires the two dancers to hold one or both hands, especially for moves that involve turns, putting arms behind the back, or moving around each other, to name a few examples. This time, step to the side from your starting position with your left foot. The Basics of Cuban Motion (Latin Hip Action) - Joy of Dance It is easier to perform movements flatfooted first so that you concentrate on the knees. As these exercises start to sink in, you can apply some of the following techniques to smooth out the movement. 1. Share on Twitter A good place to start is to have your weight evenly distributed between two legs . Thats okay - as a general rule, Cuban motion will always be more accentuated on the slower steps. POINTE SERIES is happening this summer! Continue with the right foot, letting the heel brush by the left foot as it passes. Its easier to twist and move the hips when the toes are pointing outwards. Its true! It tends to be easier to dance and more noticeable when the music is slow. lets dance! Now that you have an idea of the Cuban motion, its time to learn the basics of the dance style - whether its salsa, rumba, etc. With a straight leg the hip moves diagonally back and up due to the difference in height created by bending one leg and straightening the other leg. Anyone who has studied dance for some time will tell you that any cuban motion or hip action comes from bending and straightening the knees. The name is onomatopoeic, derived from the rhythm of the giro (scraper) and the shuffling of the dancers' feet. Careful not to lean into the movement with your body: keep the weight forward on the ball of the supporting foot. [24] This was a huge turn around for the dance community because dance is not only for those who have a passion for it, but those who have an interest, but never thought they could. Cuban Motion (Latin hip action) Explained, Part Two. It didn't take long for the youth to embrace this pair of genres. When it came time to dance, he could do the first half of a box with great hip movement, and then flailed on the 2nd half. Do any other social salseros find this to be the case as well, or no? As a result, most of these numbers are now lost, but two dozen or so survive because friends and disciples wrote them down. This rhythm was developed from the danzn by a syncopation of the fourth beat. If they tried to consciously attempt to simulate what they thought it might try to be, it didnt work: theyd waddle, theyd wiggle weird, theyd throw their weight too far to the left or right, they wouldnt shift their weight to the other foot half the time, their heads would rock back and forth, etc. Check out this video, especially from about 0:50 to 1:15, as she's doing cross bodys and such. First off, Men use the same exact muscles as women to do their Cuban motion. Street dancers are lazy dancers that try to imitate moves. Speaker 2: So, when you use Cuban motion and meringue you're adding the flavor it needs. You will also travel slowly. [7][8] It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrn in 1953. Your email address will not be published. And by the way, men use the same exact muscles as women to do their Cuban motion. It'll be fun to see you again, if I get the chance. At the Latin clubs, capturing the sexy Latino rhythm means using Cuban motion. Finally, when youre dancing fast enough, add music and see if you can keep time. He also did not have a trace of Latin blood in him. Congratulations to our students Brian & Mervin on Cuban/Latin Motion | Salsa Forums Joy of Dance Centre is one of Torontos best-established community-based dance studios. The Cuban Casino style of salsa dancing involves significant movement above the waist, with up-and-down shoulder movements and shifting of the ribcage. When you walk, you step heel first with a straight leg. I want to dive right in and dispel some myths about this strange phenomena. Cuban Motion (Latin hip action) Explained, Part Two Last week we played with some simple exercises to get your hips moving as you travel in different directions. Things can get trickier when you add in hip movements and use of Cuban motion by alternating bent knees. But I'd like to present my own definition: Cuban Motion is what the body does naturally to maintain balance and control when shifting weight from one leg to the other. As each knee bends, let it cross slightly in front of the opposite leg, leaving no gap in between. Essential to Rumba is the Cuban motion . Practice alternating knees until you can do it without your head bobbing up and down. Exercise 2: . Balance a book on your head and walk across the room without letting it fall. A simple exercise to work on your Latin hip motion. Toronto, Ontario In addition, numerous dance traditions were brought by black slaves from West Africa and the Congo basin, giving rise to religious dances such as Santera, yuka and abaku, as well as secular forms such as rumba. Cuban ballet promoted a post colonial repositioning to the countries dance culture. the point is, even if you don't love dance, you need to see at least one performance while you're in Cuba. When you see . The rest of your body will instead twist and contort at the right times to make sure your head stays balanced. Slowly increase the tempo, and start adding your quicks and slows. Its just that the women have larger hips and a smaller waist, so it doesnt take being stranded on a desert island with six other castaways to notice them. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Myth #3 If I dont look like Shakira, or Beyonce, or Patrick Swayze, I must be doing something wrong. It looks robotic. You should be feeling the weight shift through your hips from one foot to the other. Maybe there's a video (youtube or something) you can find that shows the type of action in good detail that you're describing. Its actually the other way around. The introduction and paseo again repeat before a second melody is played. Myth #5 This is going to take YEARS! HOW TO DO CUBAN MOTION IN CHA-CHA-CHA BASIC STEPS/Love Cha-Cha-Cha dance and want to move your hips in style? Myth #1 - "You must have Latin in your blood to be able to dance like that". all rights reserved 2011. Try closing the heels together, so your feet make a v-shape. This next one reads more complicated than it actually is. Your email address will not be published. Cha cha cha is a true latin dance. The entire body will be engaged! Lets be clear: both men and women use Cuban motion, although women tend to be more noticeable in their movement due to their wider hips and narrower waist. If you think about moving faster, odds are you will spread your feet further apart, and that is what makes the dance more difficult. From what I understand, in ballroom you are supposed to always fully straighten the leg with each step, which creates the sharper look of a more articulated hip action . Ballet shows are performed at the cabaret, which is where people go and watch the shows, while surrounding the stage enjoying food and beverages. Mambo Mambo is a musical form and dance style that developed originally in Cuba, with further significant developments by Cuban musicians in Mexico and the USA. I personally find that I dislike the ballroom aesthetic in the club as well. Cristobal Diaz offers 1885: "el bolero, creado aproximadamente para 1885". Some Cuban composers of the bolero are listed under Trova.[17][18][19][20]. They only look like theyre moving from side to side because of the shape of the female body. This is another early Cuban dance. Work with a local Cuban trip planner to design an unforgettable, personalized itinerary. The act of Demystifying Cuban Motion is a never-ending process. Studio Policies. When you see someone do something there are 2 ways of copying: one is the trivial way to try to copy what you see, the other one is the non-trivial way to try to understand the roots and the consequences. It is a great dance for beginners to learn and is still popular today! E-mail: ian@socialballroom.dance, Joy of Dance Centre Step up as you bend your knee. Cuban Motion Exercise In Latin dancing The balls carry the weight. Yes, the Cuban motion puts the hips front and center, but the knees also get their time in the limelight! How to Dance Rumba - Free Video Lessons - Howcast Stand with your feet together, toes pointing outwards. Dancing is no different. In four beats of music, three steps are taken. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. After 2 years of dancing, just now starting to really concentrate on learning cuban/latin motion and the figure 8 concept and the appropriate weighting. [3] It is also an active musical form in Mexico and is still beloved in Puerto Rico. Still want more? Elements of salsa and rumba are evident in the dance moves and the music is rich with the sounds of congas, bata drums, and electric bass. Keep the shifting of body weight smooth as butter and stick to the fundamental technique to improve your dancing. Push a full shopping cart down the aisle in a supermarket, while pretending that you are on a balance beam, and can only walk by putting one foot in front of the other, heel to toe. Speaker 2: It makes the dance much better. It will take practice to loosen those hips and master the technique. Using the inside edge of your ball helps the knee cross and the thighs brush together, creating a nicer look and shape to the movement. By Joe Donato, It only feels that way at first. And what feels like it will take hours to do, will in actuality probably only take 10 15 minutes. Both share roots in Afro-Cuban social dances, and this crossover provides an excellent opportunity to discuss this shared lineage in class. Learn how your comment data is processed. In salsa, we focus on the bending part, the pushing into the ground that produces the hip action. To be honest Joy, I don't know how a good hip action looks if the leg stays totally bent. Thats the purpose of Cuban motion. Son is an energetic Cuban dance, characterized by precise footwork and dramatic pauses. In social situations, it appears that patterns are led thru arms many times for example, where in Latin leads always come thru the body (just a guess on the social - I probably am one of those dancers that is 'laughed at' altho I must be amongst many kind folks as they never guffaw in my face). In order to do that, you may also discover that your knees will, for some strange reason, start locking and unlocking alternately as you walk. THE RUMBA: How to Rumba Dance The joy of dancing is not in looking the part. Listen to the rhythms of the conga drums, claves (sticks), and marugas (iron shakers) and groove out. The danzn was developed, according to one's point of view, by either Manuel Saumell[5] or Miguel Falde in Matanzas.[6]. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cuban_motion&oldid=960858951, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 5 June 2020, at 08:41. classes, commit to Ten minutes of devoted time to learning something new, and I will prove it to you. You should see your right hip rotate forward with the knee. My body told her body what to do, and it did it. Your ribcage should be over the knee as you straighten it. They all involve a shift through the hips, sometimes called "Cuban motion," and are notable for the importance of a sharp rhythmic awareness. Many of these dance elements from European dance and religious dances were fused together to form the basis of la tcnica cubana.
