Rumba: Passionate Latin Dance Facts & Tutorials

Rumba is a dance of passion, and for Cubans, it's also a symbol of endless joy, zest for life, and deep emotional connection. On the GoDance platform, you'll find lessons for this style, from basics to complex combinations.

Fact 1

Contrary to popular belief, the main theme of the dance has long been not so much sensuality as politics and social structure.

This specificity is somewhat reminiscent of the Jamaican dancehall, but the key difference — aside from style — is that Cuban motifs convey a positive emotional context, whereas Jamaican movements express protest against the upper classes of a hierarchical society. However, both cultural styles share a line of vibrant energy inherent in body movements.

Fact 2
After the 1960s, ballroom rumba achieved international status. This historical moment created a distorted perception of the dance, evoking extraordinary longing and sadness in many hearts — stemming from what they once had and immensely enjoyed: love. Hence, the associations people have.

Fact 3
Despite its grace and impressiveness, rumba creates a tropical atmosphere — watching this Cuban dance stirs an inner urge to be on a seashore with a gentle, barely audible tide, lying on warm yellow sand under a blazing sun, drifting into eternal bliss.

Fact 4
Rumba has a strange yet mesmerizingly warrior-like history. In the 1860s, after gaining freedom from slavery, people of African descent began spreading their culture among the local population in Cuba, specifically in Havana and Matanzas. Slowly but surely, the style gained international status.

Fact 5
The dance has African roots, specifically from the Bantu people. Its movements reflect not only cultural heritage but also ritualistic elements. Songs and dances inherited drum rhythms from Africa, but interestingly, they were forbidden to play percussion instruments.

Fact 6
In the homeland of rumba dance and music, a law was passed banning musical instruments for people of African descent. But they didn't despair, because no one banned 'rumba de bemba' — making music and various sounds with the lips. Thanks to this style, the evolving dance continued to thrive and spread to neighboring regions.

Fact 7
Since the dance only became known in the US at the beginning of the 20th century, it took 20 years to popularize. That's why rumba was infused with jazz, adopting a simpler form of movement and a specific rhythm.

Fact 8
At one point, rumba was included in the ballroom dance repertoire of Soviet choreographers, embarrassing instructors with its provocative style. From the government's perspective, the dance was considered extremely dangerous.

Fact 9
You can enjoy the dance not only at performances and classes but also in movies. One example is 'The Mask' (1994). You can't help but revel in Jim Carrey's performance — both his acting and the dance itself.

Fact 10
There are two versions of the origin of the dance's name. One claims that 'rumbo' means 'path' in Spanish. Adherents of the other version assert that this art form was named after musical groups that performed melodies for various dances, then called 'rumboso orchestra'.