Rumba (Part 2)

From 1956 to 1958 and from 1961 to 1963 a quarrel emerged predominantly between Great Britain and France who were leading at least the European dance scene on a relatively new popular dance dubbed Rumba. There were two main styles that had emerged: A faster style often referred to as “Cuban Rumba” which was based to some degree on Mambo Bolero and a square style version of the dance often called Square- or Carrée-Rumba. Both of these variations have interesting histories and the quarrel around which one should be used internationally in an attempt to standardise the movements became so heated that these periods are often referred to as the “Rumba Wars”.

 
Eventually, an international committee decided that both variants would be accepted, however, the slower version eventually became less common and the faster version was adopted by many dancers as it was more difficult and was seen as less restrictive. Particularly, Nina Hunt and Dimitri Petrides influenced the dance scene strongly in favour of the newer and faster version as they felt that the square version limited their creative choreography.

Today, the version that most people think about when they hear the word Rumba is an evolution of this faster Rumba version which has been added to world-wide ballroom competitions under the name “International Rumba”. It is one of the five competitive international Latin dances and is one of the most clearly defined western social dances. The square rumba version has become much less common internationally but is still often seen in America.

Many other dance types around the world are referred to as Rumba making this concept even more confusing for dancers, musicians and spectators alike but almost all variations have two main aspects in common to the detriment of Cuban history and culture:

• Almost all rumba versions around the world are at its core derived from Cuban dances as well as musical and cultural aspects even though many of them have been changed to the point where this is no longer recognisable. 
• As far as I am aware, none of the dances that are internationally referred to as “Rumba” (aside from the rare occurrence of the actual original Cuban Rumba dances being taught internationally) are derived in any way from any of the original dances in the Cuban Rumba complex. The original Rumba dances were invented and danced in Cuba decades before any of the dances emerged internationally that were described by this term making this title even more tragic in its ability to overwrite one of Cuba’s core inventions with products that have next to nothing to do with it.