Rueda Hand Signs (Part 29) Ponle Sabor

The move Ponle Sabor can be translated as “Add flavour” or “Put some flavour into it” which may refer to the creative features that make up this move which make some of the basic elements look significantly better. Alternatively, the name may come from the freedom that this move provides for both followers and leaders due to the fact that dancers are connected with only one hand for the duration of the entire move, leaving the other hand free for styling.

Ponle Sabor consists of a Parte El Brazo Con La Mano Derecha followed by the exact same move but with a Ronde at the end which looks and feels nice for leaders and while being very basic by nature is not a feature often observed in other moves.
The move continues with an Enchufla Ronde Con La Mano Derecha leading straight into a Sacala. At the end of the Sacala the leader’s right hand comes over the follower’s head to lead another Sacala which is again a very unusual combination of basic moves but effective and aesthetic in the way these elements are combined.
At the end of the second Sacala leaders turn to the left and then turn themselves into the follower’s right arm. At this point leaders place the back of their left hand onto the follower’s right hand leading a right turn for followers which is however immediately interrupted by the leaders counteracting the motion by leading a CocaCola to finish the move.

It is especially the last part of the move that is quite unusual and can take some time to get used to. It feels like a very quick Coca Cola mainly because the initial follower motion has to be reversed. For followers it is particularly important to keep their hands at least at waist height as this makes it possible for leaders to pick up the free hand and lead the next part of the move.

The hand sign for Ponle Sabor consists of the caller making a circular motion with their free hand in front of their body signalling that they are enjoying some food which is a perfect analogy for the meaning of the move name “Add some flavour” or simply Ponle Sabor.

       

To see a video of the move Ponle Sabor as well as the hand sign, please click on: https://youtu.be/-3GuIUVgzTg

Rumba (Part 9)

As described in the previous post, what most people think of when they hear the word “Rumba” is the dance known more accurately as International Ballroom Rumba. However, especially in North American ballrooms a slightly different style of dance is usually referred to as “Rumba” adding to the confusion surrounding this term. To distinguish this North American version from the international rumba it is often called “American Ballroom Rumba”, “American Rumba”, “American Style Rumba” or sometimes “Box Step Rumba”.

In essence, the history of this dance is much the same as that of International Ballroom Rumba up until the point where Monsieur Pierre started codifying the dance based on his experience in Cuba. This did not catch on in North America to the same degree it became accepted in the rest of the world such that the dance evolved in its own way in North America until it reached its current version but without the distinct characteristics Monsieur Pierre brought back from Cuba.

The most striking difference is that American Rumba starts on beat 1 while the International version has dancers take their first step on the second beat. Other differences include the fact that in American Rumba knees are bent and then straightened whereas In the international style rumba, every step is taken with a straight leg. Moreover, the international basic step is linear with a larger side step on beat 4 whereas the basic step in the American version resembles a square hence the name “box step”. There are of course other differences between the American and the international style such as the speed of the music, the musical articulation, etc. but in essence both the American and international style of Rumba are westernised codified ballroom dances which are connected to historical Cuban dances but have lost most of their recognisable Cuban heritage in the way they are performed today.

To most Cubans who excel at Rumba, Son, Cha Cha, Mambo etc. the modern day Cuban connection to ballroom Rumba, whether it is American or International, is absurd. While there may be an ongoing continuing debate among ballroom aficionados around the smaller subtleties between American and International style Rumba as well as other variations that receive this title, to Cubans it is not the “American” vs. “International” designation that raises any concerns but the overall misclassification of any of such westernised ballroom dances under the general term “Rumba”.