'Cuban' Motion

Whether it’s the Rumba, Mambo, Cha-Cha, Salsa or Merengue, there’s a lot more to Latin dancing that simply learning the steps and, while all of these styles are great fun to dance, in order to master any of them, you have to develop what is known as the Cuban Motion. 

If performed properly, the Cuban motion is fluid, sensual, fun and quite a workout as it coordinates movement between all the body parts…literally using every muscle!

Cuban motion in the simplest definition is traditionally “proper hip movement” but, it is also what the body does naturally to maintain balance and control when shifting weight from one leg to the other and, our bodies can figure out how to do this on an unconscious level with the proper stimulus. 

Now this does not mean that you should not learn proper technique but, what I am saying is that you don’t have to go through the complicated isolation processes simply to experience proper technique.
 

The first thing most people will notice and recognize is the characteristic swaying of the hips, but the Cuban Motion is so much more than that. 

A wide variety of movements must come together in unison but once everything clicks and the movement becomes natural, it is an incredibly impressive form of dance.
 

The trick is to learn each movement individually until it becomes second nature, then put them all together and since this is a dance the best way is to start from the bottom up. 

The feet touch the ground first with the ball of the foot, followed by the heel so the foot is flat on the floor. 

The feet alternate in this manner: Ball, heelball, heel; Meanwhile, the knees bend and straighten naturally. 

As the heel is up, the knee of that leg is bent, when the heel comes down, that leg is straightened. 

Similar to the motion of riding a bicycle but without raising the feet very far from the floor and also like riding a bike, the hips sway in rhythm with the rising and falling heel. 

The weight of the body shifts from one foot to the other as the foot is flat on the floor. 

All of this movement is completely isolated from the rest of the body, which has its own movements.
 

The entire upper torso remains upright - as if the upper half of your body doesn’t know what the lower half is doing. 

The rib cage, while keeping erect, moves from side to side in opposition to the hips and as the right hip comes up, the rib cage shifts laterally to the right; as the left hip comes up, the cage shifts laterally to the left. 

The shoulders shift up - matching the hip movement, while the arms remain relaxed and held in an outward position (giving the illusion that the arms are unaffected by the movement of the center torso).
 

Start off by practicing each movement then start combining the movements from the footwork up and when you have everything together, practice to slow music, then increase speed but, throughout it all your body must be relaxed!
 

Eventually, the different areas of the body will start moving together and when all of this comes naturally to you, you can incorporate the Cuban Movement into any Latin dance step.

Here are some exercises that you can try to help you improve and develop that Cuban style movement… 

Exercise 1: Balance a book on your head and walk across the room without letting it fall. 

I’m not going to tell you how to keep it from falling…your body will figure that out on its own and it doesn’t require duct tape! 

You will walk across the room fundamentally different than if the book was not on your head!

This is an old exercise for deportment and was used with models to teach them how to walk.

I’m guessing that a few things will happen; for one, your head will not bob up and down or rock side to side, the rest of your body will instead twist and contort at the right times to make sure your head stays balanced. 

Your weight will be shifting from foot to foot through your hips and, by the way, men use the same muscles as women to do their Cuban motion, it’s just that physiologically, women generally have larger hips and a smaller waist, so it doesn’t take being stranded on a desert island with six other castaways to notice them.

Exercise 2: 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. 

This will particularly force you to keep your weight forward, off of your heels and, 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. 

You will also travel slowly…you can’t Foxtrot or Waltz down the aisle in Cuban motion and in addition, you may discover how much upper body motion there is; how much muscle tension/resistance there is in your arms. 

Try pushing a shopping cart with limp arms! It can’t be done...and neither can good partner dancing and/or Cuban motion.

This next one reads more complicated than it actually is but if you’ve done the other two exercises, you’re already primed.

Exercise 3: Walk up to a wall; Put your hands on the wall about chest high and centred; with your hands in a diamond formation, touching index finger to index finger and thumb to thumb. 

This should make your elbows point away from each other. 

Now make sure you are leaning into the wall, while supporting your weight with your arms and make sure your feet are completely together, so that your ankles are just about touching. 

By this time all your weight should be on the balls of your feet with your heels slightly off the floor and knees slightly bent. 

OK, now try shifting your weight from one foot to another…don’t think about which parts of your body you are using to do this, and you will be more successful; Just lift one foot off the floor at a time while trying to keep your head from traveling side to side at all. 

When your right leg is on the floor, your right hand will be the one supporting you against the wall; When your weight is on your left leg, it’ll be your left arm that will get the workout.

Remember, these exercises are primers to get you prepped in two ways: 

• Starting to isolate and strengthen different parts of your body that haven’t been used, and
• Prepping your mind to become conscious of those new muscles and abilities. 

At first, you may feel like your movements feel stiff or ‘frozen’ but in time your body will get moving, starting with your ankles and moving up through the knees, into the hips, the pelvis and all the way through your pectorals, chest, neck and shoulders.

Your entire body will be engaged, and it no longer has to be just about foot positions and timing!

Whether you’re a boxer, an ice skater, a soccer player or James Brown, “good footwork” is critical.  

It’s the same for us as dancers, since one of the most common terms we hear in technique is Footwork.

Judges scrutinize the footwork, coaches correct the footwork and dancers…well, depending on your personality, you either obsess over it or, hope nobody will notice yours!

Footwork in dancing isn’t about where your feet go (the patterns) but the part of the foot you use for a movement or step and by using the proper part of the foot for a respective step, correct technique and balance will come about naturally. 

Starting with a solid base of proper footwork ensures building on top of it will make dancing more stable and secure.

If you’re a Latin dancer and have been working to perfect your hip action, it’s a good idea to take a look at your footwork first…it all starts from the floor up! 

Correct your footwork and you’ll see a great improvement in your hip action. 

Ball of the Foot: In Latin and Rhythm dancing, many steps are taken using ‘ball, flat’ footwork. Unlike Standard Ballroom and Smooth dances, using heel leads is relatively rare and when they do appear, are mainly in the dances that travel around the floor (e.g., Paso Doble and Samba).

By using the ball of the foot properly as a step is taken, it aligns the rest of the body (ankles, knees, hips) to ultimately produce proper hip action. 

Some footwork calls for use squarely of the ball of the foot (e.g.: sur place in Paso Doble) but more often, the use of the inside edge of the ball of the foot is common.

Practice the feeling in these two exercises:

1. Stand with feet apart and shift your weight to one leg. 

With the free leg (while keeping your foot in contact with the floor), roll your foot and ankle inward till only the inside edge of the ball is in contact with the floor. 

If you bend the knee of this same leg, you should feel a strong pressure on the inside edge of your foot against the floor. 

Now shift your weight to the other to practice with the other side.

2. Stand with your feet together and parallel. 

Shifting your weight slightly towards your heels, move your big toes apart while keeping your heels in contact.  

Your feet should make a “V” shape. 

Transfer your weight more strongly to one leg. 

Bend the knee of the free leg and relax your ankle, your heel with lift from the floor.  

The bend knee should “drape” across the straight leg. 

Your free foot will now have rolled in (but keep toes turned out) and the contact point of your foot on the floor will be with the inside edge of your foot. 

Practice on the other side as well.

Check your shoes:

Want to know if you’re using your feet properly? Do a little forensic work by checking out the wear pattern on your shoes. 

It’s a good insight into how you’re using your feet.

Just like checking your car tyres if you are having steering/veering or braking issues…take a look at your Latin dance shoes and note if the inside edge of the ball is more worn down. 

On the other hand, if the outer edges appear more worn or if there is no sign of greater use on the inside, chances are you need to re-evaluate how you are using your feet.

Latin dance shoes themselves provide some assistance in putting your weight in the proper place to facilitate the use of the inside edge of the ball.

Even for the men, having that Cuban heel naturally shifts your weight towards the ball of the foot. That is why it is critical to use the proper footwear for each dance style.

Once you’ve got the right “tool” for the job, it’s time to sharpen your skills with practicing the footwork conscientiously.

Building strength:

It takes time to build up enough strength in the ball of the foot to receive the power and speed that you’ll need to execute steps.

Take time prior to your practice or lesson to properly warm up your feet (use the above exercises and then continue with some basic patterns in the dance you’re working on) so you build both dexterity and awareness.

By building upon a solid foundation of good footwork, you’ll find improved balance and those other areas of technique fall into place more easily.