International style Rumba. To get the correct action find a teacher who knows how to teach the Rumba walks, solo to music. Read and understand the instructions on turn out of the feet, and how to produce an inside edge, also how the knee should veer in towards the supporting leg, in other words no gap between the thighs. Don't let the knee follow the line of the turned out foot All of this is on this site in the learning centre. Then do as we do every class night. Solo walks around the ballroom as long as time permits, for us ten minutes minimum. Is this necessary. Ask any experienced Latin dancer. They will tell you. One more thing, in all your dancing you will find that by squeezing your buttocks together this will help a lot.Try both ways, you will soon find which is the better. This applies also to the Waltz or whatever .Best of luck

Not only knees but ankles too as well as foot placement - the hip movement, we were taught, comes from the change of weight - ie don't "swing" your hips.

I don't think any one aspect is more important than another - it is the combination that gives the overall Latin "movement".

I well remember our teacher's wife describing the Samba "tick" as a similar movement to the one made when "heaving" - sorry if that is crude, but it worked for me. Rumba - some people "crush cockroaches", I always "walk through water or ribbons (imaginary) round my ankles" to get the correct foot action - that "pressing" movement

Hope that helps!!

"Cuban Motion" is, without a doubt, one of the most difficult stylings of Latin dancing...Much harder than any step pattern! Think of it as something you will work on "forever". There is no instant fix. It will continue to get better, and it also change, as you become more advanced.

In teaching Cuban Motion most teachers use what I call "crutches". Things that will help the student achieve the proper motion in time. Bending and straightening the knees, rolling from the inside edge of the foot to the outside edge, or the hula hoop example, all help and are part of the whole action. The end result is what you see the professionals doing in competition.

Chris Morris (former United States Champion) explained it with what he called the 8-count system. I have had excellent results with it while teaching students. It is again just a crutch in order to learn, but it may help.

8 Count Cuban Motion
The normal count of a measure of music is 1,2,3,4. This is counting the BEATS of the measure. In between each beat there is a “sub” beat. The 4 beats could be counted as 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &, or 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, counts. Try listening to some strict tempo Rumba's to hear the 8 counts.
The hip movement is caused from using the muscles in the area of the diaphragm or midriff, rather than using the knees. This is also sometimes called “rib cage” motion. (However, the knees' do bend and straighten.)

When you do the “eight count” Cuban Motion, you never Step and move the Hips on the same "count". Start with one hip already "out" and the body "settled".
Step on 1 (no hip movement) … “Squeeze” the Hip on 2,3,4
Step on 5 … move Hip on 6
Step on 7 … move Hip on 8
This must be practice slowly at first, and then build up speed.
Start by just walking forward. Then try it in the Rumba “Basic”.

Oh....and by the way...GOOD LUCK!!

If you want to see a perfect example of a Basic Cuban Rumba go to the learning section of this web-site and look for the things that are troubling you. You will see more straight knees than bent. Also don't miss the amount of turn between a Front and Back Basic. Remember that section of the dance are all foreward or backward walks. Which brings me to something the great Wally Laird said in a lesson. He said Hazel. "If I see a gap between your thighs once more I will place my hand in that gap" . From then on Hazel said she kept her thighs very close together when Wally was around. There are possibly a few out there who know which Hazel that was. She later became very famous. This came up in a lecture she was giving.

The correct technique for the International style of Rumba is not hard to understand. The trouble is doing it well. Try this, stand with your feet apart as if you were waiting for a bus, that is to let the hip on the standing leg pop out. This is called a Latin hip, or settling. Now stand with your feet together. Straight leg on the right, raised instep knee foreward on the left, body and hips in a neutral position. Now step with the inside edge of the left foot, no gap between the thighs, make sure you have the correct turn out of the feet. Your shoulders should be square to the front, your hips should be on the diagonal, your feet should be turned out. On the count of and, settle your hip on the left side( Latin Hip). This should release the none standing foot which should enable you to bring it into a neutral position.Now do the same on the other foot. Keep the shoulders isolated from the hips, and just keep walking ( Rumba Walks )around and around the floor, every time you have a spare moment do it it as a warm up or down. I once used to think that the only time I needed to settle was between 4 and 1. till I was told that there is a settling on every step on an and count. There is a bit more and that is the push off the standing foot. and a slight pull back of the shoulder so that you have a 3D look and not look like a cardboard cutout. Happy Walking.

Something to add to the above notes. Practise Rumba Walks either with your arms folded across your chest, or your arms extended in front of your body. They should not be allowed to lengthen or shorten but to remain parallel. And whatever you do do not swing your arms like you are marching. In other words you are to completely isolate your hips from your upper body. If you move your upper body you are canceling any hip movement you are doing.I take it that everybody knows that the feet on a Rumba Walk must not move about, Freeze them untill you hit the and part of the beat. I must add that the hips do not stop, they move continuously. Of course there is more.

Adding more to the Rumba walks. Looking into a full length mirror take 1 walk and stop. The rear leg should be hidden by the front leg, both feet turned out, and the shoulders square to the front. If you have taken the left foot foreward, the left shoulder can be pulled back slightly. The hip will not be in line with the shoulders, they should be on a diagnal. It is a good idea to freeze that position, and check whether you are balanced and not wobbly. Can you stay in that position putting it into your muscle memory. Do the same after moving into a neutral position . I can't take credit for this bit of information, it came from a lecture I attended where an example was given that the Karate Master told the students to assume a pose and said he will be back in two hours and tell them how to get out of it. I find that this idea can be used for Modern also, for instance a Throwaway Oversway, or a Lunge. And then of course with a partner.

It comes from the Torso (Diaphragma). Feel a Punch against Your Stomack and Thrust Yor Left Shoulder & Hip Fwd. Press Your Left Knee (International Style). In Second Position Try a Pelvis / Hip Half Fwd Circle.

Whitaker hit the nail right on the head when he said don't move the hip as you step. How many times do you see people trying to do just that. One other thing, if you are to lower your heel to the floor dead on the beat, then the ball must arrive earlier to be able to do this. If you don't you will be chasing the music. Yes this applies to the Cha as well. Somewhere on this site someone said that they after a Spot Turn in the Cha, they feel hurried. Could be they are too slow stepping in, as suggested above.

In all the responses I've read, please let me remind you of one crucial fact. Your body is your body. It can not change the basic way it moves from one dance to the next or one sport to the next. However, like a car there are many different variations. You can alter a motor for various affects. More power for pulling, more speed for racing. Your body moves by falling of balance. Watch a little child learning to walk. How we control this basic motion (or motor skill) is the alteration on our motor. To walk, we transfer our body weight from one foot to the other. Try slowly to take a step. All the following actions are required: use of foot and ankle, knee will flex, use again of foot heel to toe,use of stomach muscles to keep from falling sideway.(please remember to start by slowly moving your weight from one foot to other foot don't stick a foot out in front)This is the basic way your motor works no matter what you are doing. You are moving your body, not a leg, or a foot, or a knee. The alterations come into play with the style of dance you are practicing. Smooth dancing for example requires more use of the knees for power and distance of step. Latin dancing requires a different use of the knees and hips for styling. In Latin dancing your goal is to create rhythm in your feet and body. Rhythm is definite(opposed to lyrical) so we translate this first with the foot action. The foot is placed down, ball-heel. This stops your movement from being smooth. Smooth dances use the same heel-toe foot work to keep moving that you use to walk down the street. Once you understand this alteration in movement, the other elements that teachers stress start to make sense. Please try to move your weight as I described above, and try changing the way you receive your weight on the foot: try both stepping onto your foot heel to toe and repeat trying ball-heel. Now try to continue to take another step. If moving heel-toe you will find progressing easy,please note the engagemnet of your knee. When you step however, ball to heel, you will probably feel like you are falling over to take the next step. Your knee can't smooth your transition of weight because in stepping ball-heel your knee is going straight to put weight in your heel. Try slowly to sense if you take a walking step forward and simply put your toe down first,your knee will be flexed and it will straighten to put weight in your heel. It would be very akward to bend your knee again in order to move smoothly along to the next step. Now you need to make an alteration on your day to day motor skills....
USE YOUR HIPS!!!! Once you are standing on your leg with a straight leg, in a balanced position, you can fall off balance, or move in a controlled way by releasing your weight through your HIP instead of your KNEE. This is a very simple explanation of what happens here. You actually want to let go of the weight in the foot you were standing on. In so doing, your leg is free to change position(or "swing") to your next step. As this leg is released, your hips will no longer be left at the same level. The hip attached to the moving leg will drop(like a roof of a house if a wall fell down)causing the hip on the standing leg to appear out. If you actually push your hip out, you will fall over. Remember in our first exercise of walking slowly we had to use our stomach not to fall over. (this is were your teachers will elaborate on how to use your ribcage etc,.)By holding your weight in your hip and allowing a leg to move under you for your next step you can make a smooth transition from one step to the next. Now simply start to take another walking step and again arrive on your ball instead of your heel.
After my long winded explanation here is a very simple recap. Use your feet and ankles to initate movement forward. Land on the ball of your other foot putting ("pushing") your weight into your heel by straighten your knee. Release ("settle") your weight into your hip by releasing the back leg and allowing it to move to take your next step. The action is pretty much the same for American or International.(I've done both!) The difference is which part of the action you are highlighting! American, or Cuban Action, tends to emphasize the straighten of the legs; it is done slowly compared to the International Style which wants this action to happen quickly;hence the terms "leg speed". International dose more with the releasing action. Personal note that the tempos for the Internationl Styles are slower. Again the basic concept of how to move is the same. People acclerate their cars at different times when they drive, you contol this transition at different speeds depending on the style of dance. Just a note to move side ways, the initiation is the same. Use your Standing foot and ankle to push your weight to the side instead of forward. Catch your weight still on the ball of the foot. If you try this you will find, that you need to also release your weight through your hips to keep from going up on your toe, and in following our exercise, if you receive your weight on the ball of your foot, you would find it difficult to not be on the inside edge of your foot. Continue pushing your weight to the side while straighten your leg and putting weight into your heel. Also wanted to say that the response of the "8 count" method applies here. Musically, you translate this into step on the beat, release your weight between the beats. This for me is the creative part of dancing Latin. Your foot(step) must hit the floor on the drum-beat no matter what rymthm your dancing (Cha-Cha, Rumba, or Paso Doble,etc.) The how fast, how slow, how sexy, how fun you translate the release of your weight between the beats, and how you talk to your partner with this action, (responding or leading) makes the dance yours.It's how you decide to drive your car. Just like mechanics fix what their knowledge allows them to see wrong with your car; hence, your dance teachers will tune-up the various compents of your motor that they feel will help your motor's preformance. Some will improve your feet, others will work on leg action, some may help with music. Please remember your body can not change from teacher to teacher. Your different teachers are helping with different aspects of your motor. You may find more than one teacher to not be a bad thing as long as they don't confuse you with different terminology. Good luck with your dancing, and if you read all of this, I say thanks for listening. I am passionate about dancing,especially Latin, and dedicated a good portion of my life to the study of many types, ballet, Jazz,Ballroom, etc. Latin is always the one that stirred my very soul. If my explanation helps, I hope you find the same pleasure, in learning the never ending art that is "Latin Motion", that I did.