Good try Dave, but the costumes give the year away. The video was from the 60's.

Hi Laura
I didn't see the Rumba in the video clips only the Paso Doble and the Jive. In the background I saw the Irvines and I believe Dennis Udell. Thanks ILuv2. Let us know if you find any more.

I thought there was a page in all that with written lyrics to a rumba and a rumba video clip, but I can't find it now so I think I've lost my mind.

I noticed back in the "Walter's Fast Feet" Jive clip that the lady's footwork is very neat and compact. I find it very pleasing and accessible to watch. I wonder how/when the highly stylized "high knee action" footwork that we see today got started?

"I wonder how/when the highly stylized "high knee action" footwork that we see today got started"

I've heard it claimed that the jive CHASSE must always be easy and compact. The problem comes in when intermediate dancers try to dance their chasse in imitation of a FLICK basic, which is an entirely different figure.

Dave. If you learned your dancing in or around 1959. The lady would have been much more to her right. Her right arm would have been at a right angle to her body. From behind in dancing position very little of the lady could be seen. The left hand would have been rested on the man's bicept.The man's right hand would have been under the ladies shoulder blade . Now the lady is right over to her left. The left arm is on the outside of the man's upper arm. The right arm is more straight than bent. In some cases very straight. In the Foxtrot the legs were straight. Flexing of the knees wasn't being taught at that time. Nothing was being taught that the man's wrist was under the ladies armpit and that the fingers just wrap around at what ever height the ladies armpit is in relation to the man.
The head for both is much more to the left than in those olden days. The dance shoes, do you remember how heavy they were.I think that by 1959 Wally Fryer's teaching and positioning of the lady much more to the man's right was making inroads. He was the first to teach that way. We used to hear comments like, you can tell they go to Wally Fryer because the lady is right over to the man's right. And I must not forget that the contact is right side to right side and very light. I think that you will also agree the lady was in some cases man handled into a routine. The man's right arm and hand was encouraged to be like a vice. Time marches on.

Don .In those days I only danced latin. The sylibus taught me is the same as was first published by Walter Laird in 1961 and is the same as today. The timing at that time was Rhumba:27-29 bars/minute. Samba:52-54. Paso Doble:60-62. Cha,Ch,Cha:30-32. Jive:42-44 bars/minute. So as people can see we were not dancing a fast Rhumba in the late 50s and 60s. The big change in Latin competion from those days was the introducton of Jazz moves by Robby Burns and others.

Dave.Taken from the last three IDSF grand finals.Samba 48 bpm. Cha 28.Rumba 24. Paso 63. Jive 44. Even in our local competition this last weekend the Rumba was played at 24 bpm. So the biggest change is the Rumba, Followed closely by the Cha. which is understandable in the Rumba with the amount of hip movement that is now being used today. A professional recently told us that if the music is too fast the first thing that will go is the movement of the hips
Just as a point of interest Walter Laird published his IDTA in 1961 which was some ten years before the ISTD ( thats the Imperial ) published in several parts between 71 and 73 and not in a single book untill 1976. I wouldn't go past Walter Laird's book myself. A very brilliant man and a brilliant book. Hey , I wonder who copied who.

Don. There is no more hip movement in the rumba today than in the past,the routines are more complicated. It so happens that i have a copy of both books and it is obvious that they copied Walter Laird since there timing in latin is the same as is the sylibus. Edition 1975. Rumba:28-31 Samba:48-56 Cha:32-34. I feel sorry for those people who had to dance the Rumba at 24bpm it must have been a real drag,only excelent dancers know how make maximum use of all that time and usually in a demonstration.

Dave.More hip movement must be possible to slower music. It is just a matter of getting used to it. Just try Rumba Walks to a 30 bar tempo and then try a 24 bpm. Which one can you get more expression with especially on the 4 1 count. Anyway I think it might be a good suggestion that the wrist watch is brought into play and count any major championship. I have not yet found one over 24 bpm. I would also point you in the direction of the World Super Stars Dance Festival Latin 2003, and not a manual which is already several years old.As I said before even our local dancers didn't find it a problem this last weekend. Incidently we have one of the finest music presenters that I have ever come across right her. A former professional of course.

Don your right. The rhumba,s sold on this site are mostly 100bpb and most of my music I dance to is about that ,but at the monthly dance we go to the rhumba's must be a lot slower as some are such a drag and boring. By the way ,please don't use my name when giving begginers advice. All the best in Dancing. Dave