dheun. It is a good idea in the Rumba Cha Jive and Samba to have pauses in your rouitine where one or both hold still for a bar of music or just two beats. This shows the judges that you have an understanding of the music.
You might use this just for practice. You will see in the competition field where there are pauses in Modern also and not just Latin. At first for practice, in the Cha or Rumba with the music playing, with your partner dance Four basics over Four bars of music. Both a New York to your right. You hold still while she completes the New York and does a Spot Turn to her right and joins you in the New York which you are holding. Then both continue dancing into a Spot Turn to your left. That incidently is no mistake that it covers eight bars of music. I think in the USA they prefer to call them measures.
Once you have learnt to count one dance in beats and bars It will help for instance in the V Waltz knowing when to come out of your Naturals into your Reverses at the end of Eight bars of music. Which is dancing with the music as it is written and played.
In the Latin practice you can make up your own group but try to keep it in eight bar phrasing. You can do this solo if you wish. But it is a good idea to bring the lady into this. Unfortunately many of them think that they dont need to be able to count the music. Nothing could be further from the truth. Good Luck.