As we have seen in the International Style Rumba the tempo has been slowed down considerably. Yet the movements are much slicker. Will we see the same in the American Style Rumba which is still up to about, and listed at, 128 beats a minute.

Do you mean Rumba ( Sq ) or Bolero ?

Either way, I dont foresee any radical changes, as the chain schools dominate pro/am and are hestitant to fix a " wheel " that aint broke !

The deciding factor in all cases is. To what music and how are the Professional dancing in their demonstrations. Have you seen Paul Killick and Hanna dancing to Shirley Bassey singing The greatest
" Performance of my Life ". It is very easy to locate this one. They dance at 24 Bars per Minute or if you like 96 BPM. That's a bit slower than the 31 we used to dance to.

This is what really gets to me-- Pro,s who do dems to " Pop ", and then the general public assume , that " Latin " can be danced to anything-- well maybe-- but it aint LATIN !!==

The accent in clave ( 3/2 or 2/3 ) is generally absent , if not nearly always, in that type of music. This is the the reason the dance exists , in its correct format .

You asked me have I seen ?-- dont need to-- seen this type of interpretation for more yrs than you care to know ( have even judged it )
Its sad, that the genre seems to move farther and farther away from its roots (does " tea for 2 " ring an alarm bell ? )

It's very unlikely that the designated American Style Rumba tempo will slow down as time goes on.

Don't let the names confuse you. Unlike the Int'l Rumba, American Rumba is not considered a slow dance. It's a medium tempo dance with a somewhat upbeat and very rhythmical quality, probably closer to Cha Cha than anything else. It may have some lyrical Int'l Rumba-like moments mixed in, but the overall character is rhythmical.

American style's slow Latin dance is Bolero; This is the counterpart to Int'l Rumba. If you were to play an Int'l Rumba song for an American style dancer, he would dance Bolero. American Rumba would not work at that tempo, because it would feel lethargic and out-of-character.

American Rumba will probably never slow down, not only because doing so would water down the personality of the dance, but also because doing so would diminish the distinction between Rumba and Bolero. And what would be the point of having two Boleros in the same 5-dance event?

Regards,
Jonathan

Another thing to think about is the different leg actions associated with the two dances. American Rumba has a deeper knee and hip action than Int. Rumba. The Int. tempo allows for the developement of the hip through a straighter leg, accentuaing the Latin look of the leg lines in slower actions and blindingly fast legs and feet in quicker movements. American Rumba,s focus is more towards the rhythmical expression through the rib cage made possible by the transference of weight through the bent knee. The feet are danced quickly to the floor allowing more time to dance the body for sharper rhythmical expression.

Hope this Helps

Danceintacoma. Very well written. If you could go into it a little more on how the music is being played, in the International Rumba slower , which it is, at about 26BPM. And yet the moves are slicker, or if you like faster. To some it would seem like a contradiction. Your last sentence which says The feet are danced quickly to the floor allowing more time to dance the body for a sharper action actually does explain. But how many will inderstand.

Your comparison--- with some valid points in description, is largely at fault.
Comparing Sq. rumba , Bolero and or Intern.. style , is an Apples and Oranges situation.
Yes, they are linked musically, but they depart in different directions, due to musical and figurative construction, as we well know .

The stressing of close foot contact with the floor in the Intern. style, is quite frequently ignored in the American style ( and I should say , truer ) versions .

The commencement of each, is also completely different, thus placing a totally different accent, on the musical interpretation.

By changing this, it requires different techniques, to attain the desired result for the " standard ".

If one goes back to origins ( Danzon to Systemo Cubano ) it becomes abundantly clear, where the intended " direction" of the dance was meant to be.

As in most cases, where social application is applied, changes are frequently made, to adapt to a ballroom
concept, thus eroding its core value to some degree .