Lunedì, 08 Marzo, 2004 | Posted by Lionel Gerkin at 16:55

The rhumba is more than a form of musical expression, it's a form of physical expression. You can't do it sitting down. Your feet start to tap, your body swings. You say to yourself, "I can control this", but before you know it, your hand is swinging and fingers snapping.

Why even babies have been known to fly out of their cribs due to the physical excitement caused by a good rhumba.

The Rhumba, as we know it was spawned in Cuba about 100 yearsago. It wasn't one for the upper classes who found it hard to express themselves due to the lacivius nature of the dance and their anul upbringing.

Upper class folk barely go to the toilet as we all know, let alone dance the rhumba.

The rhumba folk dance is a sex pantomime with the man being the agressor and the woman on the defense. It is an instinctual dance, much like the male peacock displaying his magnificent array of feathers in an attempt to attract the female.

Like the dance of the peacock, the Rhumba is immersed in Latin passion. It is characterised by the movement of the hips, achieved by transferring from one foot to the other. This hip movement is combined with very smooth steps, giving the dance a sensual nature.

It is more than that, rhumba has the same unstructured feel as Jazz music. There is a freedom in its rythmic beat that allows you to soar, to express yourself, to unlock inhibitions.

Normally, this openess is a frightening possibility to face in our culture. Normally it is only achieved through strong drink or drugs.

There was nothing normal about Rhumba Land. Frightening? yes; Excited by the the discoveries you were about to make? yes; Looking forward to them with apprehension? yes.

Could it possibley be dangerous? definitely.