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Mambo—
4 beats/measure; 44 - 50 meas/min
Mambo originated in Cuba and is their national dance. It came to the United States in the '40s and became widely popular in the early '50s. Teachers promoted it and even developed three separate rhythms: the single, double, and triple Mambo, something we see in our Jive and Swing today.
As a first approximation, Mambo is a fast Rumba. Many of the figures are the same as in Rumba or Cha, but to get them done in much less time, you must take smaller, sharper steps with a somewhat tighter hold. Where Rumba is smooth, Mambo is quick and sharp.
Each figure has a staccato, rocking appearance and then a pause as though you are catching your breath before the next figure. Given the speed, the hip action is less pronounced. Take each step on the inside edge of the foot early in the beat, then shift weight to the flat at the end of the beat and straighten the leg. Taking weight and flexing the off knee draws the supporting hip in the direction of the step, so the appearance is that of stepping with the foot and then the hip. The timing would be something like "&/1" — "edge/flat." Count: &1, &2, &3, pause; but count fast.
Figure Name, Phase Level, & Timing
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Steps and Actions That Make Up the Figure
These descriptions are primarily based on Roundalab's Standards For Round Dancing and on cue sheets written by many choreographers (see Links page).
Figure Videos
A reader suggested that I link to the video snippets at ballroomdancers.com so that for each figure we would have the cue, a description, and a performance video. I'll do that as time allows, but in the meantime, you might want to visit this page and see if the figure you want is there.
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Here are some sequences to help you visualize the figure in context.
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NOTE: There are many technical terms and abbreviations that are widely used in round dancing. For instance, if you encounter non-standard punctuation, I am probably trying to indicate the musical timing of a figure, where a comma separates two beats of music, a semi-colon marks the end of a measure, and a slash (/) indicates a split beat, two things occuring in a single beat. Elsewhere, you can find descriptions of dance positions; basic dance steps, actions, and directions; and other dance abbreviations. WOMAN'S FOOTWORK — I try to describe what the man does and then in parenthesis what the woman does. In this way, you can read in one sentence what each partner is doing during that beat of music, rather than read about the man in one place and maybe the woman in another paragraph. I don't want to encourage the man to read only about his part and the woman only about hers.
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| Basic
phase III
qqs; qqs;
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In closed or butterfly position, step forward L (woman back R), recover, side, -; back, recover, side, -; One might be asked to do a half basic or forward basic, the first measure of this figure; or a back basic, the second measure.
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In the Kincaids' Let's Mambo Tonight, the dance begins with a cucaracha left & right;; full basic;; new yorker to reverse and kick to line; knee swivels; new yorker to reverse and kick to line; side walk to reverse; to a scallop;; |
| Closed Basic
qqs; qqs;
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In closed or butterfly position, step forward, recover, close, -; back, recover, close, -; |
In Sing A Long Mambo by the Worlocks, part B begins with side walk 3 to open position facing LOD; chase turn away to face RLOD; fwd 3; patti-cake tap; back basic to butterfly; thru to serpiente with flick & knee lift;; thru side close; closed basic;; open up to a cucaracha cross check; rec sd thru to butterfly; |
| Progressive Basic
phase IV
qqs; qqs;
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In closed, butterfly, or left open facing position, rock forward L (woman back R), recover R, back small step on L, -; rock back R, recover L, and small forward R, -; |
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| Mambo Walks
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fwd, fwd, fwd, -; |
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| New Yorkers
phase III
qqs; qqs;
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In a facing position, both step through with lead foot to left open reverse, rec to face, sd, -; step through with trail to open line, rec to face, sd, -; |
basic;; new yorker; spot turn; |
| Spot Turns
phase III
qqs; qqs;
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Both cross in front with lead feet and turn away, recover and continue turning to face, sd, -; cross in front with trail feet and turn away opposite direction, recover continue turning to face, sd, -; |
In Ding Dong Mambo by the Collipis, part A starts with a basic;; new yorker twice;; spot turn twice;; mambo box;; |
| Break
phase III
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To break is to step back and maybe cross behind. Then you recover and step to some indicated position. The cue might be break back to open, in which case, you would cross behind with the lead foot turning LF (woman RF) to open position, recover on the trail foot, and step forward on the lead still in open position, -; Or you might be asked to break back to face, in which case, you would cross behind turning to open, recover turning back to face partner, and then step side to a facing position, -; The break can begin with either foot. |
In the Worlocks' Jack Is Back, you are facing wall and partner in handshake for a break and pull pass. This is simply one measure in which you break apart L (woman apart R), pull right hands passing right shoulders, and step forward (man to wall; woman toward center). The dance continues with a chase turn to left handshake; break & pull pass; chase turn to join lead hands; break & wrap to face reverse; and wheel to face line; |
| Open Break
phase III
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In a facing position holding lead hands, both rock apart on lead foot trail hands up palms out, recover, and step side, -; |
open break; whip; chase;;;; open break; whip back to wall; |
| Side Breaks
ss; ss;
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In a facing position, step side L (woman sd R), -, sd R, -; close L (woman cl R), -, cl R, -;
This style of break is more commonly associated with jive or swing.
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In Hey Mambo! by the Cibulas, the dance starts (partners 10 ft. apart) with side breaks with arms up and down;; 4 cross walks together;; and quick cucarachas left and right;; |
| Natural Top
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In closed position, reverse line of dance, cross right behind left and turn in a tight circle RF, step side turning to face wall, close; |
Half basic to a natural top. (In such a sequence, turn the half basic 1/4 RF to prepare for the top.) |
| Chase
phase III
qqs; qqs; qqs; qqs;
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Facing partner, step fwd L (woman back R) and turn RF 1/2, recover, fwd, -; This puts you in tandem both facing center. Step forward and both turn (man LF and woman RF), recover, fwd, -; At the end of the second measure, you are in tandem, both facing wall. Step forward she trn 1/2 LF, rec, bk, -; bk, rec, fwd, -; You end in facing position as at the start. |
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| Cross Body
phase IV
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Facing partner & wall, step forward L (woman back R), rec, sd turning LF (woman steps fwd to "L position"), -; step back continuing to turn LF (woman fwd turning LF), step fwd (woman fwd turning 1/2 LF), and side to butterfly center, -; |
In Easterday's Jambo Mambo, there is a half basic to a cross body twice;;;; and then a vine 8;; |
| Aida
phase IV
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Facing partner & wall trail feet free XIF stepping through to line beginning to turn in (man RF woman LF), fwd continuing turn, bk to V back-to-back position man facing rev & cntr woman facing rev & wall, -; (may begin to reverse with lead feet) |
half basic; aida; roll to reverse and face; cucaracha to semi; scallop;; |
| Roll
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In aida position step fwd turn in 1/2, bk continue turn, fwd turn to face partner and wall, -; |
In the Easterdays' Who's Got the Mambo?, there is a forward basic facing line of dance (woman reverse); both roll RF to reverse; natural top to face wall;; and cucaracha twice;; |
| Scallop
phase IV
qqs; qqs;
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In a loose closed position, cross lead foot behind trail foot, recover, and step side, -; step thru, sd, cl, -; Keep your shoulders parallel and even hold eye-contact. Swivel at the hips but don't open your top-lines. End in butterfly or closed position.
As you take each side step, trace a curve on the floor — the Scallop is named for these "scalloped" arcs.
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Again from Jambo Mambo: open break; natural top; scallop;; repeat;;;;
Or, scallop;; scallop;; scallop;; side walk 3 to bfly; fence line;
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| Patty Cake Tap
phase IV
ss;
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In left open position facing reverse, lift trail knee swivel in to face partner pat trail hands and point trail feet thru toward line no wt, -, lift trail knee again and swivel back out again to left open and step back, -; (one weight change total) |
Try a cross body to left open position facing LOD;; back basic; patty cake tap; back basic; patty cake tap; back basic; kiki walk 3; new yorker to face; whip back to wall; |
| Diamond Turn With Hops
qqs; qqs; qqs; qqs;
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This is a waltz or fox-trot figure, but if you add the hops, it becomes latin‽
In closed position wall or line, step fwd L turning LF to bjo, sd turning, bk, lift right knee and hop back a little still on left (three weight changes and a quarter turn left in each measure); bk R, sd, fwd, hop fwd; fwd, sd, bk, hop; bk, sd, fwd, hop; (end in starting position)
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In the Schmidts' Mambo Tequila, the dance begins with two cucarachas;; diamond turn with hops;;;; to a full basic;; new yorker; and underarm turn; |
| Vine
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In loose closed, step side, behind, side, in front; (really, a two step figure) |
Repeat for a vine 8 |
| Arm Check
phase V
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In left open facing position, rock apart L (woman apart R), recover R, and step side and forward L toward woman's left side (woman forward R toward man's right side) release joined lead hands and take woman's left wrist in man's right hand, -; In second measure, he steps forward R turning 1/2 LF and leading woman to spin 1 & 1/2 RF in 3 steps with a little push to her L wrist, forward L, close R, -; |
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| Tummy Check
qqs;
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Unlike the arm check above, this one doesn't turn.
Facing partner, check forward R toward partner's R side (W fwd L) catching partner with R arm at waist, recover, back & sd R (W bk & sd L) to face partner again, -;
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In Moola Lah by the Finches, there is a basic;; open break; tummy check; open break; underarm turn; |
Go beyond this manual. Good instructional books and videos, both new and used, are available at low prices at Amazon. Find other references on our Sources and Links pages.
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