How to Find Proper Footing Doing the Mambo

Proper footing is incredibly important in any dance, especially Latin dances like the mambo. Proper footing sets the mood of self-assurance for the duration of the dance--its steps, turns and combinations. If your footing is off, not only can the steps be compromised, but you could cause a fall and injure yourself or your partner.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Understand the importance of proper footing in dancing the mambo. In all forms of ballroom dancing, especially Latin dance, proper footing is extremely important. Without proper footing, the rest of the steps will be off, and turns or combinations will be impossible.

2. Know where footing comes from in Latin dancing. Footing often comes in with the beats of the music. Listen carefully to the music to know when and where to step. Once you apply some of the basic mambo steps, this will make more sense.

3. Learn the basic mambo steps. This should include the basic step done with an eight-count beat. Start with the man's left foot back and the woman's right foot forward on the first count. Step with beats 1-2-3 and 5-6-7. On beats 4 and 8, you "break," which means a change in body direction.

4. Practice these steps and footing with the music, until you feel confident in them. This may take a few times, and you should practice the steps without the music before putting them to the beat. It is easier to get the steps down first, then apply them to the music and learn the speed of the dance.