Move · Videos · Dance · 10 min

Learn Cumbia: Three Basic Steps for Beginners, No Partner

Learn Cumbia: Three Basic Steps for Beginners, No Partner — video by Dancing with Gali Play · 9:52

Video by Dancing with Gali on YouTube · Open on YouTube

Dance teacher Gali teaches three cumbia basics you can dance alone: the open-and-close side step, a travelling side step with a light touch, and the cross-back step, dancing each to cumbia music before a final practice of all three.

  • 10 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • No equipment
  • Latin

Good forDancing for fun

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Step by step 8

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Side step: open to the side, shift your weight a little and close, knees bent and weight forward. 0:17
  2. Dance the side step to cumbia music: open, close. 1:14
  3. Travelling side step: three steps to the side, then a light touch, and back the other way. 1:52
  4. Practise the travelling step to the music. 2:57
  5. Back step: step back and change weight, keeping your weight forward and off the heel. 4:04
  6. Make it cumbia: cross the foot slightly behind instead of stepping straight back. 5:12
  7. Dance the cross-back step to the music. 6:02
  8. Final practice: all three steps to the song, with relaxed arms. 7:18

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Keep the knees bent and the weight forward so the hips stay loose
  • On the travelling step, only touch the floor at the end, without a full weight change
  • Cross the foot slightly behind, keeping your weight off the heel

What it works

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Joints it uses light on the joints

  • Hips movesrelaxed hips, weight changes
  • Knees movesbent knees, side, travelling, cross-back steps
  • Ankles & feet moveslight touches and cross-back steps

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Dancing with Gali; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety