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Colombian Cumbia (dance)

Cumbia is a courtship dance with African and Indigenous Colombian origins. The word ‘cumbia’ comes from the word ‘cumbé’ which is a Guinean dance form. It originated in the 1800s during Spain's colonial rule of the region when the slave trade was prevalent in Colombia’s Caribbean coastal regions. The interactions between the Afro-Colombian population and the Indigenous peoples along with the influence of the Spanish culture led to a fusion of the three cultures. Cumbia dance and music resulted from this integration of the European, African and indigenous cultures. It is a combination of the long skirts of the Spanish slave masters with Columbian instruments such as the gaita or caña de millo (cane flute) tambor alegre, a tambor llamador, and tambora playing African rhythms. It can be danced by just women or large groups for performances but it is intended to be danced in pairs of men and women.

Basic Movements
Cumbia is characterized by its circular motion. During this courtship dance, the men try to win the affection of the women. The women use their skirts to flirt with the men and also to create a distance in a coquettish manner. The feet are kept close together while dancing representative of the slaves’ limited movement because of shackles on their ankles. Thus, traveling occurs incrementally by taking small steps.

While dancing, the men typically lead with their left foot. This foot is placed flat on the ground. The other foot (typically the right) follows the leading one and weight is only placed on the ball of this foot so that the heel remains raised.

Women typically have both feet flat on the ground and in a parallel position with no more than 10 inches in between. They proceed taking small steps typically leading with the left foot like the men. The women sway their hips from left to right to the beat of the music with an upward focus and open chest. The use of their large layered skirt is a central element of the dance. They hold on to end of the skirt on both sides and use grand arms movements to create waves in the skirt allowing it flow.

Costuming & Props
Candles or small torches are often used. They can be used by the women to shoo men away. They were originally used to provide light at night ceremonies.

Cumbia is typically danced barefoot. The women wear ankle-length layered skirts and usually decorate their hair with flowers. The female outfit is particularly iconic and representative of this dance form. Much of the women’s movement involves using her hands to sway the skirt in different orientations to entice the men. The men usually wear white shirts and pants, a bandana and a sombrero vueltiao. They use the sombrero to fan the women.Very often, the woman takes the hat away in a flirtatious way to obtain attention from the man. The hat can also be placed on the floor where the couple dances around it.It is also common for men to wear a mochila which is a woven bag with a shoulder strap that usually sits by the hip. These bags were used by slaves in everyday labor in agricultural work for gathering.