Rumba Footwork

Keep pressing inside edge of ball of foot (IEBF) into floor. 

When taking a side step (to left, for example).

1. Left foot starts with IEBF pressing into floor, left heel brushing right ankle, left knee up and crossing in front of right leg.
2. Slide LF to side, keeping full weight on right leg, pressing IEBF into floor
3. When left leg is straight, still with full weight on right leg, place left heel on floor
4. With two straight legs, both heels on floor, pressure through IEBF on both feet, then press out of IEBF of RF to transfer weight to LF
5. Extend RF by continuing to press with IEBF of RF, so that line of ankle breaks, and instep (top of foot, shoelaces) faces forward.
6. Draw RF in, heel leads the rest of the foot, pressure of IEBF of RF on floor maintained, until right heel is brushing left ankle, right knee crossing in front of left leg.

While Cucarachas and Cuban Rocks are traditionally executed with both heels remaining on floor, it is now often seen in competitions, and acceptable, to create the line in step #5 above with the free foot.

Never begin to transfer weight until the stepping leg is straight, with heel on floor.

Standard Ballroom Practice Exercises

Exercise to improve the use of legs and feet. This is the basic movement for Waltz, slowed down and detailed.

1. Start with feet together.
2. Extend the right foot forward, pushing the heel along the ground, by bending the left knee, keeping body straight.
3. Push off left leg to transfer weight to a bent right leg.
4. Press up through the right knee to bring the feet together.
5. Repeat 2-4, switching right and left feet.
6. With feet together, after pressing up through the knee, continue pressing up through the feet, getting the heels as high up over the balls of the feet as possible.
7. Step forward with the right foot, landing on the ball of the foot, keeping the heel off the ground.
8. Bring the left foot to the right foot, and do not let the heel of the right foot touch the ground until the left foot is even with it.
9. Repeat steps 1-8, switching right and left.

The same exercise going back.

1. Start with feet together
2. Bend the left knee forward over the foot. Imagine that the knee is trying to touch a spot on the floor a couple of body lengths in front of you. As you do so, extend the right foot backward.
3. Transfer partial weight to the right foot, keeping the body poised forward, and pull back the left foot, dragging the heel along the ground, keeping the heel of the right foot and the toe of the left foot off the ground until the feet are together. The forward poise of the body is required to keep the heel of the right foot off the ground.
4. Repeat 2-3 switching right and left.
5. Rise up as high as you can on the toes, and step back with the right foot. 
6. Bring the feet together, pulling the left foot back, keeping the right heel off the floor until the feet are together.
7. Repeat 2-6, switching right and left.