Hey I have another question I know that when you do a proper dance that you have counts going on in your head but I don't really understand a whole lot about keeping the counting on. I need to know if there is some kind of trick or advice that someone could give me? I really just go by the beats in music to do dance moves because I love the rhythm going on when I follow it.

Snapping my fingers always works for me, and the rythym of my body to the music. If you really like dancing, the rythym is always in you.

Counting in dance is very important when you are supposed to be making certain moves on certain counts. For one example, doing a dance routine with others in a musical.

If you practice the counting out loud when you dance, then after awhile, it should follow suit that you will be able to do it just in your head.

In my dance classes we always used an eight-count. I can still hear my teacher at the beginning of the dance routine " And five, six, seven, eight!" It does depend on if your listening to music with a four or three count beat. My husband is from Mexico, and almost all the songs he listens to have a three count (which is what makes it sound like circus music to us here in the United States), because all of our music here, has a four count. Hope this helps. Happy dancing!!

I also have a major headache on COUNTING. For example, a Rumba dance music has 4 beats, but how do I know where is the 1 or how to get to the 5, 6, 7, 8.
Any one has experiece how to overcome this problem? Or any video, help site for this issue.
Thanks so much

Counting is very important but some people have trouble with this. I am one of those people. I would get mixed up and lose count and lose my step. I just rely on the rhythm and the beat of the music. I feel the music. There are lots of people that dance this way so don't feel bad. You'll dance great! :)

Check out this vid for Rumba counting.

Click Here: YouTube - Rumba Line Dance to Count

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Originally Posted by Clough

Counting in dance is very important when you are supposed to be making certain moves on certain counts. For one example, doing a dance routine with others in a musical.

If you practice the counting out loud when you dance, then after awhile, it should follow suit that you will be able to do it just in your head.

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Great tips!! :)

Oh boy though not a Rumba expert I do teach it and love the dance. I have taught thousands of dance classes. I have always counted as I was taught that way.I had 2 hundred Instructors and they all counted. I must have counted 5678 300,000 times in class. Over 20 years. The 1 is the down beat in Rumba using American music. It is twice as long as the upbeats. So its slow quick quick same as my Night club twostep. Often times I intigrate these 2 dances to one song. Breaks it up real nice. Letting you know I can't stand to dance with women that don't count. They are constantly leaving out steps or adding steps. Then I have to make corrections.Many times counting tells you what to do and Its not that hard. Once you leave a parnter that is not counting they are totally lost. I do this to encouage counting, usually doesn't work. Their heads are very hard. Keep counting after all ,I can do it.

One of my friends use to say begineers make mistakes, advance dancers syncopate. Just means dancing off the beat. He was one of my first instructors. In couples its OK to get off beat but its not OK to not be able to get back on. That's where counting comes in. You can abandon the count and pick it up again when you come back to your partner.Experience is the key.

I do Irish dance which is mostly done in counts of 8. This method works for me:

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
2,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
3,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and so on..

You start each set with the next consecutive number that way you can keep up with step changes or transitions.