March of the Rumba

March of the Rumba focuses on partner-dancing. The author proposes that, as in conversation, leader and follower roles in partner-dancing be fluidly interchangeable based on the skill-level of each couple. Dialogue is preferable to monologue. Dance, unlike its sibling, music, has not kept up with the growing understanding of rhythm as it relates to melody. For the most part, dancers have stuck to downbeats and syncopations of downbeats in their interpretation of music. Deepening our understanding of the relationship between melody and rhythm could be a basis for integrating the fluidity of both rhythm and melody in our interactions with music. The broader our context, the wider our capacity for expression.