Why Come to Tumbao?

Understanding the origins of Cuban dances changes the way you interact with the rhythms. Two days surrounded by people who are passionate about Cuban dance changes you.

The history of Cuban dance styles are irrevocably interwoven, the movements tell stories of Orishas, and love, and loss, and searching.

No dance style arises out of thin air. Each one traces their roots back to another, older style, with an invariable link back to Africa. Our aim is to help you to understand the upper body movement of Son, the stories behind the Afro-Cuban styles, the low rhythmic bounce of Rumba.

The styles connect and weave together to form generations of Cuban dance. The wild and well-travelled great-grandparents (Afro-Cuban), the stately grandmother (Danzon), the elegant parent (Son), through to the slightly out of control grandchild (Cubaton). As you meet and get to understand more of the family, you have a better understanding of the movements and the meanings behind those movements.

Each dance style you learn gives you a better understanding of the moves you use on the social dance floor. You may find an Afro-Cuban dance move you love that you can weave into your Salsa, or finally get that upper body movement right.

Above all it's about community: the crazy, friendly, inclusive Cuban dance community in Auckland and the instant connection you get with Cuban dancers around New Zealand and the rest of the world.

Tumbao exists because those things matter. Because once you understand the music, you stop counting beats and start listening. Because once you understand the culture, the movement stops being a sequence to remember and starts being something you feel. Come for the dancing. Stay because it gets under your skin.

The Social Styles

Casino

The heartbeat of the dance floor.

Casino is Cuban Salsa, danced in a circular pattern, responding to the music, connecting with your partner through feel rather than formula. Unlike the straight-line salsa you might have seen on TV, Casino is playful and conversational. There are no rigid performance moves; the aim is to respond to whoever you're dancing with and to what the music is doing. It's the foundation everything else builds on, and it's endlessly learnable at every stage of your dance life.

Who it's for: Everyone. If you've never danced a step, Casino is where you start. If you've been dancing for twenty years, there's always more to find.

Rueda de Casino

Everyone dances with everyone.

Rueda (the wheel) is Casino danced in a circle, with a caller shouting moves and partners rotating around the group. It emerged in Havana in the 1950s as a way for whole rooms to dance together, and that spirit is completely intact. When a Rueda works, a room full of people becomes one moving thing. It's joyful, communal, and often hilarious when the caller catches you off guard.

Who it's for: You need a basic grasp of Casino footwork, but beginners are absolutely welcome. A good Rueda caller will never lose you for long.

Cha Cha Cha

Three extra beats that changed everything.

The Cha Cha Cha grew out of Son and Danzon in the 1950s, when musicians and dancers started improvising extra steps on the off-beat. The result was a new rhythm, a new attitude: cheeky, precise, full of character. Dancing Cha Cha Cha well means understanding the interplay between the music and the movement, and developing the independence in your body to play with both. The basics arrive quickly; genuine mastery takes a lifetime. That's what makes it so satisfying to keep working on.

Who it's for: Open to all levels. The basics are accessible; the depth is endless.

Timba

Modern Cuba, full volume.

Timba is what Cuban music sounds like now: dense, layered, syncopated, drawing on jazz, funk, hip-hop, and centuries of African percussion tradition. Dancing Timba requires a different kind of listening: the music changes constantly, drops unexpected rhythms, dares you to stay with it. It's demanding and completely addictive. Once you can move with Timba, you can dance to almost anything.

Who it's for: Intermediate and above. No prior Timba experience required, just an appetite for complexity and a willingness to let the music lead.

Ladies Styling

Your body, your conversation.

In social Cuban dance, styling is how you speak when it's your turn. Arm lines, shoulder rolls, footwork, presence: styling is what transforms a technically correct dancer into someone who is genuinely beautiful to watch and to dance with. At Tumbao, styling is taught not as cosmetic decoration but as an essential part of how Cuban women have always expressed themselves in this art form, rooted in culture, not performance.

Who it's for: All levels. You don't need to be a confident dancer to work on your styling. In fact, early development of these skills accelerates everything else.

Cubaton

Cuban dance meets urban energy.

Cubaton is what happens when Cuban rhythm collides with reggaeton: urban, high-energy, danced close, built for the modern dance floor. A style that looks deceptively simple on the surface, it rewards every layer of musicality and body awareness you bring to it. Whether you're brand new to Cuban dance or a seasoned social dancer looking for something different, Cubaton delivers.

Who it's for: All levels. No experience required, and genuinely fun from the very first class.

The Roots

Son

The root of everything.

Before Salsa, there was Son. Originating in the mountains of eastern Cuba in the late 1800s, Son is where Cuban popular music begins: slower, more grounded, built around the relationship between the bass and the percussion. Dancing Son is like reading the sentence that all the other dances are quoting. It makes your Casino smoother, your musicality sharper, and your connection to the music deeper. Every serious Cuban dancer returns to Son.

Who it's for: All levels. Son workshops at Tumbao are a revelation for intermediate dancers who want to understand the why behind their movement.

Rumba: Columbia & Feminina

Percussive, powerful, spiritual.

Rumba is not background music. It is ceremony and competition and storytelling, played on wooden crates and tumbadoras, danced with the whole body in conversation with the drum. Columbia is traditionally a male solo form: athletic, dialogue-based, a challenge between the dancer and the percussion. Rumba Feminina is the feminine counterpart: grounded, expressive, deeply rooted in African spiritual tradition. These workshops go somewhere most dance events don't.

Who it's for: Open. No prior Rumba experience required, but come ready to be challenged and moved.

Afro-Cuban Orishas: Yemaya & Elegua

Where the dance becomes devotion.

The Orishas are the deities of the Lucumi/Santeria spiritual tradition that arrived in Cuba with enslaved Africans from Yoruba-speaking West Africa. Each Orisha has their own movements, their own rhythms, their own energy. Yemaya governs the sea; her movements are fluid, undulating, vast. Elegua governs crossroads, beginnings, and mischief; his movements are quick, playful, unpredictable. Learning Orisha movement is not about religion; it is about understanding the deepest roots of Afro-Cuban culture and discovering how that lineage lives in the way Cuban people move.

Who it's for: Open to all. These workshops are taught with deep respect for the tradition. Come with an open mind and you'll leave with a new understanding of where Cuban dance comes from.

The Weekend Timeline

Saturday Morning

Dive In
Doors open at 10:30am. The first workshop starts at 11:00. Six workshops run across two studios throughout the day, covering a range of styles and levels. You don't have to attend them all; your pass gives you the freedom to follow whatever calls to you.
Bring: Flat-soled shoes with some grip, or Latin dance shoes if you have them. Water. An open mind.

Saturday Lunchtime

The Children's Workshop
During the lunch break, we run a free workshop designed for children and youth, the next generation of Cuban dancers. Bring the family; the floor is open to everyone.

Saturday Afternoon

The Learning Deepens
Three more workshops in the afternoon, including some of the most sought-after classes of the weekend. The studios feel different by 3pm: looser, warmer, people who were strangers in the morning are drilling together in the corner.

Saturday Evening

Ke Lo Ke Live
This is what everyone is waiting for. From 7:30pm, Auckland's premier Cuban band takes the stage. There are instructor performances, a Rueda showcase, and then the floor opens and the whole community dances until midnight. This is the heart of Tumbao.
The Saturday night party is included in Full Festival Passes and One-Day Saturday Passes.

Sunday Morning

Still Going
Seven workshops across two studios. Sunday has a different feeling: people are warmed up, connections have been made, and the learning goes deeper. Some of the weekend's most transformative classes happen on Sunday afternoon when everyone in the room has spent a day together.

Sunday Afternoon

The Final Stretch
The last workshops run until 5pm. By the end of Sunday, you will have covered more Cuban dance ground in two days than most people cover in a year. And you'll want to come back next year.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Several workshops are specifically designed for beginners, including a Rueda de Casino Beginners class, a Social Dance for Beginners session, and a Son Beginners workshop. The most important thing you bring to Tumbao is curiosity. Experience is optional.
Most workshops are labelled Open (all levels welcome), Beginner, or Intermediate/Improvers. No workshops require advanced or performance-level experience. If you're unsure whether a particular class is right for you, reach out before the event and we'll point you in the right direction.
Comfortable clothes you can move freely in. For shoes: Latin dance shoes are ideal if you have them, but smooth-soled street shoes work well. Avoid rubber soles, as they'll grip the floor and make turns difficult (and your knees unhappy). Trainers are a last resort; bare feet are not permitted in the studios.
Yes, the Saturday night Ke Lo Ke party is included in the Full Festival Pass and the One-Day Saturday Pass. You can also purchase a standalone Party Pass if you just want to come for the evening.
Absolutely. One-Day Passes are available for Saturday or Sunday. You'll have full access to all workshops on that day, plus the Saturday night party if you choose Saturday. Single class door entry is also available on the day.
Every year, people travel from Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Tauranga, and beyond. Several past attendees have come from Australia. The short answer is yes. The longer answer is: there's nothing else like this in New Zealand.
In Rueda de Casino, partner rotation is part of the format; you'll dance with everyone in the circle. In other workshops, you'll work with whoever is next to you on the floor, swapping partners regularly. This is how Cuban dance is taught, and it's one of the things that makes the Tumbao community so welcoming: within an hour, they're not strangers anymore.
Yes. We'll have a designated bag area in each studio. Valuable items are your responsibility, but Tumbao has never had an incident. The community looks after each other.
There is a bar at the Saturday night venue. For daytime workshops, we recommend bringing a water bottle and snacks; there are cafes and shops close to the venue. Check the event page as the festival approaches for updates on food vendors on site.
Use the contact form (/contact) and we'll come back to you directly. No question is too small.
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