Cumbia Step....HELP!

Hey guys, here's my problem and I was hoping someone out there could help. Whenever I go to nightclubs it never fails I always, always, always pick ladies that only do cumbia steps! Now, there's nothing wrong with cumbia steps...I just can't figure out how to lead a girl into the different patterns if she's doing a cumbia the whole time. I usually just split from her and let her do her own thing while I do mine. Someone suggested that these types of dancers requires a little more lead than the slot dancers I'm used to dancing with. Has anyone successfully danced with a cumbia follow? If so...what's your secret?

I danced with a guy once that did cumbia the whole time. Completely threw me off because I wasn't sure if I should have followed his lead and danced cumbia too, or just kept doing my salsa. I'm certain it was salsa music we were dancing to, so that confused me even more. Sorry, wish I could be more help!

Good question. I've been having the same experience as of late. I've basically ignored the cumbia and just did my thing and let him lead me. It seems harder for them to know when to signal the turn and the timing was off a couple of times, but again, did not deter me from having fun anyways. He did cross body leads and everything but simply did not do a forward step. On occassion I would fall in with the cumbias, when I felt like it, and otherwise just tried to keep my forward small so I wouldn't step on him. Helped me keep my beat.

As far as leading a woman doing cumbia? hard to say but I would think just zoom in on when she is doing her cumbia with her right foot and consider that your one and give it a whirl with a turn or cross-body lead and see how it goes. If it doesn't, just have fun with the cumbias, there is still other stuff to be had fun with.......do your own turns and catch her hand back. Also may be easier to bring a couple of good old ballroom steps in as well (like a promenade by having her over turn her cumbias). Good idea to do some practice with.