A ballroom dance that originated about 1953 in Cuba. It is derived from the mambo, and its characteristic rhythm – two crotchets, three quavers, quaver rest – gives the dance its name. The steps are done in a gliding motion, with a rocking of the hips as in the rumba. The dance was popular in the USA and Europe from the mid-1950s.
A.P. and D. Wright: How to Dance (New York, 1942, 2/1958)
P. Buckman: Let's Dance: Social, Ballroom, and Folk Dancing (New York, 1978)