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Lambada is danced to music with 3 prominent beats over the 4 beat bar. Commonly teachers and dancers count 1-2-3 with the third step on the strongest beat of the music, this is simply counting the steps not counting the timing of the music.

Some people count 1-2-3-4 or 1,2,3 pause with the fourth count not stepped but used as a pause. This pause is often filled with a hip swing, body wave or a head movement, this gives Lambada its characteristic soft undulating flow (Lambada = the rippling movement of the leather whip).

These days, traditional Lambada music such as the music produced by Kaoma is no longer made therefore dancers dance to a variety of different type of music with 3 prominent beats. The dancer then superimposes the dance onto the beat of the music.

How the Lambada is actually danced across the music depends on the type of music, for example, if a dancer were to dance to Zouk or Kizomba music they might count 1-2-3 but they would actually be dancing on the musical beats 1-3-4 & 5-7-8 over two bars of music - omitting the 2 and the 6 with the 1 and the 5 being the strongest beat of the music. The 2 and the 6 would be the pause and are not stepped. Another way of counting the music could be quick quick slow, this sometimes helps students to understand the dance.

This sounds complicated and disorganised but this is simply because we dance to many different kinds of music. Lambada can be danced to Zouk, Kizomba, Reggaeton, RnB, Arabic and many other genres of music. The best way to feel comfortable with the Lambada and how it relates to the music is to feel and listen to the music as it becomes obvious where the emphasis of the dance and the footwork should be placed. The difference between dance and physical movement is the relationship of the movement with the music. A dancer must always listen for what the music asks providing the timing is kept.