For the Cumbia surprise dance, it's very important that you wear appropriate clothes, shoes and accessories. Shoes should be comfortable and durable. Women should wear long skirts, for the dance consists of women's gripping their skirts and pulling at them in an upward motion. Men should have a piece of cloth or handkerchief. They should wrap these around their necks or twirl them through the air. The Cumbia employs clothes not just as decorations but as props.
If you're a beginner to Cumbia surprise dance, then you should initiate your immersion in the style with the basic steps. This involves basic, shimmying hip movements. You should move your hips in a basic down, up, down, down, down, up down motion. Your feet should shuffle in a basic back and forward step. You should focus your steps to the first three beats of the movement. The Cumbia is very grounded, lacking much vertical movement.
The Cumbia surprise dance originated as a courtship ritual between a male and female, and so it's very important that you understand the basic partner interactions, specifically the turn movement. The crossover turn, like the basic individual steps, should operate on a 4/4 rhythm. The male partner should release the female, every couple of crossovers, allowing her to twirl.
Once the basic steps have been honed, you can try some more advanced ones. These include multiple twirls and pivots with your partner. At this point, if you're feeling confident in your abilities, perhaps more flare and personality can be incorporated into your dancing. The Cumbia surprise dance is all about evoking an intimate tone, both personally and with your partner; so the more emotion and feeling displayed, the more effective the dance will be.