Urban D.F. cumbia is a very particular dance style and subculture, known colloquially as "sonidero." As you can see in the above Grupo Kual clip, it's jerky, jumpy, and yet fluid. That means gender roles, too. At Mexico City sonideros, seeing a trans woman working a circle of eager male partners is always a highlight.
The sonidero takes place on the street, usually in "rough" barrios such as Tepito or La Merced, and includes a unique transnational element. Shout-outs and messages on signs are transmitted to the M.C., who reads them back. The entire sonidero event is recorded and then turns up on the streets in the form of bootleg discs. The discs make it across the border, and the shout-outs reach their destination.
There's a New York Times article from 2003 about it. Here in D.F., the Proyecto Sonidero is documenting the sonidero subculture, paying special attention to its roots in Colombia. Myself, I'm a fan of Sonoramico (check out their dramatic site intro), but I'm glad I don't feel the urge to over-document this subculture. At a recent event in Tepito, three foreigners I ran into were later held up for their photo equipment.
Sonideros on the street can be ... overwhelming. People are often smoking cigarettes, smoking herb, inhaling paint solvent, and doing a lot of drinking. Speakers keep their bass on blast. People are pressing up against you on all sides, and, late into the dance, fights are not uncommon.
There's a lot more to the scene, of course, so if you're a resident expert, feel free to chime in.
* Thanks for the clip, Mario!