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The Cha-cha-cha
(in Spanish chachachá) is a Latin American dance.
In ballroom
dancing, it is increasingly popular to call the dance Cha-cha or Chacha.
The Cha-cha-cha
music is in 4/4 meter.
History
The dance
teacher Pierre Lavelle from the United Kingdom, a founder of the Latin
American Faculty of the ISTD, visited Cuba in 1952 to discover mambo (some
say, rumba) danced with the triple step in place of the slow one.
He brought this
dance idea to the Europe and eventually created what is known now as
ballroom Cha-cha-cha.
Description
There are two
flavors of Cha-cha-cha dance, differing by the place of the chachacha chasse
with respect to the musical bar.
• Ballroom
Cha-cha and street Cha-cha-cha in Cuba count "two-three-chachacha"
•
Country/western Cha-cha-cha and Latin street Cha-cha-cha in many places
other than Cuba count "one-two-chachacha" or "chachacha-three-four".
Cha Cha is
either danced to authentic Latin music, or more contemporary Latin Pop or
Latin Rock. The music is
energetic and with a steady beat.
Footwork:
Steps in all
directions should be taken first with the ball of the foot in contact with
the floor, and then with the heel lowering when the weight is fully
transferred.
When weight is
released from a foot, the heel should release first, allowing the toe to
maintain contact with the floor.
Hip
movement:
In American
Rhythm style, Latin Hip movement is achieved through the alternate bending
and straightening action of the knees.
In
International Latin style, the weighted leg should be straight.
The free leg
will bend, allowing the hips to naturally settle into the direction of the
weighted leg.
As a step is
taken, a free leg will straighten the instant before it receives weight.
It should then
remain straight until it is completely free of weight again. |