Cha Cha

The Cha Cha is one of the most popular of the social Latin-American dances. The name itself derives from the splitting of the fourth beat of the music to give it that unmistakable and catchy Cha Cha Cha rhythm. The character of the dance, like the music, is vibrant, flamboyant and playful with a unique sense of fun to which dancers can relate and enjoy.

During the 1950s, the Cha Cha was made famous by many Latino bands such as Xavier Cugat and Perz Prado. Cuban in origin, the Cha Cha rhythm is found in much of today’s popular music.

Cha-Cha inherits much of its styling from its parent dances, the rumba and the mambo. Like most Latin dances, it is done with the feet remaining close to the floor. The dancers’ hips are relaxed to allow a free movement in the pelvic section characterized by the swinging hips called “Cuban Motion”, and by taking very small steps. The split fourth beat of the music and the first beat of the following bar of music are interpreted by dancers in a move called the Cha Cha Cha Chasse’, or a series of small gliding steps that touch the floor with the upper body shifting over the supporting foot as steps are taken.