4 Cha Cha
In 1940, Havana, Cuba, was a popular resort area for American tourists. The Latin American influence caused some orchestras to combine the American Jazz beat with the Cuban rumba rhythm. The new rhythm was called the Mambo, a term from the African voodoo religion. The Cha-Cha grew from the Mambo, combining two slow steps with three quick weight changes. This syncopated rhythm replaced the Mambo rhythm, making the Latin American tempo easier for the American dancer. In 1954, the Cha-Cha was introduced in the United States, and by 1959, its popularity had grown so much that it became the most popular dance taught at dance studios. Because the dance lends itself to leader variations through the basic step, it was readily accepted while interest in the Mambo waned. Today, the Cha-Cha is the most popular Latin dance in the United States
Timing and Rhythm: The Cha Cha is danced to music in 4/4 time, with a distinct rhythm of “1, 2, 3, Cha-Cha” or “quick-quick-slow, quick-quick-slow.” The Cha Cha beat is typically accentuated with a syncopated step on the fourth beat, giving it its distinctive rhythm.
Cuban Motion: This refers to the hip-action hallmark of Latin dances. In the Cha Cha, dancers use a controlled, rolling hip motion achieved by bending and straightening the knees and transferring weight from one foot to the other.
Footwork: The Cha Cha involves quick, small steps and a lot of foot movement. The basic step pattern includes a rock step followed by a Cha Cha chasse(a triple step or shuffle) to the side.
Posture and Frame: Dancers maintain an upright posture with a firm but flexible frame. The connection between partners is crucial for leading and following the fast-paced steps and turns.
Styling: Cha Cha dancers often incorporate sharp, playful movements and expressive styling, including arm movements and body isolations, to add flair to the dance.
Instructional videos for Cha Cha:
https://ncsu.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=1bc020e8-c842-4ff9-ab4a-b1b101397f9c
- Basic Forward and Backward
- Side basic
- Front Cross
- Front Cross with a Push Turn
- Chase (Half Turn)
- Challenge (Full Turn)
Basic Forward and Backward (Lead)
| Directions | Count | Timing | Cue |
| Step L forward | 1 | S | Forward |
| Step R backward | 2 | S | Back |
| Step L-R-L in place (weight on L) | 3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
| Step R backward | 1 | S | Back |
| Step L forward | 2 | S | Forward |
| Step R-L-R in place
(weight on R) |
3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
Basic Forward and Backward (Follow)
| Directions | Count | Timing | Cue |
| Step R backward | 1 | S | Forward |
| Step L forward | 2 | S | Back |
| Step R-L-R in place (weight on R) | 3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
| Step L forward | 1 | S | Back |
| Step R backward | 2 | S | Forward |
| Step L-R-L in place
(weight on L) |
3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
Side Basic (Lead)
| Directions | Count | Timing | Cue |
| Step L sideward | 1 | S | Side |
| Step R in place | 2 | S | Step |
| Step L-R-L in place (weight on L) | 3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
| Step R sideward | 1 | S | Side |
| Step L in place | 2 | S | Step |
| Step R-L-R in place
(weight on R) |
3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
Side Basic (Follow)
| Directions | Count | Timing | Cue |
| Step R sideward | 1 | S | Side |
| Step L in place | 2 | S | Step |
| Step R-L-R in place (weight on R) | 3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
| Step L sideward | 1 | S | Side |
| Step R in place | 2 | S | Step |
| Step L-R-L in place
(weight on L) |
3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
Front Cross (Lead)
| Directions | Count | Timing | Cue |
| Step L across R ankle | 1 | S | Cross |
| Step R in place | 2 | S | Step |
| Step L-R-L in place (weight on L) | 3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
| Step R across L ankle | 1 | S | Cross |
| Step L in place | 2 | S | Step |
| Step R-L-R in place
(weight on R) |
3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
Front Cross (Follow)
| Directions | Count | Timing | Cue |
| Step R across L ankle | 1 | S | Cross |
| Step L in place | 2 | S | Step |
| Step R-L-R in place (weight on R) | 3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
| Step L across R ankle | 1 | S | Cross |
| Step R in place | 2 | S | Step |
| Step L-R-L in place
(weight on L) |
3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
Front Cross with a Push Turn (Lead)
Before beginning, execute three (3) front crosses. Starting on the Lead’s Left foot with the front cross, switch to the Lead’s Right foot, then back to the Lead’s Left foot. Once on the next four (4) counts, cue the turn (outlined below) in place of doing another Right Cross Step.
| Directions | Count | Timing | Cue |
| Step R across L ankle | 1 | S | Cross |
| Turn on L around to face your partner | 2 | S | Turn |
| Step R-L-R in place (weight on R) | 3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
Front Cross with a Push Turn (Follow)
Before beginning, excuse three (3) front crosses. Starting on the Follow’s Right foot with the front cross, switch to the Follow’s Left foot, then back to the Follow’s Right foot. Once on the next four (4) counts, cue the turn (outlined below) in place of doing another Left Cross Step.
| Directions | Count | Timing | Cue |
| Step L across R ankle | 1 | S | Cross |
| Turn on R around to face your partner | 2 | S | Turn |
| Step L-R-L in place (weight on L) | 3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
Chase (Half-Turn) (Lead)
| Directions | Count | Timing | Cue |
| Step L forward (Start Pivot) | 1 | S | Forward |
| ½ Pivot turn CW stepping on R | 2 | S | Pivot |
| Step L-R-L in place | 3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
| Step R forward (Start Pivot) | 1 | S | Forward |
| ½ Pivot turn CCW stepping on L in original starting position | 2 | S | Pivot |
| Step L-R-L in place | 3&4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
Chase (Half-Turn) (Follow)
| Directions | Count | Timing | Cue |
| Step R backward | 1 | S | Back |
| Step L forward | 2 | S | Forward |
| Step R-L-R in place | 3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
| Step L forward (Start Pivot) | 1 | S | Forward |
| ½ Pivot turn CW stepping on R | 2 | S | Pivot |
| Step L-R-L in place | 3&4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
| Step R forward (Start Pivot) | 1 | S | Forward |
| ½ Pivot turn CW stepping on L to original starting position | 2 | S | Pivot |
| Step R-L-R in place | 3&4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
Challenge (Full-Turn) (Lead)
| Directions | Count | Timing | Cue |
| Step L forward (Start Pivot) | 1 | S | Forward |
| ½ Pivot turn CW stepping on R | 2 | S | Pivot |
| Step L-R-L in place | 3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
| Cross R over L completing full turn | 1 | S | Forward |
| Finish step with Back Basic | 2 | S | Pivot |
| Step R-L-R completing Full Turn CW to starting position | 3&4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
Challenge (Full Turn) (Follow)
| Directions | Count | Timing | Cue |
| Step R backward | 1 | S | Back |
| Step L forward | 2 | S | Forward |
| Step R-L-R in place | 3 & 4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
| Step L forward (Start Pivot) | 1 | S | Forward |
| ½ Pivot Turn stepping CW on R | 2 | S | Pivot |
| Step L-R-L completing Full Turn CW to starting position | 3&4 | Q-Q-Q | Cha-Cha-Cha |
