28/11/2013
CHA-CHA
“The Key to Self Expression”
A lot of popular tunes are written to Cha-Cha timing, which makes this Latin Dance one of the most popular and fun dances. Cuban Motion is also used here for character and styling.
About the Cha-Cha:
The Cha-Cha is danced with toe leads. Latin dances are danced with small compact, pick-up-and-place steps under your own body weight. Agility is the ability to rapidly change weight and position, which is especially inter woven with Samba, Viennesé Waltz and Swing. Agility is used in all the Latins and the Tango. The 1 is a sharper step with a slight delay. The steps between the 1and cha cha is square and even steps. Cuban motion is used throughout the dance and it makes neat and small steps possible. Forward steps are with a straight knee. When the weight change takes place the leg straightens and the other bend. Avoid sitting in the back steps. When dancing body over knees and pushing forward before stepping backward on the ball of the foot, it is easier to avoid sitting in the back steps. Even if the heel is not lowered, it is still sitting in the back step when the body weight goes backward. Cha-cha is danced with interaction from both partners (constant pushing forward), making it possible to dance into the floor and use self expression. Cuban motion is also used to dance into the floor. The back step is done by pushing forward with the foot that step backwards and turning the foot like stepping on a cigarette stump to kill it, similar as done in the Swing and Mambo. The foot also turns on the forward step. This can also be explained as grinding the feet into the floor. The forward and backward breaks step in the centre and no inline with the other foot. On the Cha Cha the foot slams against the other before landing on the floor and is made easy by using Cuban motion. Toe by toe can be explained as the enter button of your own mental computer, forming concrete contact points. Animation to the dance is gained by proper use of Cuban motion and emphasizing the 1. Continuity of all taught patterns is achieved by dancing non-stop regardless of any mistakes. The true skill in dancing with each other is shown by continuity.