The Cha Cha Cha is one of the most exciting of all the Latin American dances. It is flirtatious – with the idea of a chase between a man and a woman playing through the dance.
Also known as the Cha Cha, the dance originated in Cuba in the 1940s. The name is derived from the sound of dance shoes as they shuffle around the floor. The Cha Cha Cha arrived in America around 1954 and quickly caught on.
Cha Cha Cha has become one of the five dances at the competitive level of the Latin American program. It is the first dance performed in a competition because it requires the most stamina and takes the most out of a dancer.
It also begins the flirtatious story between the couple, who then moves on to the Rumba, which leads to an even deeper connection due to its sensuous style.
The Cha Cha Cha is one of the most popular social Latin-American dances. The dance consists of small steps and lots of hip action with a staccato rhythm – which makes it full of energy and produces a party like atmosphere.
The Cha Cha Cha is adaptable to almost any music – even our top 40 music today.
Cha Cha is not only a fun partner dance, but can also be danced as a line dance. Even if you are dancing the Cha Cha with a partner, you may find yourself side by side in many of the moves and not always holding on to one another, facing each other.
There are so many variations of Cha Cha and so many steps, it never becomes routine. Not only can the rhythm be manipulated, but the speed can be adjusted as well. You can do a very slow Cha Cha or a very fast Cha Cha. It is very easy to lead and very easy to follow.
The Cha Cha has continued to gain popularity because it is fast-paced, easy to learn and, for the health conscious, provides an excellent cardio workout.
People of all ages and nationalities enjoy dancing the Cha Cha now more than ever before.
Have you joined in the fun?
Sandro Virag is a partner and instructor at Hilton Head Ballroom Dance Studio of Hilton Head, located in Bluffton at Seaquins Ballroom. hiltonheadballroom.com
