R & B Salsa

Cha-Cha

Click here for Cha-Cha Dance History [1].

Cha-Cha is derived from Mambo (which, today, as danced to Salsa music, is called "Salsa").  Those of us who grew up in Los Angeles in the late 60's and early 70's learned and danced Cha-Cha primarily to the Sound of Motown: Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The 4 Tops, and later on, of course, to the Kings of Urban Cha-Cha Music: The Isley Brothers.

The Cha-Cha danced back then was almost always in open position and going back and forth down the slot.  Not much lead/follow, virtually no patterns or combinations, and very, very little hand holding.

Well, Cha-Cha, like Mambo/Salsa, has evolved:  It's not your Dad's Cha-Cha anymore.  The patterns, styling, rhythms, timing, lead and follow of today's Cha-Cha are very similar to those of Salsa and, with the right music, just as exciting.  Which is one of the reasons we decided to begin offering Cha-Cha instruction.  It's as much fun as Salsa, and, unlike Salsa, many people in urban American cities already know the basics. Also, many people are already used to dancing Cha-Cha to Rhythm and Blues music.

While the style of Cha-Cha we teach may be considered 'Latin' style, we still teach how to dance it to the same R and B and Hip Hop Cha-Cha music you are already used to hearing -- with more exciting turns, styling, syncopations and dips than you may be used to seeing.  And, we make sure you learn how to lead or follow any variation of Cha-Cha, from American Style to 'Ballroom'.

In our instruction, we focus on the following dance details:

• Footstep Patterns
• Turns and Rotations
• Musical Timing
• Lead and Follow
• Posture and Styling

The following is our base Cha-Cha Syllabus:

• Basic Back and Forward
• Basic Diagonal
• Chasse
• Right and Left Turn
• Underarm Turn
• Open Break
• Cross Over
• Butterfly (Open and Closed)
• Cross body Lead
• Natural Top
• Spot Turns
• Sweetheart
• Turkish Towel
• Prance
• Swivels
• Cha-Cha-Chas