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Cha Cha Cha

Cha Cha Cha

The dance is also included within our Salsa courses as well as the Latin dance workshops that are run every 6 weeks. It is a nice dance with specific musical genre.

Chacha cha History

The name could have been derived from the Spanish ‘Chacha’ meaning ‘nursemaid’, or ‘chachar’ meaning ‘to chew coca leaves’  or from ‘char’ meaning “tea’ or most likely from the fast and cheerful’Cuban dance: the Guaracha. This dance has been popular in Europe from before the turn of the century. For example it is listed on the program of the Finishing Assembly in 1898 of Dancie Neill at Coupar Angus in Scotland).

It has also been suggested that the name Cha Cha is derived onomatopoeically from the sound of the feet in the chasse which is included in many of the steps . This would account for it being called the ‘Cha Cha Cha’ by some people, after the rhythm,whereas others call it the ‘Cha Cha’ after the rhythm:
These differ only as to which beat of the musical bar is stressed by the dancing: beat 4 in the first case, beat 1 in the second

In 1954, the dance was described as a “Mambo with a guiro rhythm”. A guirro is a musical instrument consisting of a dried gourd rubbed by a serrated stick. The dance is usually danced on the 2nd beat of the four. By transferring your hip and leg on beat one you go forward on your left as a man and back on your right as a woman. The steps are the same as Mambo step in Salsa with the chacha coming in the middle.