History Of The Cha Cha Dance

By Melanie LaPatin

Everyone knows how to dance the Cha Cha, even if they have never danced before in their life. Everyone knows the beat, One, Two, CHA-CHA-CHA! In fact, when it first caught on in America around 1954, it was known as the Cha Cha Cha.

The Bobby Rydell song begins, Baby, baby, come on sway me, drive me crazy. Do the Cha Cha Cha. Theres a recent song by David Nash called Cha Cha like Charo, referring to the blonde Latin bombshell known for being unabashedly Latin in all her unbridled glory. Born in Murcia, Spain, Charos real name is Mara Rosario Pilar Martnez Molina Moquiere de les Esperades Santa Ana Romanguera y de la Najosa Rasten and she helped popularize Latin music in the United States.

Immensely popular for the beginning, the Cha Cha is a dance that has never gone out of style and is a perennial favorite at weddings. The dance is very easy to learn, and once you have the basic pattern down, you can use as much of the dance floor " or as little " as you like.

You can dance it in a crowded room or a wide open space. Cha Cha came from the Mambo, as people began dancing to the distinct background beat. Originally called the Triple Mambo, the Cha Cha soon spun off on its own.

Havana, Cuba was one of the hottest hot spots to go in the 1940s. Sky Masterson takes Miss Sarah Brown to Cuba to impress her and win a bet in the Broadway musical, Guys and Dolls. Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway visited Cuba and the experience influenced their writings. Havana was an extremely popular resort for the rich and famous who could get there.

The most famous American dance bands as well as many outstanding Latin orchestras native to Cuba played in the city's casinos. It was here that the Mambo was born, and the Cha Cha Cha was an offshoot of that dance.

The Cha Cha was originally one of the Mambo moves, where two slow steps were followed by three quick steps, changing weight on each step. This figure from the Mambo became the basic step of the Cha Cha. Given its close association with the Rumba and Mambo, it should be no surprise that the Cha Cha is very similar in style. The feet remain close to the floor as in most Latin dances. The hips move free freely, although the upper body is usually erect and the dancers glide across the floor at approximately 126 beats per minute in 4/4 time.

In 1952, an English dance teacher named Pierre Lavelle travelled to Cuba, and brought his version back to the British Isles. The famous American dance instructor Arthur Murray thought it would be easier to learn if he simplified the dance to a 1, 2, 3, Cha Cha rhythm. Although this amounted to pretty much the same thing, the Cha Cha slowed down somewhat and became a bit more mechanical for Murrays students.

To this day, the Cha Cha has remained one of the most popular dances in competitions and dance halls. Less sensual than the Mambo and less erotic than the Bolero, it is just plain fun to dance. In the words of the immortal Sam Cooke, Everybody loves the Cha Cha Cha! - 30231

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