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| The History of Dance - Cha Cha Cha, The Triple Mambo |
The cha cha cha is now more commonly known as the cha cha. I guess the third cha isn't as important as it used to be. |
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The dance is an offshoot of the mambo which became popular around 1954. In the slow mambo tempo there was a distinct sound in the music that people started to dance to, calling the step the triple mambo. The dance consists of three quick steps, the third being more emphasized than the first two. Between each group of three steps there are two slow steps. |
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In the West Indies where the dance is first though to have been seen there is a plant that produces seed pods that make a cha cha sound when shaken. Band leaders would use rattles made from these seed pods in order to mark out the rhythm of the music for the dancers. |
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In 1953, the Cuban orchestra ' America ' was touring the United States and began playing a slower mambo with a different beat. The dancers started to use a hip movement on the slow count and gradually this evolved into a triple step which is the cha cha we know today. |
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| The cha cha is now characterised by the swinging of the hips, called 'Cuban motion' an by very small steps. |
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The "Cha Cha" is danced currently at about 120 beats per minute. The steps are taken on the beats, with a strong hip movement as the knee straightens on the half beats in between. The weight is kept well forward, with forward steps taken toe-flat, and with minimal torso movement. The chasse on 4&1 is used to emphasise the step on beat 1, which may be held a moment longer than the other steps to match the emphasis of the beat in the music |
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