Cha Cha Essay

Submitted By morelimits
Words: 305
Pages: 2

Devin Christie
11/23/14
Cha Cha

The dance Cha Cha began in the Islands of the West Indies. This dance was originally named after an instrument that would typically be used in the music played for the Cha Cha. The typical band for the music would consist of three drums, one bell, and one cha cha; which controlled the metronome and tempo of the song. The Cha Cha was indeed a religious ritual dance of the West Indies. The Cha Cha is derived from two different types of dances. It is a combination of both mambo and swing dancing. The United States was introduced to the Cha Cha in 1954. It was not until 1959 when the dance was said to be the most popular dance in dance studios. It is also currently the most popular Latin dance in America. Some people actually call this dance the Cha Cha Cha instead, because of the vocal imitation of the sound of the feet in the chasse. Since people were listening to this it went with the name more clearly. The people who call it the Cha Cha because it is danced with the accent on the 1 beat. The tempo for this dance is extremely fast. Like most Latin dances, it is done with the feet remaining close to the floor and done using small steps. Dancer’s hips are relaxed to allow free movement in the pelvic area as a result of the bending and straightening of the knees. The upper body shifts over the supporting foot as the steps are taken. This hip action is called Latin or Cuban motion. It is very important to understand the musical timing of Cha Cha