The Basic Steps of the Charming Cha Cha Dance

The Cha Cha Dance is a flirtatious party dance which originated in Cuba; considered to be among the most versatile Latin dances, the Cha Cha can be danced to Latin Pop or Latin Rock music or authentic Cuban sounds. Originally, it was danced to the music of Enrique Jorrin, a Cuban composer in 1953; today, this dance is known to be among the most popular dances among professionals and beginners.

The Cha Cha is known for its highly captivating rhythm which can be described as one step, two step then cha-cha-cha; basically the dance involves shifting the weight from left foot to the right and vice versa. This dance has a tempo of twenty eight to thirty four measures for each minute and is written in four beats per measure; five steps are completed and these involve a couple of slow steps, a couple of quick ones and then followed by a single slow step.

The basic steps for the man is to first take a forward step with his left foot; with his right foot in place, the man must then shift the weight to it. With his left foot, he must sidestep towards the left; the man then moves his right foot to his left. With his lead foot, he again sidesteps to the left. Then, with his right foot, he takes a step backwards and to the left. With his left foot in place, the man must shift the weight into it; he then takes a step forward and then to the right using his right foot then moves his lead foot to his right foot. The man again sidesteps to the right using his right foot.

The basic Cha Cha Dance steps for the woman is to take a step backwards using her right foot; she must then shift the weight to her left toe which is held in place. The woman then sidesteps to her right using her right foot; then she moves her left foot to her right foot. She then sidesteps towards the right using her right foot, and then takes a forward step. She must take a step to the right using her left foot and with her right foot in place, the woman must shift the weight to it; again, she must take a backward step and then a step to the left using her left foot. The woman then moves her right foot to her left toe and finally, sidesteps towards the left using her left foot.

Adam J. Reynold writes about the Cha Cha Dance and other Ballroom Dances.

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