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1.

History of Dance ( Chacha)


Originally known as the Cha-Cha-Cha. Became popular on 1954. Cha Cha is an offshoot of the
Mambo. This is a fun, flirty dance that grew out of the Cuban Mambo and became immensely
popular in the United States in the 1950’s. It consists of triple chasse steps (cha cha cha’s) and
rock steps.

When the English dance teacher Pierre Margolie visited Cuba in 1952, he realised that sometimes the
Rumba was danced with extra beats. This is said to be an innovation introduced in 1948 by the
musician Enrique Jorrin, combining two Cuban dances, the 'Danzon' and the 'Montuno'. When Pierre
returned to Britain, he started teaching these steps as a separate dance.

In the slow Mambo tempo, there was a distinct sound in the music that people began dancing to,
calling the step the "Triple" Mambo. Eventually it evolved into a separate dance, known today as the
Cha Cha.

The dance consists of three quick steps (triple step or cha cha cha) and two slower steps on the one
beat and two beat.

The "Cha Cha" is danced 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 it is danced with minimal upper-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.

Cha Cha originated in Cuba and evolved from a slow version of Mambo called “Triple Mambo”
or Mambo with guiro rhythm. This musical rhythm inspired dancers to dance a hip syncopation
to the forward and back breaks of a mambo which late evolved to a triple step.

Mambo evolved from a fusion of danzon, son and American jazz. Danzon has its origins from
Europe (chamber music) and African/Haitian drum rhythms. Enrique Jorrin, a Cuban Violinist
created the first cha cha song in 1948. He named it after the shuffling sound the dancers shoes
made when they dance to this type of music.

In 1952, an English dance teacher Pierre Lavelle visited Cuba and saw dancers dancing this triple
step to slow rumba and mambo music. On his return to Britain, he taught this as a separate
dance and it has since evolved to Ballroom Cha Cha.

Cha Cha was introduced to the US in 1954 which replaced mambo as the latest dance
craze. After its introduction to the US, the traditional violins and flutes were exchanged with big
band instruments such as trumpets, trombones and saxophones.

The cha-cha dance is a dance that originated from Cuba and was originally known as the cha-
cha-cha. The dance gained popularity around the 1950's and was created from two other dances –
the 'mambo' and the 'danzon'. While working with the charanga group 'Orquesta America' in
Cuba to perform at dance halls in Havana, Enrique Jorrin, a violinist and composer, realized that
most of the crowds related the danzon-mambo rhythm to a much slower mambo dance and thus
had hardship adopting the syncopated rhythms. He decided to compose music that strongly
focused on the first downbeat such that the rhythm became less syncopated. This caused the
crowd dancers to develop a triple step, creating the sound 'cha-cha-cha' with their dancing shoes,
thus the cha-cha-cha was born.

Some, however, maintain that the footwork pattern one-two-cha-cha-cha has its roots in the
vocal imitation of the sound produced by dance shoes in the chase which indicates that the name
of the dance is basically an onomatopoeia that comes out of the sound of its dancers shoes. This
explains why many call it the 'cha-cha-cha' and others 'cha-cha'. Other's have speculated that the
name and dance originate from the ritual dances and religious music of the West Indians who
used some plants which had seedpods they called cha-cha to build a musical rattle called the cha-
cha for use in religious singing and thus dancing.

The dance was introduced in the United States around the year 1954 and had apparently gained
so much popularity among American's by 1959 that it was reported to be the most popular dance
in the country. It remains as one of the most popular Latin dances in the U.S. today. Enrique and
his team in Orquesta America released two of his new compositions in the year 1953, the 'La
Enganadora' and the 'Silver Star'. These two hit-songs became the very first cha-cha-cha
compositions to be recorded in Cuba. The music became quite popular in Havana dance halls and
so did the dance, a craze that spread through to Mexico City and finally worldwide with
popularity spreading up to Latin America, Western Europe and the United States by 1955. The
basis of the modern cha-cha dance was originally taught internationally by an English dance
teacher, Pierre Margolie, in the 1950's and today's learning is based on their accounts.

The dance is danced in a steady yet energetic rhythm to authentic Cuban music, Latin Rock or
Latin Pop and is made up of two slower steps followed by three quick steps i.e. cha-cha-cha in a
'one-two-cha-cha-cha' dance rhythm. Even though the modern ballroom version of dancing 'cha-
cha' gradually continues to evolve with every dance competition; the dance remains strongly
based on its Cuban roots from the 1950's.

Dance Characteristics

Cha Cha is a lively, fun, cheeky and playful dance. It is a non-progressive dance that emphasizes
Cuban motion, distinguished by the chasses (cha-cha-cha) typically danced during the 4&1
counts of the music. Cuban motion in Cha Cha is more staccato than Rumba to reflect the music
with emphasis on count 1. The Cha Cha frame is a typical Rhythm frame.
Musical Information

Time signature – 4/4


Tempo – 30 measures per minute
Timing – 1234&

2.Nature and Mechanics of Chacha

Step 1: Get Music, Shoes, and a Partner

Before getting started, it is good to have Cha-Cha music available.

To dance the Cha-Cha best, it is helpful to have proper footwear. For beginners this can
mean simple dress shoes with a thin, pliable sole for men. For women, healed shoes that
don't slip off the feetand are pliable. For more advanced dancers, ballroom dance shoes or
even specialized "Latin Shoes" are best. Pictures of Latin shoes for both men and women
are shown.

The Cha-Cha is a social dance, meaning it is danced with a partner. Work on the basic
step can be done alone, but to get the feel of the dance position and technique, a partner
of the opposite gender is necessary.

Step 2: Dance Position

Man: Place your right hand on the woman's back with the hand over the left shoulder blade.
With your other hand, hold the woman's right hand at her eye level. The elbows should be up
and about a foot apart from each other.

Woman: Place your left hand on the outside of the man's right shoulder, with your arm on top
his. With your other hand, hold the man's left hand at your eye level. Elbows should be up and
about a foot from the man's. The woman should be slightly to the right of the man so that when
they step forward and back, their knees don't hit.

Step 3: Break Step (Counts Two-and-Three)

Man:

Count "Two": Take one step forward with your left foot, placing all your weight on that
foot
Count "Three": Replace your weight onto your right foot
Woman:

Count "Two": Take one step backward onto your right foot, placing all your weight onto
that foot
Count "Three": Replace your weight onto the left foot

Step 4: Cha-Cha-Cha (Counts Four-and-One)

Man:

Count "Four": Step to the left with your left foot about shoulder width from your right foot
Count "and": Bring your right foot to your left foot
Count "One": Take another step to the left with your left foot about a shoulder's width from your
right foot

Woman:

Count "Four": Step to the right with your right foot about shoulder width from your left foot
Count "and": Bring your left foot to your right foot
Count "One": Take another step to the right with your right foot about a shoulder's width from
your left foot

Step 5: Another Break Step (Counts Two-and-Three)

Man:

Count "Two": Take one step back with your right foot, placing all your weight on that foot
Count "Three": Replace your weight onto your left foot

Woman:

Count "Two": Take one step forward onto your left foot, placing all your weight onto that foot.
Count "Three": Replace your weight onto the right foot

Step 6: Another Cha-Cha-Cha (Counts Four-and-One)

Man:

Count "Four": Step to the right with your right foot about shoulder width from your left foot
Count "and": Bring your left foot to your right
Count "One": Take another step to the right with your right foot about a shoulder's width from
your left foot
Woman:

Count "Four": Step to the left with your left foot about shoulder width from your right foot
Count "and": Bring your right foot to your left foot
Count "One": Take another step to the left with your left foot about a shoulder's width from your
right foot

3.Nature and mechanics of New York Step


The New York is a very popular figure in basic Cha Cha. In the more advanced levels, you
will still see many variations of this figure from the Three Cha Chas in side-by-side
position to the Split Cuban Breaks, and more.

New Yorks are breaks which alternate from left to right side-by-side position by way of the
Chasse, using the basic rhythm 2, 3, 4&1. Both left and right foot break forward.

Although the figure may begin in closed position or with a two-hand hold, it will be necessary to
release the hand that is farther away from your partner as you turn to side-by-side position. The
free arm may then extend outward (as shown in video clip), or it may be held closer to the body
when space is limited.

As tempting as it is to thrust the joined-hand through as you turn to side-by-side position, try to
avoid this, as it compromises the connection. The best position for the joined hand is hip-level.
MIMDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY- ILIGAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION

WRITTEN REPORT

(CHACHA)

SUBMITTED BY:

JEANIE MAE T. BARI

SUBMITTED TO:

PROF. RAMON C. FERARIS

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