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Cha-Cha
The Cha-Cha is a very fun and vigorous dance. It is danced on 4/4 timing as a variation of the Mambo beat. Originally called Cha-Cha-Cha this dance puts a heavy accent on the one while syncopating the 4 beat. This adds a different flavor that no other dance really copies.
The Cha-Cha is now being danced at 120 beats per minute. The steps are taken on the beats, with a strong hip motion as each bent leg is straightened. The weight is pitched forward over the balls of the feet throughout the dance, with forward steps taken with the ball first and then a flat foot.
Near the end of the 1940's when Havana, Cuba was one of the most popular resorts for North American Tourists, especially those along the East Coast would go down to see the most amazing Latin dance bands of the time perform at the casinos. A few of the more adventurous orchestras were trying to fuse the American jazz beat with the Cuban Rumba rhythm. The result of this fusion was Mambo.
One of the first dances developed to this new rhythm was a relatively new idea to dance on the off beat, instead of on the traditional down beat. For this reason the dance remained popular only with dancers that where very aware of the afro-cubana musical concept. However one of the patterns danced to this rhythm was called the chatch, which would be three quick changes of weight preceded by two slow steps. This was developed into a more simple dance by the beginning of the 1950's that was comprised of only few variations of the basic movement. The dance acquired the name Cha-Cha; its characteristic three quick steps was commonly identified as the Cha-Cha-Cha.
The Cha-Cha inherited most of its styling from the dances that it originated from. Such as the Mambo and the Rumba. Like most Latin dances the feet remain on the floor and the steps are relatively small. The dancers' hips stay relaxed so as to allow for hip motion through the pelvic area. The upper body will shift in opposition to the hips as it stays over the foot that weight is being transferred to.
After an English dancer visited Cuba he noticed the Rumba being danced with extra beats. When he returned to Britain, he began to teach these steps as different dance all together. The name may have been derived from the Spanish name 'Chacha' meaning 'nursemaid', or 'chachar' which means to chew cocoa leaves, or from 'char' meaning tea, or most likely from the fast and energetic Cuban dance: the Gauracha. This dance has been popular in Europe from before the turn of the century. As an example it is listed in the program from the Finishing Assembly in 1898 of Dancie Neill at Coupar Angus in Scotland.
It has also been suggested that cha-cha was derived from onomatopoeically sounding movement of the chasse frequently used as the Cha-Cha basic.
In 1954 many people described the dance as a "Mambo with a guiro rhythm". A guiro is known as a musical instrument that consists of a dried gourd rubbed by a serrated stick.
The word 'Mambo' is the name of a voodoo priestess in the religion brought by the Africans that were originally brought for slave labor on the islands years back. Thus the Cha-Cha had its origins in the religious and ritualistic dances of West Africa. There are three basic variations of the Mambo rhythm: Single time, double, and triple time. Similar to swing in these variations but with very different style, the triple has five, yeah five steps to each bar of music and this is the version of Mambo that evolved into our modern day Cha-Cha.