Basic Steps in Cha Cha, Salsa, and Swing

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BASIC CHA CHA STEPS FOR PARTNERSHIP DANCING

by Dance Instructors Barbara Bernstein and Michele Kearney


     Below is a description of some basic Cha Cha steps for partnership dancing in case you want to practice a few moves. If you are not confident of your timing and want to be sure you are practicing correctly, you can get a CD that I produced with Michele Kearney titled "Rhythm Reminder." It has Cha Cha music with a voice over that calls out the steps for dancers in the correct timing. Then the same music is repeated without the voice over so you can practice keeping time without that assistance. More information on this CD is available by clicking here.


     The rhythm of this dance bears a relationship to Salsa. To get from Salsa to Cha Cha, you can replace the "slow" step of Salsa with the three quick steps. So Cha Cha music is essentially like very slow Salsa music. Since it's slower, there is time for all the three steps in place of one "slow" step.   However, you will note that on the chart below that describes the steps, we count "One, Two, Three, Cha Cha."  This is an alternate way of counting the dance which has its own logic.  Counted this way, the one, two and three are even in time and the two cha's are shorter and also equal in time to each other. 


     Here are some helpful hints for dance practice. First, you should lift your foot slightly off the ground as you step onto the other foot. This is the same as when you walk. What you want to avoid is putting your foot down to take a step without actually shifting your weight to that foot. The way to be sure you have shifted your weight onto one foot is to lift the other foot slightly off the ground.

      Your steps are done by alternating which foot you are stepping onto---the right then the left, then the right, then the left, etc. This is the same as what you do when you walk. If you think this sounds obvious, let me tell you why I mention it. I know from experience that beginning dancers sometimes make the mistake of taking two steps in a row with the same foot. So as you practice, keep an eye out to be sure you are switching which foot you step onto continuously.


     It is a great help for dancers who are first learning to take very small steps. Any imperfection in your rhythm or how your weight is centered, etc. tends to be minimized if the steps are very small. Larger steps can make it hard to be "on time" when the music is fast.


     As you learn increasingly complex moves, you will find that there are some exceptions to this rule where a large step is needed. But be advised that for beginners doing the steps listed below, you can't go wrong with small steps. Once you gain an understanding of and comfort with these moves, then you can take larger steps if so inclined.


     I have one quick funny story regarding Cha Cha to share with you. I once did a show for the embassy of a country where Cha Cha was a common dance. The minister of the embassy asked me why Americans call the dance "Cha Cha" instead of "Cha Cha Cha" (as they do in his country). It was an excellent question that kind of threw me. Go figure!