Cha Cha Dance History

Originally known as the Cha-Cha-Cha. Became popular about 1954. Cha Cha is
an offshoot of the Mambo. 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.

A dance was developed to the new mambo rhythm, danced to the off beat rather
than the traditional downbeat. For this reason, the dance was popular mainly
with dancers thoroughly familiar with complex Afro-Cuban music. However,
among the many figures of the mambo was one called the "chatch", which
involved three quick changes of weight preceded by two slow steps. By the
early 1950s, this figure had developed into a new dance comprised of many
simple variations on the basic footwork. The dance acquired the name CHA-CHA
; its characteristic three-step change of weight carried the identifying
verbal definition, "cha-cha-cha".

In the Islands of the West Indies, there are certain plants that produce
seedpods known as cha-cha. These are used to make a small rattle also known
as cha-cha. In Haiti the typical voodoo band consists of three drums, a
bell, and a cha-cha. The cha-cha is used by the leader as a guide instrument
or "metronome" to set the time in secular dancing as well as in religious
music and singing. It has also been said that the name Cha Cha had its roots
in the religious ritual dances of the West Indies.

Our episode on Cha Cha is presented by Salsa Republic