What is Cha Cha Cha dance?

The Cha Cha Cha, derived from the Rumba and the Mambo, originated in Cuba in the early 1950s and refers to a style of ballroom dancing included in DanceSport categories of competition and is a part of either the International Latin Style or the American Rhythm Style.

How do you dance the Cha Cha Cha?

The Cha Cha Cha danced to the authentic music introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in the early 1950s with rhythm derived from the danzón-mambo. The name “Cha Cha Cha” is onomatopoetic, emanating from the shuffling sound of the dancers’ feet, and the word imitates the sound of the steps, the rendering of the two quick steps on the split fourth beat (4 and), followed by another slow step on beat 1. The dance count within the bar is 2, 3, 4, and 1, or slow, slow, quick, quick, slow. The movement starts on the second beat of the bar and finishes on the first beat of the next bar – contratiempo Cubano.

Compared to Ballroom Dance Competitions, where music is energetic and has a steady beat (Latin Pop or Latin Rock), the Cuban style is more sensual and may involve complex polyrhythms.