Ballroom Dancing - The Basic Pattern of the Cha Cha

Terry Dean: Hi! I am Terry Dean from Terry Dean's Dance Studio. Were working on the Cha-Cha.

Now, were going to do the basic pattern of the cha-cha. The basic pattern is very simple which starts off with the side step to the mans left, the ladys right on one count. Then were going to do back rock for the man, forward rock for the lady, one, two, three. So, Im going to do just that part of it again; side step, one, and rocking step, two, three.

Now, for the Cha-Cha part it really happens on the fourth beat and its going to be a four and, four and. Then were going to do a side step for one and a rocking step for two, three; two, three, four and one, two, three, four and one, two, three, four and one, two, three.

very good. Now Im going to do that at the camera. So, what happens is when I take my side step on one is a square to the side, then I do the back rock for two, three, then I do the cha-cha, then I do the one-two-three to the right; one, two, three, cha-cha, one, two, three, cha-cha, and one, two, three.

While the man is doing his cha-cha to the right, the lady is going to the left and vice versa. So, it goes, one, two, three, cha-cha.

one, two, three, cha-cha.

one, two, three, cha-cha. one, two, three.

The main thing you remember when youre doing the cha-cha is that you step out every step so that you get the nice side step so you dont just shuffle your feet that you actually step it out. Side, back, rock, side together, side, forward, rock, side together, side, back, rock and remember that there is two halves; there is right side and the left side. On the right side when you do side together side, youll do a forward rock. Now, when you do side together side to the left, you do the back rock. Of course, the lady will be doing the natural opposite of what the man does.

So, again one more time we demonstrate the basic step.

One, two, three, four and one, two, three, four and one, two, three, four and one, two, three. So, its important that you learn how to count music. So, what happens is the music is going to be written in four beats. One, two, three, four.

one, two, three, four but that four beats are going to split in half so, its going to go, one, two, three, four and one, two, three, four and one, two, three, four and one. and that little split beat is going to make the cha-cha what the cha-cha is.

So, dont forget that and learn to count it that way and itll be much easier for you to dance it. So, again one more time were going to count it.

One, two, three, four. and one, two, three, four.

and one, two, three, four.

and one, two, three. So, thats the basic step and then what were going to do is next were going to be showing you the posture and the hold.