How To Do the Cha Cha

The cha cha is a popular Cuban dance that is often danced at ballroom dance events as well as Latin clubs. Cha cha music is written in 4/4 time and around 30 measures per minute with a fast, syncopated feel.

Step 1 Dance the cha-cha's

To do these take three small steps to the left as if you were stepping towards your seat in a crowded movie theater. The timing for these is 1,2,3,cha,cha. The 'chas' are 1/2 steps. Then do three small steps to the right. Keep going back and forth.

Step 2 Dance the rock steps

Simply step back with your right foot, rock onto the ball, then rock forward onto your left foot. Keep rocking from your left to your right and back. The timing for this is 1, 1.

Step 3 Put the cha-cha-cha's together with the rock steps

You should be going cha-cha-cha, rock, step, cha-cha-cha, rock step.

Step 4 Adjust your timing

Take one side step, then your rock steps, and go into your cha-cha-cha's.

Step 5 Practice with music.

Tips

• Cha cha is one of the most complex dances out there. This may get you started, but it's extremely difficult to learn any dance by description. Seek out a teacher and classes.
• Practice! It takes three-hundred repetitions to build a muscle memory but it takes up to ten thousand to make it purely instinctive.
• Take small steps. Smaller than that. No, even smaller.

Things You'll Need

• Music: Some good cha cha songs include "Don't Cha" and "Sway" by the Pussycat Dolls, "Promiscuous," by Nelly Furtado, and "Save the Last Dance For Me," by Michael Buble.