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When the English dance teacher Pierre Lavelle visited Cuba in 1952, he realised
that sometimes the Rumba was danced with extra beats. When he returned to
Britain, he started teaching these steps as a separate dance.
The name could have been derived from the Spanish \'Chacha\' meaning \'nursemaid\',
or \'chachar\' meaning \'to chew coca leaves\', or from \'char\' meaning \"tea\', or
most likely from the fast and cheerful\'Cuban dance: the Guaracha. This dance
has been popular in Europe from before the turn of the century. For example it
is listed on the program of the Finishing Assembly in 1898 of Dancie Neill at
Coupar Angus in Scotland.
It has also been suggested that the name Cha Cha is derived onomatipeically
>from the sound of the feet in the chasse which is included in many of the
steps. This would account for it being called the \'Cha Cha Cha\' by some people,
after the rhythm:
whereas others call it the \'Cha Cha\' after the rhythm:
These differ only as to which beat of the musical bar is stressed by the
dancing: beat 4 in the first case, beat 1 in the second.
In 1954, the dance was described as a \"Mambo with a guiro rhythm\". A guiro is a
musical instrument consisting of a dried gourd rubbed by a serrated stick.
The Mambo was originally a Haitian dance introduced to the West in 1948 by
Prado. The word \"Mambo\" is the name of a voodoo priestess in the religion
brought by the Negroes from Africa. Thus the Cha Cha Cha had its origins in the
religious ritual dances of West Africa. There are three forms of Mambo: single,
double, and triple. The triple has five (!) steps to a bar, and this is the
version that evolved into the Cha Cha Cha .
The \"Cha Cha\" is danced currently at about 120 beats per minute.
JIVE
This dance originated with the Negroes in the South East of U.S.A., where it
had an affinity with the war dances of the Seminole Indians in Florida. One
reference suggests that the Negroes copied it from the Indians. Another
suggests that the Negroes brought the dance from Africa, and the Indians copied
it. The latter is more likely, as the word \"Jive\" is probably derived
>from \"Jev\" meaning \"to talk disparagingly\" in the West African Wolof language
The current version called the Jive has basic steps composed of a fast
syncopated chasse (side, close, side) to the left followed by another to the
right (right then left for the lady) followed by a slower break back and
replace forward. The hips are moved half a beat after each of the steps, and
the weight is kept well forward with all steps being taken on the toes.
In its beginnings, in 1927, the dance became equated with youth. Older adults
disapproved of it and tried to ban it from dance halls by the rationalisation
that because Jive was non-progressive, it disturbed the other dancers who were
progressing anti-clockwise around the dance floor .
The association between youth and this dance has continued through its
subsequent metamorphoses as Swing , Boogie-Woogie , B-Bop ( Beach Bop ) , Rock
& Roll , Twist , Disco , Hustle and Ceroc.
TANGO
Tango developed in the late 1800's, in the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina,
among the poor, and has often been associated with the prostitutes of that era,
who were said to gain customers through this seductive dance. We do not know
much of its earliest development within argentina, but we know that it was in
the early 1900's \"discovered\" by the higher society in Buenos Aires. It became
every popular and was, in 1930, known as Argentina's most danced social dance.
Argentine tango is an intimate and passionate social dance (couples' dance)
that is characterized by its closeness between the partners, rapid and
complicated legwork, and (today) a very slick and sexy look. There is a
distinction between what we call salon tango, or social tango, and the fantasy
tango, or choreographed tango. The salon tango is more intimate and has
improvised and less acrobatic moves, while the fantasy tango is based on more
elaborate, choreographed moved and is for theatrical purposes.
The characteristic instrument of Argentine tango is the accordion, although
many combinations can be found, including cello, violin, piano, flute, etc.
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