Video Program: Intermediate Cha Cha

The Delta Dance Intermediate Cha Cha video dance course is the exact same program we teach in our dynamic live group classes. A comprehensive program covering nearly 3 hours of instruction, your lessons are broken down into different parts to make it easier for you to learn.

The Cha Cha is a fun, flirtatious dance with staccato actions utilizing a number of distinctly different "Chasses." In this program you'll learn how to use 9 of the 10 Chasses available (one of them is not well suited to social dancing so we leave that one out), in a series of 14 different step groupings that allow a wide variety of options for social dancing.

This course focuses on Bronze and Silver figures, with a couple of Gold figures thrown in because they are not too hard. Many of the step patterns we cover in this routine are the same ones taught in the technical manuals used by dance teachers around the world. No matter where you travel in the world, dancers will be familiar with these patterns. We have added a couple of open-level variations to keep things interesting.

Rather than teaching a routine, we focus on "groups" of step patterns. The reason is that when people learn a routine they quickly fall into a pattern where they only dance the routine the same way every time, which is not only boring but limits your ability to improvise and explore everything ballroom dancing represents.

Throughout the video, we cover common issues that we see in teaching and in watching social dancers, providing useful insights to help you dance a more technically accurate and enjoyable Rumba, yet without the burden of too much technique.

This video is available to all Delta Dance members.

Curriculum

This is a comprehensive course that totals 2 hours 47 minutes in length. We've broken it down into separate videos for each group to make it easy to digest and to find the individual sections that you'll want to learn. If you are new to Cha Cha, please go through our Beginner Cha Cha video first to understand the basic step patterns and technique of Cha Cha.

Introduction (length 8:12)
This lesson covers the two most important aspects of good Cha Cha technique: leg action for International Style Cha Cha, and timing of the Chasse.

Group 1: Fan and Hockey Stick (length 29:34)
This initial group is one of the most common groupings in Cha Cha. You'll learn the Fan and the Hockey Stick, followed by the Three Cha Chas as a fun and visually striking ending.

Group 2: Natural Top and Closed Hip Twist (length 10:38)
Another popular combination, the Natural Top is a rapidly rotating figure in which the man circles around the lady. We follow this with a Closed Hip Twist to Fan.

Group 3: Reverse Top (length 6:37)
The Reverse Top is the exact opposite of the Natural Top in every way. Here the couple rotates to the left and the lady circles around the man. In this group, we begin the Reverse Top immediately after the Closed Hip Twist, ending in Fan Position.

Group 4: There and Back (length 10:27)
We start with a Natural Opening Out Movement, which is similar to the Closed Hip Twist, followed by Side Steps and then the There and Back. The group finishes with another set of Side Steps. We also cover details like arm movements and situational awareness for this group.

Group 5: Time Steps (length 16:59)
Time Steps are similar to Shoulder to Shoulder, but in this case both partners step back rather than having the man step forward. We also show you how to make the Time Steps more dramatic with Guapacha Timing.

Group 6: Cross Basic (Silver) (length 6:58)
This is a Silver level figure, but suprisingly easy. We show you how to dress up your Cross Basic by combining two of them with both an Underarm Turn and Spiral Turn options, as well as using Guapacha Timing with shaping.

Group 7: Aida (Silver) (length 11:32)
This Silver level step is very popular. We show how to lead it effectively, and give you two possible endings that are a lot of fun, with appropriate technical notes.

Group 8: Alemana and Rope Spinning (Silver) (length 14:20)
The Alemana is a Bronze figure, while the Rope Spin is a Silver figure. We go through a number of technical details to help you lead it effectively, as well as covering Spiral actions and how to position the man properly for a successful outcome.

Group 9: Shadow New Yorks (Open Variation) (length 7:29)
This is not an official figure in the International syllabus, but it's a huge amount of fun so we include it in this program. The man guides the lady to shadow position from which you dance into New York action.

Group 10: Cuban Breaks and Swivels and Breaks (Gold) (length 14:47)
This group includes both the Cuban Break Chasse and the faster Split Cuban Breaks. We go through considerable detail to help you dance these figures successfully. Then we move on to Swivels and Breaks to finish off a fun and dynamic group.

Group 11: Sweetheart (Gold) (length 5:41)
Although the Sweetheart is a Gold figure, it's not too hard so we include it in this series.

Group 12: The Chase (Silver) (length 5:35)
The Chase is a fun Silver figure in which the man and lady chase each other in a back-and-forth pattern.

Group 13: Side-by-Side Sequence (Open Variation) (length 12:26)
This group consists of a wide variety of Cha Cha Chasses put together, many of them in a side-by-side structure where both partners dance the same thing for a fun presentation on the floor, followed by Three Cha Chas where the man chases the lady, eventually catching up with her.

Group 14: Open Hip Twist (Silver) (length 5:02)
A very simple group starting from Open Facing Position, ending in either Fan Position or with the man turning to the lady.