Cha Cha Technique, Newcomer Figures

General Technique:

• Legs are straight except when moving/turning.
• Turn the body between beats, on '&'.

Basic: when stepping forward on 2:

• body is lifted on 2: weight on front leg, pushing off ball of back foot to extend higher
• check step on &: bend knee of back leg, as if some poked the back of the knee with a stick, back hip comes even, weight settles on front leg. Keep knees close together.
  
• 3: push off front leg, move hip back, straighten back leg before placing weight on it

New Yorker:

1. (previous beat) &: turn body 90 degree
2. 2: forward step
3. & check step, see above
4. 3: weight on back foot
5. &: turn 90 to face
   
6. 4 (side) - & (together) -1 (side) - & (turn 90) [repeat #2]
   

Hand to Hand: it's like "reverse" New Yorker, don't over turn, be precise.

Should-to-shoulder: don't think of it as a turning step. face your partner, body slight turn, step outside partner.

Some international style coaches consider American rhythm dances are the lazy version of the international dances, because the knees are always bent.