Cha Cha Basic Technique

More basic technique has been added to Cha Cha Technique page.

Doing figure 8 action continuously.
It's important to create time - connected actions, sudden actions.

• 2: RF back, basic Latin back step.
• Different from Rumba, tighten up weight transfer, body/spine more fwd, do not put all the weight on back foot, no time to get back.
• LF is on ball of foot, proping body. there is quite a bit weight on front foot. It is ok that back heel doesn't come all the way down (to steal time).
• Still, twist R hip at the end, it still creates big action.
• 3: LF replace
• 4: RF to side, slightly fwd. Chasse is very tight, directly under shoulder. Use side step Latin technique.
• Spine moves just slightly diagonally fwd (this is simultaneous with previous step when L hip twist). Still doing figure 8 action.
• No rib cage displacement.
• &: LF closes to RF (sudden sharp action), on the ball of LF, not ball flat. Work L hip diagonally fwd (which increases circumference when it twists, it produces more power).
• 1: Twisting L hip (powerful), make sure L shoulder doesn't come up (body height doesn't change), shoulder down, compress. 
• Twist creates internal space, RF to side
• as you transfer weight, hip comes underneath the body. Don't do step, then hip, which is disconnected. Do connected actions.
• Also, for basic actions, there is no rib cage displacement, just move the whole spine over to RF, don't put R hip over foot, while rib cage goes to left. (Advanced dancer may explore rib cage displacement for effects.)
• 2: LF directly go fwd, where it needs to go (steal time). Don't close LF to RF first and then out fwd. Go directly fwd.
• LF turned out. Compression, flat foot, Pendulum action,L hip pulls knee underneath. Check happens on "&".
• Cha Cha has quick sharp check action. (Rumba has soft check action.)
• 3: R hip is diagonally fwd (yes, fwd, it's going to go to side step.) (Previous quick check created time, use the extra time to show the hip action.)
• 4&1: side slightly back. Chasse action.

For sudden, sharp, quick dynamic, practice twisting upper body and switching knee separately, then combining them will create bigger action.

Make sure adding dynamic doesn't change the basic core fundamentals (like body alignment).