The newer thing on the Danish Salsa scene! We have been on an inspirations trip to New York where the N.y.Style Cha-Cha-Cha is the hot & funky dance on the Salsa floors.

We finally are creating a lovely development in the Copenhagen Salsa environment, and you might already have heard about and maybe seen the Cha-Cha-Cha and New York Salsa/Mambo or heard the term "dancing On 2”? - or you may have been traveling and seen Salsa clubs or dance events in other parts of the world?

Both in Cuba and in New York Cha-Cha-Cha is danced, and the music is very happy, inspirering and rhythmical.

Cha-Cha-Cha has roots in Cuba and arose in the 1950's. The biggest pioneer & legend of the Cha-Cha-Cha ever lived is the (now dead) Tito Puente from the Spanish Harlem area of New York City.

New York Cha-Cha-Cha focuses on using the Cha-Cha-Cha rhythms with the hips and torso movements, both in the couple dancing and in footworks/shines in front of and around your partner. There are less "poses" than the latin sports dancing Cha-Cha, you use a smaller space on the floor (so it's suitable for the dancefloors), but you use the instruments in the music by using body movements, accenturing the rhythm with the feet and incooperating salsa combinations and footwork in the dance.

All Cha-Cha-Cha styles is dansed over the same rhythm, the conga drum beat. Regardless if you see the Cha-Cha-Cha from Cuba, New York or the sportsdance-version (or in "dancing with the stars"). (A few danceschools choses to teach the Cha-Cha-Cha on 1, which simplyfies it but then you don't follow the Conga, which is originated from the true latin american Cha-Cha-Cha).

The Cha-Cha-Cha rhythm and step is on 4-and-5 & 8-and-1.
So you dance: 1,2,3,cha-cha,5,6,7,cha-cha,1,2,3...etc.
Therefore many simplyfies the word to "Cha-Cha" instead of the longer "Cha-Cha-Cha".

This is also the way the rhythm is danced to in the Eddie Torres' New York Salsa (also called Mambo or "dancing On 2").

To dance New York Salsa and Cha-Cha-Cha therefore lies a lot closer than most people think...
To dance Cha-Cha-Cha is the easiest way to understand how to dance Salsa New York style, because the Cha-Cha is slower than Salsa, and you build up a feeling with the music and a deeper understanding of the music. As a bonus the music is inspirering and the combinations are cool and funky.