Cha cha cha...West Coast Swing...

C

Catarina

New Member
While dancing a cha cha cha last night (on1), the lead asked me if I danced West Coast Swing. I do not. When I asked him what prompted the question, he just said, "it's just how you move."

Anyone care to give me clarity on where his comment may have come from? I've only watched a handful of WCS videos online & really like them, really like the style, but don't really know how somebody would have pegged my cha cha cha style as WCS.
Sorry, don't have any videos of myself dancing to offer up.
 
Catarina said:
While dancing a cha cha cha last night (on1), the lead asked me if I danced West Coast Swing. I do not. When I asked him what prompted the question, he just said, "it's just how you move."

Anyone care to give me clarity on where his comment may have come from? I've only watched a handful of WCS videos online & really like them, really like the style, but don't really know how somebody would have pegged my cha cha cha style as WCS.
Sorry, don't have any videos of myself dancing to offer up.
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It may have vaguely resembled a coaster
 
One can do cha cha cha to west coast music and vice versa. As a person who really loves cha cha cha I can attest to that. Cha cha cha encourages playing with the music...it has that syncopation that a lot of west coast has. There are quite a few west coast dancers who have enjoyed cha cha chas with me...when they really don't do it. So, I can see depending on how you dance cha cha cha a person who deos west coast could think you might do that.
 
It may not exactly be a compliment (no offense meant). Chacha timing is 4&1 emphasis on one. WCS timing is more even thru the "triple step". Not being a mind reader but the absence of the staccato rhythm in some followers' chacha does remind me of WCS dancing and I've noted that some WCS follows that don't do a lot of Chacha tend to slur thru the 4&1. BTW, chacha is an ON2 dance. You can dance it ON1 but it feels better and is meant to be danced ON2. So your leader might not be the best person from whom to judge styling. Again, since this is just guessing without much info, I don't mean to be harsh.
 
dansah said:
BTW, chacha is an ON2 dance. You can dance it ON1 but it feels better and is meant to be danced ON2. .
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A lot of Cubans would give you an argument on that topic--and-- it depends if its written in a Guajira rhythm , placing it on 1-- the original form of " Cha ".

Most of todays music is written in a syncop. "pick up note " bar-- but-- there are several recordings by various artists ( latino ) that have been recorded in the original format .
 
dansah said:
It may not exactly be a compliment (no offense meant). Chacha timing is 4&1 emphasis on one. WCS timing is more even thru the "triple step". Not being a mind reader but the absence of the staccato rhythm in some followers' chacha does remind me of WCS dancing and I've noted that some WCS follows that don't do a lot of Chacha tend to slur thru the 4&1. BTW, chacha is an ON2 dance. You can dance it ON1 but it feels better and is meant to be danced ON2. So your leader might not be the best person from whom to judge styling. Again, since this is just guessing without much info, I don't mean to be harsh.
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there is no offense taken! I prefer to dance cha cha on2 by leaps & bounds, but am bound to the timing my lead will dance :( That makes sense about the accent on the triple step.
 
Sagitta said:
One can do cha cha cha to west coast music and vice versa. As a person who really loves cha cha cha I can attest to that. Cha cha cha encourages playing with the music...it has that syncopation that a lot of west coast has. There are quite a few west coast dancers who have enjoyed cha cha chas with me...when they really don't do it. So, I can see depending on how you dance cha cha cha a person who deos west coast could think you might do that.
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Hmmmm. I feel like I do mark/accent the syncopation clearly as I dance--I think it looks so neat when I've seen others dance it that way, and have tried to emulate that as I dance. Is there something in how break steps are done that could be similar between WCS & cha cha cha?
 
dansah said:
It may not exactly be a compliment (no offense meant). Chacha timing is 4&1 emphasis on one. WCS timing is more even thru the "triple step". Not being a mind reader but the absence of the staccato rhythm in some followers' chacha does remind me of WCS dancing and I've noted that some WCS follows that don't do a lot of Chacha tend to slur thru the 4&1. BTW, chacha is an ON2 dance. You can dance it ON1 but it feels better and is meant to be danced ON2. So your leader might not be the best person from whom to judge styling. Again, since this is just guessing without much info, I don't mean to be harsh.
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I disagree that CHA CHA feels better on the 1, i know Ballroom teaches on 2, i even know Tito Puente said the same thing(famous timbale player) perhaps the best bar non.but i disagree i think the 1 is more natural, easier to teach, to Anybody, right away, as a matter of fact im teaching tonight at the old Woodbine inn in pensauken now calle SAVOY, im teaching cha cha and dj, anyway, im not saying 2 is not very cool, i can do both but perfer 1, unless someone is really really good on 2.anyway like saggita has said sometimes west coast &cha cha can be done in the same song, way cool, im not sure what you dance like danash, but i or others could tell u if we saw what u do.
 
dansah said:
Chacha timing is 4&1 emphasis on one.

.
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Thats not the issue-- ALL downbeats at the beginning of a bar are on 1-- the SYNCOPATION is what the dances " stress " is upon-- in this case ( if written with a "pickup " between the bars ) is 4 and 1--- IF its Guajira, then the syncop, is contained IN the bar-- as in 1, 2,--3 and 4 ( originating from triple Mambo cha,s origin)
 
chachachacat said:
On 2 is how the music goes!

On 1 is just lazy!
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well in your opinion, but your ballroom trained, (so was i in the past) im someone who like"s to bet people in the sense of put your money where you mouth is. here"s my bet. lets go anywhere in the world and you teach cha cha on 2 for 30 min to a group of people and i'll teach on 1 to a group of people(who are not dancers) i'll bet you 10, 000, my people will dance cha cha pretty much right away, while your group after 30 min will still be confused of how to break on the 2.people say the same about salsa, its supposed to be on the 2 and its called mambo, you purists crack me up, i've dj in princeton for all latin dances and watched so called well known latin teachers teach on 2 mabo /salsa whatever you want to call it(i teach salsa myself) and i watch as the dj these teachers who teach on 2, and by the end of a hour out of 80 people taking the class i think 5 are dancing on 2, but i"ve taught on 1 at princeton(and others) and seen people doing on 1 right away. im not saying on 2 is not (right) is just harder to learn straight up, it may be lazy but if people are havin FUN and some of them looking good who cares? only purists.
 
Who cares? They are doing it wrong! They are not dancing to the music!
All you have to do is hold one, step two. Big deal.

Then I get those students who want to learn cha cha and "they know a little", which is progressive, and "12, cha cha cha."
Now, YOU take these folks and teach them the right way. Then you have confusion.

If I had to teach a one-time only large group, I'd make it as easy as possible , but I would not foxtrot with the timing!
 
chachachacat said:
Who cares? They are doing it wrong! They are not dancing to the music!
All you have to do is hold one, step two. Big deal.

Then I get those students who want to learn cha cha and "they know a little", which is progressive, and "12, cha cha cha."
Now, YOU take these folks and teach them the right way. Than you have confusion.

If I had to teach a one-time only large group, I'd make it as easy as possible , but I would not foxtrot with the timing!
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i still disagree there not doing it wrong, just a tempo break in the timing,do u play a instument? i do for 30 years quitar & bass, its NOT out of timing, and as a footnote watch line dancers here in philly do cha cha line dances on 1, they been doing the dances for 30+ years i've never heard anybody say there out of time(not everyone who does the line dances ) but as a whole. why teach them on 2 right away? most folks do NOT want to learn Ballroom.ps i like Ballroom.
 
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