Improving my Cha Cha and Learning Some Nightclub!

In the past week I have focused on tightening up my Cha Cha moves and learning a little bit of the Night Club routine. So far Cha Cha is the hardest dance for me personally.  I am not sure what exactly makes it so tricky except that I know my feet always want to go in the wrong direction.  I constantly tend to start the chase move with the wrong foot or bend my knees too much or lose track of my steps entirely as I race to keep up with the music.

Last week I decided that I needed to learn the footwork for Cha Cha very slowly and on my own so that when I was dancing with a partner (and music) my feet would just naturally know where to go.  Muscle memory is pretty much the key component to dancing well.  Everyday, I set aside 10-15 minutes and reviewed my form and footwork for the basic Cha Cha step, the crossover break, the turns, and the chase move.  This practice helped me a lot and prepared me for my next lesson.  Instead of struggling to focus on footwork and technique and keeping time with the music I could just focus on the latter two issues.  Hooray! My plan for this week is to look just a little better when Cha Cha-ing socially.   I think I can get there. :)

This week I was also introduced to Night Club.  I had previously learned a few turns and basic steps from Brian but had not yet started to integrate these moves into a routine.  I decided, after learning Night Club, that I like it a lot! I naturally have long limbs and arms and am constantly taking steps that are too big in compact dances like West Coast Swing and Two Step.  Finally, a dance where I can stretch my legs and arms out and be praised for it!!!

Night Club is a version of waltz and is a slow, big dance which takes up a lot of space.  I  love it.  I really like that I can relate Night Club to Two Step, which is a dance I already know.  For example, the pivot turns in Night Club are giant versions of the tiny, tight pivots performed in Two Step.  The only thing that is awkward about Night Club is that you have to cock your head to the side a bit and settle into your left and right hip as you dance (kind of like waltz).  This is a very unnatural (and uncomfortable) head movement for almost anyone and will definitely take some getting used to.

After my struggles with Cha Cha though I am relieved that I may have some natural ability for any dance.  This week my focus is on tightening up my Two Step routine and doing drills for Night Club, Two Step and Cha Cha.  Practice, practice practice!