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I was very proud of my teaching capabilities and my students all broke on Count-2 during class. However, at the Saturday Night Dances, more than half of the dancers did their Breaks on Count "1" or Count "3," as they dutifully counted (sometimes out loud) "2 3 4&1." I shared my experiences with other top teachers who seemed to feel that some people just can't ever learn to BREAK ON "2" - except in class.
I have always believed that correct training will produce great dancing. Even today, only a small percentage of Cha-Cha dancers actually break on 2 and 6 and stay on the correct beat for the entire dance.
The "Break-through" came in 1989 with the discovery of Real Musical Count - the Dancers Count - Rolling Count. I launched an experimental class at Sequoia Athletic Club in Buena Park, CA. Great News! Startling news! After only 6 classes, (one hour, one night a week) everyone in the class could not only Break on 2, but could tell when they observed someone else off time. It was a bit embarrassing when beginner students were pointing out the dancers on the floor who were not breaking on the correct count. We spent the evening grabbing pointing fingers and saying "Please don't point - Just tell us what you see." They saw teachers and students alike - dancing on a variety of beats, OTHER than on 2.
Rules of Music and Rules of Movement form the criteria for determining Authentic Musical Count. That Real Count for Cha-Cha is: "&a1 2 - 3 4 - &a5 6 - 7 8". That may sound strange if it is new to you, but believe me - it really WORKS! Fundamentally, the Man's left foot should break on Count "2" and his Right foot should break on Count "6". The Lady breaks on her Right foot on Count "2" and her Left foot on Count "6". All Cha-Cha music is 4/4 time. Cha-Cha is danced in four, 2-Beat Increments. The Downbeat is the accented beat - particularly Count 1 and Count 5 - but the Breaks take place on the Upbeats - (Count 2 and Count 6).
Prediction Gone Wrong!!!
In 1989,
I predicted that by the year 2000, every Dance Teacher
would have discovered Real
Count - simply because it is the ONLY method that
works 100% of the time.
2008 Note:
Well - I was wrong!
I should have listened to my own statistics.
It has taken 15 to 20 YEARS for any serious discovery to become
standard information - that includes the dance industry. It was in 1995
that we started a real campaign for this latest change. Who knows how long
it will take before it becomes the Standard?
Musical Count for Cha-Cha: "&a1 Break 2 - 3 4 - &a5 Break 6 - 7 8"
Weight changes occur on "a 1 2 - 3 4 - a 5 6 - 7 8" (
Location for Identification only)
When starting to dance Cha-Cha, several ways are acceptable: 1. STARTER STEP: If you have already learned Side-Left & Back-Right for the Leader on Counts 1 - 2 " - then simply shift that Count to 5-6". The "5 6 - 7 8" now becomes a 4-Beat Starter Step. Each new pattern now starts on Count-1 (actually "&a1"). The man's Left Break will be on Count-2 and his Right Break on Count-6. This 8-Beat pattern of the dance matches the 8-Beat Mini-phrase in the music. It is incredible! Once you see this written out on the Sheet Music for Dancers, the whole process becomes evident - and EASY. 2. GSDTA STARTS: From closed dance position, the man leads a gentle Side-in Place, Forward - on Counts &a1 2 of the first Dance Rhythm. This puts the man forward on his Left Foot on Count-2. This is my personal favorite and certainly looks the most professional of all of the choices. 3. ACCEPTABLE START: Many advanced dancers can lift the CPB of the body up while pressing the right foot down on Count-1, allowing the left foot to break forward on Count-2. That works, but only if led extremely well. 4. NO-NO START: Some male dancers start the dance stepping Side-Right on 1 and Forward-Left on 2. This may work for a choreographed routine, or in a location where everyone has learned this same procedure. However, ladies have been taught to always start dancing with their Right Foot FREE. If you have a choice, unless your entire dance circle uses this approach, please use one of the other choices. By isolating any step pattern - in any dance - and separating each pattern into separate 2-Beat Dance Rhythms - you will learn more about that dance than you ever dreamed possible. It's exciting! Counting out the 8 Beats of music in Cha-Cha allows the dancer to hear the complete Mini-phrase. Count-2 and Count-6 fall within each 8-Beat Mini-phrase. Dancing on time - ALL of the time - is certainly preferable to simply starting on time. Listen to the music. Count: "1 2 - 3 4 - 5 6 - 7 8 ." Those 8 Beats will fall in the same place EVERY time you play that same piece of music. Cha-Cha dance patterns are danced in 8-Beat patterns or multiples of 8. It is important for the music and the dance to match the 8 Beats in the music. When even ONE couple on the floor is dancing on the correct beat of the music, other dancers frequently look off time - and certainly always look off phrase.
NOTE: If I call out a
Rolling Count for an "8-Beat" pattern in Cha-Cha - the Verbal "Call" must
include the "&-Count" - even when there is no weight change-
Verbal "Call" for the
LEAD - Progressive Basic:
Reminder: HE breaks on his left foot on "2" - Right foot on "6" SHE: breaks on her Right foot on "2" and Left foot on "6"
&a1 2 3 4 &a5 6 7 8 Rhythm Pattern: �� � - � � - �� � - � � Syncopated Triple - Double - Sync. Triple - Double
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