Cha Cha & Merengue

The Cha Cha is a dance that evolved from Mambo in the Palladium days in New York city. The Triple Mambo, a form of Mambo, was danced in night clubs in the Spanish Harlem, which had three quick changes of weight and sounded like 'cha-cha-cha'. By the 1950s, Triple Mambo was simplified and slowed down, and soon came to be known as a dance form of its own, called Cha Cha. The Cha Cha became the slower and methodical dance with much of style inherited from its parent dance, Mambo.

Street style Cha Cha allows for a natural movement of the hips that come from the shifting of weight. As opposed to its ballroom counterpart, street style is less structured and formulated, giving room for innovation and freedom of expression to the music.

Merengue

Merengue is the national dance of the Domnican Republic. The main characteristic of Merengue music its upbeat rythm and strong 1-2-1-2 pulse. The dance is characterised by its hip movement as weight is shifted from side to side. Merengue is danced as a couple and is regarded as one of the simpliest dances to learn.