What is Cha-cha-cha?
[[File:Cha-Cha-Cha Valente Cruz 9543.JPG|alt=|thumb|330x330px|An adult couple dances in Latin dance competitions in Austria.]] '''Cha-cha-cha''' is the name of a [[Latin American]] [[music]] and [[dance]], of [[Cuba]]n origin.<ref>Orovio, Helio 2004. ''Cuban music from A to Z''. p50</ref><ref>Giro, Radamés 2007. ''Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba''. La Habana. p281</ref> It is dance music introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953. The rhythm was developed from a previous dance, the danzón, by a split fourth beat. The name is derived from the shuffling of the dancers' feet.<ref>Jorrín, Enrique 1971. Origen del chachachá. ''Signos'' '''3''', 49.</ref> == Music == Many consider the ''Orquesta Aragón'' and the orchestra of José Fajardo to have been particularly influential in the development of the cha-cha-cha.<ref>Santos, John. 1982. ''The Cuban Danzón'' (liner notes). New York, Folkways Records FE 4066</ref> Outside Cuba, the big bands of Tito Puente (in [[New York City|New York]]), and Pérez Prado (in [[Mexico City]] and [[California]]) introduced the Cha-cha-cha to a much wider audience. == Dance == Musically, the Cha-cha-cha was perhaps not a great innovation. However, it became hugely popular because people found it easy to dance to. [[Monsieur Pierre]] and his colleagues went to Cuba in the early 1950s to study it. They came back to London and codified the dance (sorted it out and wrote it down). It became a standard dance in Latin American [[ballroom dancing]].<ref>Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing 2004. ''100 years of dance: a history of the ISTD Examinations Board''. London. p62</ref><ref>Lavelle, Doris 1983. ''Latin & American dances''. 3rd ed, Black, London.</ref> It is one of the five Latin dances in international competitions governed by the [[World Dance Council]]. Today it is still popular as a dance, and is still danced in Cuba. == Other web-sites == *Former Latin World Champions Bryan Watson and Karen Hardy give a demo. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v