Saturday, September 7, 2019

Ice Dancing: Cha Cha

I don't have much new to say about my skating, I'm in rebuilding mode, as I said in my last post. I'm thinking to describe the Pre-Bronze pattern dances that I've write about testing (read about it here), but didn't get into the actual dance.
Here is a link to the form judges use at tests, it shows the diagram of the dance and the skills they are looking for: https://www.usfsa.org/content/cha-cha.pdf

This dance goes only forward, as the Preliminay ones (Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango and Rhythm Blues), in fact, I haven't found it more difficult than the Preliminary ones. Here is drawing where I showed the starting point with the red X, and I put in the cardinal points so I can describe the  direction of the steps.
Intro steps: 4 Forward Strokes: left, right, left, right.
The pattern dance: As in the previous dances, I will describe groups of steps as I was grouping them in my mind to remember them, usually they form lobes.
1.2. Left Forward Progressive, 3 edges LFO.RFI. (2-2, 4 beats total). When I've learned this dance, I remember that I've learned this as a crossover, maybe it changed recently, but it may be a printing mistake. To me, a crossover (that is crisper then a progressive) makes sense to show the character of the dance.
3.4.5. Left Inside Edge, Right Outside Chasse, Wide Step Left Inside Edge (1-1-2, 4 beats total). Ive must have gotten the most correction for this dance on step 3... It is not terribly difficult to do, I just kept forgetting to pay attention. I mean, is is not easy, easy would be to do an outside edge... but it is double if you only remember to pay attention and to "place" the left foot on the proper inside edge. Then, there is the chasse on the right outside edge, and you keep your weight over the right side as you move the left leg to the left and wide step on an inside edge again.
Step 3 is a very important step from few different points of view:
- if incorrect it will affect the next steps. If placed on an outside edge, the chasse will very probably be on an outside edge (otherwise there would be a wide step there) and that wouldn't allow a strong control of keeping the weight to the right side, so then, the skater would "fall" (drop, not place)  on the the wide step (step 5)
- done correctly it shows the character of the dance cha cha (the hips movement), by placing the feet first, the hips movement is delayed and when it happens it is more accentuated.
- I find it is the first step that reveals what pattern dances are all about! Accuracy while showing character of the specific dance!
6. Right Outside Edge with knee rise at the middle (4 beats total). This step was not an easy step for me. I was stepping somehow forward, instead of directly on an outside edge. It is difficult to go on an outside edge if you don't set your foot on an outside edge to start with. Also my weight was forward on my blade, instead of back of the arch where it should be and that didn't help the control of the outside edge either, especially having to do the knee rise.
7.8. Two foot slalom (1-1-2-1 1/2) The slalom should have the feet together. The timing is interesting but I've felt the music carried it trough.
9.10. Left Inside Chasse (1/2 beats) Right Forward Inside Edge (2 beats). The slalom end on the right foot and then the left one touches the ice for just half beat to set the right foot on an inside edge.
11. Left Forward Outside Swing Roll (4 beats) is important to end towards the center of the rink
12.13. Cross Forward Right Forward Outside, Cross Behind Left Forward Inside (2-2, 4 beats total)
14. Right Forward Inside Swing Roll (4 beats total)

And here is the video from when I tested it:




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