Ballroom Blitz #015

New Yorks in Cha Cha - Mar 16, 2023

Transcript

Ian: Hey random dancer on the interwebs my name's Ian

Lindsey: and my name's Lindsey

Ian & Lindsey: and this is the Ballroom Blitz

Lindsey: Okay chaps today we are going to have a look at the Cha Cha it's a particular figure called the New Yorks [it's an] absolute classic let's have a look!

[Demonstration without music]

Lindsey: New York's follow the classic pattern that we find a lot of in your base Cha Cha movements of a step, a rock, and then a chasse following our cha-cha-cha four-and-one timing. Let's have a look at the footwork first and then we'll have a bit of a look at some do's and don'ts.

New Yorks can happen to either side we often do them in pairs or multiple groups but you can just do one and then move on to the next figure. Depending on which foot I am ready on that will determine which way I turn say I'm ready to use my right foot, I want to step forward into my New York so I'm going to be on a little bit of an angle already from my partner and I take a step forward on my right that's on beat two rock backwards on beat three and then I've got my cha-cha-cha. if I turn it a little bit I can set up one on the other side,

so I'll have:

[Demonstration with counts]

Lindsey: One of the main points of the New York is that instead of one of us stepping forward and the other one that's stepping back as we do in our basics, we're both going to step forward. So, that requires us to turn side by side with our partner in order to take that first step so we're both of us stepping forward in the same direction then we rock and we face each other again for our cha-cha-cha, if we do it on the other side where both of us stepping forward into the figure rocking back cha-cha-cha.

Ian: Alrighty let's do some do's and don'ts first the do's do do this figure it's awesome. Do make sure when you're leading this figure leads that you don't stay too straight. As Lindsey said we want to be on a little bit of an angle you'll basically want to move through Open Promenade or Open Counter Promenade as appropriate.

So, you're kind of halfway there you've already turned about an eighth (1/8), and then by the time you get into the step taking that forward step onto you're turning the remainder of the amount. Don't get here and be very square and then take all that turn on step two it's actually quite harsh to do that and your followers most likely going to miss the lead if you try it.

Lindsey: Now after we take that first step a good check for us is if our shoulders are all in a nice square line. So, by that we need to make sure that we have turned enough to take that step that we're not sort of stepping over ourselves. But, also that we have an overturned it what you see a lot of is people almost going back-to-back and that's not correct we that sort of turns that into a sideways step and it's too far you'll have to sort of yank back into your starting position again.

So, we set it up over our preceding cha-cha-cha onto that slight angle and then it's just a little bit more turn our shoulders are nice and straight in a line we have an overturned and sort of rolled that shoulder forward or anything.

Ian: If you're a competitive dancer, well let's face it you're not watching these videos if you are but if you see competitive dancers do that styling that's fine but they obviously have a much more polished routine and a much better idea of their partner's tension etc. for social dancing when you want to pull this out just having some fun really don't overextend, it looks bad it feels bad and it's just not necessary.

Lindsey: Yeah.

If we do want to give this a little bit more shape though that's where you can play around with the arms for styling. So, we've just been demonstrating with a hand fairly low but we can sort of let our creative juices flow a little bit with an arm out to the side or up we find out to the side is sort of more balanced just make sure you're not hitting the people dancing next to you.

[Demonstration with music]

Lindsey: And that's it for New York so nice and simple but kind of nice and flashy following that classic rhythm so make sure you stick it into your cha cha routines. As always, get into your local studios get on that dance floor and we'll see you next time.