The Chasse

Fortunately most of our readers are well acquainted with the chassé. Perhaps somewhat limited in that in most dances they are taught only one way, the usual for the dance.

"On our dance floors, strangers are just friends waiting to happen"

Chassé is a dance step used in many dances in many variants, all of them being triple-step patterns of a gliding character. The steps going basically step-together-step and the first moving foot stays ahead. It was developed throughout the world sometime after the "Rock" step.

The word itself came from ballet terminology in more modern times. There are a huge variety of chassé steps and in many dances. Somehow it is always taught as part of a dance, rarely as a basic movement of many dances.

"Spanish Eyes"   ...   Placido Domingo

The direction may be forward, backward, sideways, diagonal or even curving. Sizes of steps may also vary. This also concerns the second, "together", step. The moving foot may land right beside the standing foot or leave some space, or even barely move from its previous position.

Timing may vary. Typical timings in the social dances are QQS (1/4, 1/4, 1/2) and SaS ("slow-and-slow", 3/8, 1/8, 1/2). And of course the footwork may vary and mostly decided by the leader. Samba has the most difficulty because it was redesigned by the dance instructor industry to include several different basics. Brazilian Samba is somewhat different than International or American Samba, it includes only two basics. But what the hell do Brazilians know about dancing Samba?

In line dancing the term chassé is used for a triple step sequence to the side. For instance, if the chassé is to be done to the right, the right foot steps right, the left foot is placed next to the right, with the weight being tranferred to the left foot so that the right foot can complete the chassé by stepping to the right. The call is usually: "step, together, step". The step is often called the side(ways) shuffle, as the shuffle is also a "step, together, step", but is done either forwards or backwards.

 

"Sobre Las Olas" (Over The Waves) composed in Mexico and translated in the US.

Mexican Waltz, the basic step is the left foot forward, the right foot comes up to the side of the left foot and then the left stays in place. However there is more of the Samba chassé in use nowadays, and probably the easiest for beginners. Most are pretty slow, but if it is fast it may even look like a Viennese Waltz.

Fast, medium, slow. all apply and many rhythms, the chassé is one of most versatile step movements in dancing. Fortunately, no one has a patent on it. Hooray!