A little history can be interesting, specially now that the entire world seems to be going into the Latin kick. What makes it different? Well, it's the music. The moves have been done by humans from as far back as fifty thousand years? Maybe only forty thousand? I am not going to quibble over it. Humans can only say, “been there, done that.” The point is that the people in the Western dance world did not begin to recognize it as such until the beginning of modern partner dancing. The word Chassé came from ballet terminology and from the French meaning “to chase." Nothing difficult about that.
"Many dancers can memorize steps and then repeat them in front of people in
exhibition or competition dancing, but social dancers can take the
Chassé is any three-step pattern, going basically in the same direction with the leading foot always leading. In complimentary style, the man going forward and the woman back in the first chassé, and with the man going back and the woman going forward is the “natural step.” Side steps too in mirror fashion, And there are many other movements which are considered “unnatural patterns” but quite acceptable in many disciplines. Let us not quibble, it is a Chassé, so let's dance.
It works the same as the rock step, as a complementary step or a mirror step and even as a promenade step. Next, what happens when you dance a rock step and a chassé? You got a perfect Cha Cha Cha! Did somebody in the last hundred years invent that? Ha! - Africa? You gotta be kidding. Then how about a Rock Step and two chassés. You have a perfect Jive! The Mayan Indians used to dance something like that to a six count measure. And they surely didn't invent it. It was there long before their time. I keep looking for all these present day folks that invented these steps and patterns. They just don't know any better.
"Many dancers can memorize steps and then repeat them in front of people in
exhibition or competition dancing, but social dancers can take the
choreography to the next level through emotions and make it their own."
Chassé is any three-step pattern, going basically in the same direction with the leading foot always leading. In complimentary style, the man going forward and the woman back in the first chassé, and with the man going back and the woman going forward is the “natural step.” Side steps too in mirror fashion, And there are many other movements which are considered “unnatural patterns” but quite acceptable in many disciplines. Let us not quibble, it is a Chassé, so let's dance.
"Morning Dew" by Melveen Leed
It works the same as the rock step, as a complementary step or a mirror step and even as a promenade step. Next, what happens when you dance a rock step and a chassé? You got a perfect Cha Cha Cha! Did somebody in the last hundred years invent that? Ha! - Africa? You gotta be kidding. Then how about a Rock Step and two chassés. You have a perfect Jive! The Mayan Indians used to dance something like that to a six count measure. And they surely didn't invent it. It was there long before their time. I keep looking for all these present day folks that invented these steps and patterns. They just don't know any better.
"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others,
what am I? And if not now, when?"
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