A ballroom dance with small steps and swaying hip movements, performed to a Latin American rhythm.

Chachacha in the Western hemisphere was first seen in Cuba, where slaves had brought it from Africa.

The new dance was initially called triple mambo, because of the slow mambo step followed by three quick steps, the chasse.
The name chachacha was created by the Cuban composer Enrique Jorrin. He slowed down the Mambo music, and named the form after the sound of the dancers shoes as they pound out the rhythm of this dance.

English dance instructors Pierre and Lavalle discovered this dance in 1952 in Cuba, and brought it to England, where they created todays ballroom Chachacha.

The first time that it appeared on the competition dance list was in 1961. Today this is one of the most popular Latin American ballroom competition dances.