There are movements in this dance that remind us of a matador and his "cape", on the order of the moves seen in the Latin Dance "Paso Doble". Hence the title of the dance
Man and lady are on one footwork throughout the dance, some steps are the same for both; where they differ, the man's and lady's moves will be designated separately
CROSS ROCK STEP, CHA FORWARD, ½ LEFT MILITARY PIVOT, CHA TO BACK
1-2
Cross left foot over right foot and step, rock back onto right foot in place
3&4
Cha-cha-cha forward (left, right, left)
5-6
Step forward onto right foot, pivot ½ turn to the left
Man releases right hands and turns under his own left arm. Weight is transferred to the left foot
7&8
Both cha-cha-cha forward (right, left, right) (toward 6:00) maintaining left hands
½ RIGHT PIVOT TO FRONT, LADY CHAS RIGHT TO FACE MAN, ROCK STEP, LADY CHAS LEFT TO SIDE-BY-SIDE
9-10
Step forward on left foot, pivot ½ turn to the right
Man turns under his left arm, weight is transferred to the right foot
11&12
MAN: Cha-cha-cha forward (left, right, left) guiding the lady in a right twirl to face him
LADY: Cha-cha-cha (left, right, left) making a right ½ turn to face the man (turning under her left arm)
13-14
MAN: Step right foot forward, rock back onto left foot in place
On step 13 man picks up lady's right hand in his right hand at waist level
LADY: Step right foot back, rock forward onto left foot in place
15&16
MAN: Cha-cha-cha (right, left, right) in place as lady returns to his right side
LADY: Cha-cha-cha (right, left, right) making a left ½ turn returning to right side-by-side position with the man
Both now face the original "front" again. Lady passes under her left arm on steps 15&
ROCK STEP, CHA TO THE RIGHT, ½ LEFT MILITARY PIVOT, CHA TO THE LEFT
17-18
Step back on left foot, rock forward onto right foot in place turning foot to 2:00
Man makes a slightly longer step than lady to still be side-by-side when they turn
19&20
Both cha-cha-cha forward (left, right, left) (toward 3:00) man lifting left hands to head-level
21-22
Both step forward with right foot, and pivot ½ turn to the left
Man releases right hands and turns under his own left arm. Weight is transferred to the left foot. Both now face 9:00
23&24
Both cha-cha-cha forward (right, left, right) (toward 9:00) maintaining left hands over his head
RIGHT ¾ PIVOT TO 6:00, SWAYS, LADY'S RIGHT ½ TURN TO FACE MAN, CHA IN PLACE
25-26
Both step forward with left foot, pivot to the right as far as possible on the balls of both feet (man turning under his left arm) to face the back (6:00). Legs will be crossed
27-28
Both step left foot to the left (uncrossing) swaying hips to the left side, sway hips to the right
Couple are in "Indian" position during sways. Man behind lady, her left hand in his left, her right hand in his right, at shoulder level
29-30
MAN: Rock weight onto left foot, then rock onto right foot in place
LADY: Step forward on left foot to begin a ½ right turn to face man, step right foot beside left foot completing ½ turn to face man
Lady turns under his left arm as both hands are maintained. They will be crossed left over right at end of turn. He still faces 6:00. She faces him toward front (12:00)
As the chas begin in counts 31&32, couple changes hands; his left/her right & his right/her left)
31&32
Cha-cha-cha in place (left, right, left) with hands at waist level
LADY'S RIGHT CUDDLE, LADY'S LEFT CUDDLE
33-34
MAN: Step right foot back, rock forward onto left foot in place
Lifting his left & her right hands on 33 8r, lowering after 34
LADY: Step right foot across left foot to man's right side, beginning a ½ left turn into cuddle/wrap position, passing under his left arm. Step left foot beside right foot completing the ½ left turn into right cuddle
35&36
Both cha-cha-cha (right, left, right) in place
37-38
MAN: Step left foot back, rock forward onto right foot
He lifts both hands overhead as the lady steps to his left side, unwinding and rewinding their hands as they assume the left cuddle position and hands are dropped
LADY: Step left foot to left across front of man beginning a full right turn to his left side, under both upraised hands. Step right foot across front of man continuing a full turn to his left side, under both upraised hands
39&40
MAN: Cha-cha-cha (left, right, left) in place, lowering hands into cuddle position as lady gets into position at his left side
LADY: Cha-cha-cha (left, right, left)
The full turn to man's left side is completed on the 1st cha (step 39) and hands are lowered into cuddle/wrap position for the right & left cha steps (&40) in place
TURN ¼ LEFT WITH HAND CHANGE, STEP, CHA WITH LADY'S FULL RIGHT TURN, ROCK-STEP, CHA-CHA BACK
&41
Man lifts hands guiding lady to turn left as he does, both step forward with their right foot having turned ¼ left toward 9:00
42
MAN: Releases lady's right hand from his left hand, picking it up with his right hand applying pressure to the right (leading her turn), as he steps slightly forward with his left foot
LADY: Steps her left foot across and around her right foot, as far as she comfortably can, to begin full turn to the right
43&44
MAN: Cha-cha-cha (right, left, right) slightly forward maintaining right hands up while lady completes her turn right, then lowering right hands to her shoulder & taking her left hand in his left hand at waist level (side-by-side)
LADY: Continue to twirl on ball of left foot to complete the full turn to the right stepping right foot forward to 9:00 on 1st cha. Then step left, right slightly forward to complete "chas"
These four beats (41-44) are fairly complex and are performed quite rapidly. This is the hardest part of the dance for most dancers
45-46
Both step left foot forward, rock back onto right foot in place
47&48
Cha-cha-cha backwards (left, right, left)
Still in side-by-side, facing 9:00
ROCK STEP BACK "PRESENTATION", CHA-CHA (LADY TURNING TO FACE MAN WITH FOREARM WRAP), ROCK STEPS (DIP), CHA RETURNING (TO SIDE-BY-SIDE)
49
Both step back on right foot turning body to face back (6:00) & extending arms straight out to each side ("presenting" lady). Man is directly behind lady
50
Both rock forward on left foot in place (returning to 9:00 facing)
51&52
MAN: Cha-cha-cha (right, left, right) in place raising right arms over lady's head as she turns left to face him (refer to lady's steps below)
LADY: Step forward on right foot to begin a left ½ turn to face man turning under her right arm, step with left foot completing a left ½ turn to face man, step right foot beside left
Arm wrap during steps 51&52: man's right arms pass over lady's head on 51 and between them on "&" in a vertical position, fists up/elbows down. On step 52, both turn their hand/fist left to tighten (lock) forearms/elbows together with knuckles at about "chin" level. The elbows are resting on the left hands (his palm up, hers down) still together at mid-body level
Whew! Easy to do, but hard to describe
53
MAN: Steps forward on left foot bending knee (dip!)
LADY: Steps back on left foot bending knee (dip!)
54
Both rock onto right foot in place (man back/lady forward)
55&56
MAN: Cha-cha-cha (left, right, left) in place
Unwinding arms and lifting overhead for lady to pass under as she turns ½ right to resume side-by-side position
LADY: Step forward on left foot to begin a right ½ turn under her right arm, step with right foot to complete a right ½ turn, step left foot beside right resuming right side-by-side position (facing 9:00)
ROCK STEP, COASTER OR CHA ¼ TO THE LEFT (FRONT), FULL RIGHT TURN WITH MILITARY PIVOTS
57
Both step back onto right foot
58
Both rock forward onto left foot in place turning toes slightly to left
59&60
MAN: "Coaster step" (right, left, right) step right foot slightly back after pivoting on ball of left foot to complete left turn to front, step left foot back beside right foot, step right foot slightly forward
LADY: Cha-cha-cha (right, left, right) turning ¼ left to face front
Her steps will need to be of the length and angle required to remain side-by-side with man during the turn. His "coaster step" keeps him in place
61
Both step forward on left foot
62
Both pivot ½ turn to the right on ball of left foot and shift weight to right foot
Man turns under his right arm. Left arm is released
63
Both step forward on left foot
64
Both pivot ½ turn to the right on ball of left foot and shift weight to right foot
Lady passes under her right arm, left hands are rejoined in side-by-side