Ballroom Dancing - The Cha-Cha The London dance instructor Pierre Lavelle, who was responsible for having the Cuban Rumba declared the official Rumba, while on a visit to Cuba, had noticed that sometimes there were extra beats added to the Rumba. Upon his return to England he taught these steps as a completely new dance. Each of these unique dances has specific steps and characteristics that make it different from other dances - but there is one aspect that remains constant throughout each style of dancing. No matter what dance style is being performed, you can bet they are being performed by a couple. Every ballroom dance involves a man and a woman, usually remaining in contact throughout the entire routine (although there are some ballroom dances where contact is broken, but the couple reunites by the dance's end). The Son, which is a slower more refined Rumba was a favorite among the middle class Cubans. The wealthy section of Cuban society preferred the Danzon, which is an even slower Rumba using very small steps and more subtle hip movements. The modified version of the Rumba known as the Son was introduced to Americans in 1913. The early years for the USABDA only saw a small number of members in New York state, a few in the Washington, DC area and a small number on the west coast. In 1978 USABDA started its mid-eastern chapter and the push was on to take their little group to a national level. The next few years saw chapters being formed in several other states. When it comes to the competitive dances there are two groups, Combi (one partner is in a wheelchair the other is not) or Duo (both parties are in wheelchairs). They learn all the Standard Ballroom dances and the Latin American Ballroom dances. For those who are just interested in social dancing they offer courses for line and solo dances. In fact, ballroom dancing gives you the opportunity to move your body in a way that you would otherwise never experience - not even in an aerobics class. It's no secret that most people looking to get fit or lose weight are intimidated by the gym. Not only are you surrounded by people with a better body than you, but often you find yourself having to wait for a machine or struggling to keep up in a class.