Open Break to Underarm Turn
Cha-cha partnered figure
Cha chaLevel: Beginner1 min read2 citations
See it danced
Video demo
The open break to underarm turn is a partnered cha-cha figure in which both partners release from closed or two-hand contact into a small checked-away action, then return the follower through a raised-hand turn. Cha-cha is normally organized in 4/4 with two slower weight changes and a three-step chasse, often vocalized as the cha-cha-cha rhythm.[1] In the figure, the leader and follower mirror the break: each steps away from the partnership on the break action using opposite feet, then compresses lightly through the joined hand before the leader opens a turning lane. The follower's turn is not a count-1 forward break; it is a later travelling reorientation after the checked-away action. In a common social count, the break occupies the rock step, the chasse restores distance and tone, and the underarm turn is staged across the next half-measure so the follower rotates in parts rather than being whipped at the end. The figure belongs to the internationalized cha-cha vocabulary that grew from Cuban-derived mid-twentieth-century dance music and later ballroom/social codification.[2]
How it's danced
Lead and follow cues
CountCha-cha social count: 2-3, 4&1; 2-3, 4&1. First half: both partners use 2-3 for the open break and replace, then 4&1 for a compact chasse. Second half: the underarm turn is led across 2-3 and stabilized through 4&1. If counted 1-2-3-cha-cha, the same weight changes shift to that local teaching count; the break still occurs once per measure, not twice.
Lead
From facing position with a light hand connection, the leader breaks away on the first slow action, replacing weight back toward the partner on the second slow action. Through the chasse, the leader keeps the frame compact and raises the connected hand only after the break has resolved. On the next half-measure, the leader guides the follower's underarm turn in stages: first allowing the follower to enter under the hand, then continuing the rotation to a clean re-facing position by the landing count.
Follow
From facing position, the follower mirrors the leader by breaking away on the opposite foot on the first slow action and replacing toward the partner on the second slow action. The chasse stays small and grounded, maintaining tone through the joined hand. On the next half-measure, the follower travels under the raised hand and turns in staged increments: entering the turn, passing through the rotation, and re-facing the leader on the landing count without treating the first break as forward travel.
Song timingFits moderate cha-cha tempos where the chasse remains crisp and grounded, roughly 115-130 bpm for ballroom/social cha-cha counted in 4/4. Faster tracks require smaller steps and a lighter underarm lead; very slow tracks expose balance and timing faults.
Learn first
Prerequisites
- Cha-cha basic timing
- Open break
- Underarm turn connection
- Compact chasse
- Light hand-to-hand frame
Watch out
Common mistakes
- Starting the follower forward on the break instead of having both partners check away from the partnership on opposite feet.
- Raising the hand before the open break has settled, which pulls the follower off balance.
- Turning the follower in one late whip instead of dividing the rotation across entry, travel, and exit.
- Letting the chasse grow too large for cha-cha's compact timing.
- Collapsing arm tone during the open break, which removes the compression needed to redirect into the turn.
Don't confuse with
Easily confused moves
- Salsa open break to underarm turn: related in hand logic but uses salsa break timing rather than cha-cha chasse timing.
- Cross-body lead with inside turn: a slot-travelling salsa figure, not the same fixed cha-cha open-break action.
- Solo spot turn: shares rotational vocabulary but lacks the partnered checked-away lead and hand connection.
Around the world
Other names
English-language ballroom and social cha-cha
Open break to underarm turn
Canonical descriptive English term used for this card; no additional regional name is supportable from the available sources.
References
How to cite this article
Choose a style and copy the citation.
Bailar Editorial Team. (2026). Open Break to Underarm Turn. Bailar Biblioteca. Retrieved July 4, 2026, from https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/chacha-open-break-to-underarm-turn
Bailar Editorial Team. “Open Break to Underarm Turn.” Bailar Biblioteca, 2026, getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/chacha-open-break-to-underarm-turn. Accessed 4 July 2026.
Bailar Editorial Team. “Open Break to Underarm Turn.” Bailar Biblioteca. Accessed July 4, 2026. https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/chacha-open-break-to-underarm-turn.
@misc{bailar-move-chacha-open-break-to-underarm-turn, author = {{Bailar Editorial Team}}, title = {{Open Break to Underarm Turn}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {Bailar Biblioteca}, url = {https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/chacha-open-break-to-underarm-turn}, note = {Accessed: 2026-07-04} }
Editor-in-Chief: Paul Thomas Plawin
How we research & review these articles