How to Dance Bachata: 14 Steps (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

A simple yet sensual dance originating in the Dominican Republic, the colors of Bachata's roots are reflected in its romantic moves and the music that accompanies it. Today, this dance with gentle and passionate movements is enjoying popularity throughout Latin America and in the western world. Bachata is relatively easy for newcomers, but it also gives dancers a lot of freedom to show off their skills.

Step

Part 1 of 3: Learn Bachata By Yourself

Step 1. Feel the rhythm

Bachata is an 8-tap dance (like Salsa). Bachata Music has four beats per beat. At its most basic, the bachata dancer steps left for beats per beat, then steps right. Listen to music and try to find the beat of the beat. Modern electric bachata music usually has some form of synth percussion that hits each beat, which makes beats easy to find. Traditional bachata music has slightly more complex percussion, but usually still has beats that are easy to "feel".

The following is an example of how to count your steps while dancing basic bachata: (steps to the left) 1, 2, 3, (4), (steps to the right) 5, 6, 7, (8), (steps to the left) 1, 2, 3, (4), etc.. the 4th and 8th beats are marked in brackets because these beats are usually counted silent.
In modern "pop" bachata, you might want to look at the work of modern Latin artists like Prince Royce, Anthony Santos, Aventura, Don Omar, and Maite Perroni. These artists were influenced by bachata and many recorded songs in the modern bachata style. Try starting with "Creiste" by Anthony Santos.
Older, traditional bachata artists are perhaps more obvious today, given the popularity of their “pop” counterparts. Take a look at some artists such as Yoskar Sarante, Frank Reyes, and Joe Veras. The song "Intentalo Tu" by Joe Veras is one of the famous bachata songs with a semi-traditional flavor.

Step 2. Step to the left

Start with both your feet together. Count the rhythm of the music: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. When you're ready, start by stepping left with your left foot on the 1st beat. Then, bring your right foot to the left on the 2nd beat. Step left with your left foot again on the 3rd beat, and finally, slightly lift your right foot off the floor on the 4th beat.

Step 3. Watch your hips move

You may notice that by slightly lifting your right leg off the floor, you are forced to protrude your hips to the right. This is perfect, the effect you want to create is a continuous circular motion of your hips. As you continue to dance, be aware of the movement of your hips.

Step 4. Repeat your steps in different directions

Do not stop! Put your right foot on the 1st beat, then step right. Then, repeat the movement you made in the opposite direction: bring your left foot to the right on the 2nd beat, step right on the 3rd beat, and slightly lift your left leg on the 4th beat. Now your hips will stick out to the left.

Step 5. Keep time and repeat

Practice these basic steps until you feel the basic vibration of the bachata. When you dance, keep your knees slightly bent (bend your knees as you lift your legs) and try to keep the rocking rhythmic at your hips.

In the bachata, as in other Latin dances, the rocking motion of the hips is usually more pronounced in the female partner than in the male partner.
If you think this dance is too simple, don't worry – the bachata will be even more interesting.

Part 2 of 3: Involving a partner

Step 1. Invite your partner to dance

Knowing how to politely answer "yes" or "no" is critical to avoiding awkwardness at clubs, parties, quinceañeras, and other places where you might want to dance the bachata. In traditional bachata, men invite women to dance. The instructions below describe traditional situations, but nowadays, it is natural for women to invite to dance.

Men - when you want to dance with someone, be direct, but polite. Approach your potential partner directly, reach out your hand (palms up) and say something short and direct in one sentence "Hey, do you want to dance?" If he accepts, great! Take his hand and step onto the dance floor. If, for whatever reason, he refuses, politely respond with "oh, OK. No problem," then left.
Women – when you are asked to dance, answer gracefully but honestly. If you really want to answer with a simple "yes, I will," then take your partner's hand and move on to the dance floor. If you don't want to, you can refuse politely, briefly and honestly, giving reasons why you refuse. You can say something like, "Oh, I wish I could, but my high heels are making my feet hurt."

Step 2. Hold your partner

On Bachata, there are two basic positions to hold your partner - open position and closed position. The open position gives more space between the two partners, as there is only contact with the hands. The open position provides more space and flexibility when there is increased movement such as twisting. On the other hand, the closed movement is a bit more intimate, as it involves the arm clasping the woman's back and the body contact between the partners is slightly stronger. Closed positions are common in modern clubs and on dance floors in tight spaces. See the image below for instructions for both positions:

Man:
- For the open position, keep your arms relaxed and relaxed. Extend your palms to your female partner, facing each other. Gently, he will extend his hand to you-leaving his palm there. Don't pull the thumb. Both your elbows and your partner's elbows should be bent at your sides, which will place your torso a foot or two apart.
- For the closed position, wrap your arms around the woman's body so that your palms are in the middle of her back. He will hang his arm around your arm, placing his hand close to your shoulder. Using your free arm (later called the "main arm"), hold the other hand to the side, at shoulder or chest level, making your elbows bend. Don't lock your fingers together - your hands should hold your palms with your palms, with the backs of your hands facing out. When you dance, use your outstretched hand to lead your partner, gently guiding their upper body in the direction you are moving.
Woman:
- For the open position, keep your arms relaxed and relaxed. Place your palms on your partner's palms. Remember to keep your elbows bent to stay flexible and make sure you stay close to your partner.
- For the closed position, when your partner puts his arm on your back, place your arm on his back and let it stay near his shoulder. Allow your partner to hold your other hand - the back of your hand should be facing you, the back of their hand should be facing out. Keep your elbows bent and remember to keep your palms together (not interlocking fingers).

Step 3. Step up with a partner

Practice simple movements along with the music with your partner. You may find that coordinating movements with rhythmic beats is more difficult than you think! Regardless of whether you are in an open or closed position, basically, the movement of both pairs is the same “four taps left, four taps right” as described above. However, realizing that the two partners are facing each other, one of the partners will go in the “opposite direction as illustrated.

Traditionally, the man is the leader in the bachata, so if you're a woman, you just have to follow the man's direction, whether that means stepping right or left first

Step 4. Move back and forth in pairs

As your bachata skills begin to improve and you begin to dance in pairs, you will begin to abandon the basic bachata movements, step left and right, and begin to move towards more advanced, step patterns that use back and forth movements. This back-and-forth motion is also pretty much the same as the left-right movement - in other words, you'll step forward three beats and shake your hips on the fourth beat, then go back three steps and sway your hips on the fourth beat, and repeat. If the man steps forward, the woman steps back with the foot that matches the man's.

For beginners, try moving the basic bachata steps left and right twice, then do the forward and backward twice, then switch to the left and right and repeat again. Your steps should be as follows:
- (Left) 1, 2, 3, (4) (Right) 1, 2, 3, (4), (Left) 1, 2, 3, (4) (Right) 1, 2, 3, (4)
- (Front) 1, 2, 3, (4), (Back) 1, 2, 3, (4), (Front) 1, 2, 3, (4), (Back) 1, 2, 3, (4)
- (Left) 1, 2, 3, (4), (Right) … and so on.
Note - since, in traditional bachata, the male partner is the leader, the direction of movement (front) refers to the male. Women (or followers) will step back” when men step forward, and vice versa.

Step 5. Add rounds

One of the most important steps performed in paired bachata is the spin. The most basic variation of this move is that the male partner raises his arm, allowing the female partner to complete one full lap in time, then both partners return to the normal dance without missing a beat. Follow the instructions below to perform the basic spinning motion:

Men - When you dance, count (1, 2, 3, 4). On the 4th beat, start lifting your main hand above your partner's head and start releasing your other arm (as a reminder, in a closed position, the main arm is the outstretched arm, not the one wrapped around your partner's back). On beat 1 in the next rhythm, your partner will begin to circle under your arm, gently holding on to your main arm as he does so. He will complete the circular motion on the 3rd beat so that on the 4th you will both dance back in sync and you can both move together in opposite positions on the next 1st beat.
Women – feel your partner's main arm lift on the 4th beat. Hold on to your partner's main arm, but release your hand from his shoulder with your other hand and move down the arch of his main arm. On the 1st beat, start to circle under the main arm. Try to complete the lap on the 3rd beat so that you can step on the 4th beat in the "normal" position and start to move together in the opposite position on the 1st beat.

Step 6. Watch your partner's movements

Basically, bachata is meant for two people to have fun. Both men and women should try to give their partner their full attention. At the simplest level, this means looking at your partner as you dance, not looking at the dance floor (and especially not at the other person you want to dance with). However, this also applies to how you dance:

Watch your partner's movements. If you are leading, make sure your partner is following you. If you're a follower, try to match your partner's direction and predict where he or she will move next.
When your partner makes a glamorous move like spinning, give your partner your full attention. In general, unless you're specifically syncing the moves between 2 people, you're not required to do the moves yourself while your partner is doing the moves.

Part 3 of 3: Spice Up Your Dance

Step 1. Move your whole body

Bachata shouldn't be a gloomy sway - it should be an energetic and vibrant dance. As your bachata skills improve, try to involve more parts of your body in basic stride patterns. For example, instead of keeping your upper body straight all the time, try moving your arms in a pumping motion and slightly twisting as you move. Try bending your knees and sticking out your hips for a low, sensual sway. In the end, when you feel comfortable, bachata will naturally become a full body activity.

Step 2. Add a sense of urbana to the bachata

At most modern clubs, you'll find casual and modern versions of the bachata, rather than the formal and traditional versions. This version of the dance is called “Urbana Bachata”, combining various additional movements and minor variations to give the bachata a renewed and modern feel. Here are instructions for two urbana bachata moves that will give your dance routine some modern flair.

Glide - This move is usually done by stepping in the opposite direction of the main arm (usually this arm is the dance leader's right arm, so this means you'll be doing this move when you're about to step onto the right side). To perform this move, count the beats of the musical beat (1, 2, 3, 4). On the 4th beat in the "to the left" rhythm, the male partner raises his main arm so that both partners' hands are above their heads. On the 1st beat of the “right” beat, the man drops his main hand down towards the waist, takes a wide step back with his feet and slides back until the 4th beat. The female partner follows the movement.
Male spin - This move allows the male partner to enjoy a quick spin as a turn. The men's lap usually goes well after the traditional woman's twist, so let's assume that you just “catch” your partner's spin on the 4th beat. On the 1st beat, start to spin in front of your partner-he doesn't have to raise his hand above you like when he did. he spins. When you turn, the woman keeps her elbows bent and her hands facing out in front of her. That way, when you turn, you can catch his left hand with your main hand, so that, quickly, you both hold hands and face the same direction with your back in front of him. Continue spinning and “catch” his hand as you did on the 3rd beat. So on the 4th beat you dance together again.

Step 3. Add complex footwork

When two bachata masters dance with each other, they usually don't dance for long with the basic "left, right, front, back" movement. As you grow into a bachata dancer, for added challenge and entertainment, you may want to start incorporating new, more complex footwork patterns into your repertoire. Here are some examples of ideas you might be able to put into practice:

Heel step. Usually, on the fourth beat of each beat, you'll raise your legs and sway your hips to the side. Instead, try to swing your foot out a little so that your heels touch the floor and your toes lift. You may need to bend your knees slightly to be able to do this comfortably. The end result should be subtle – not overwhelming like a “Cossack dance” kick, but giving a little variation to your normal stride.
U-turn. Instead of going forwards and backwards, take the time to go back and forth with your partner. Bend your knees slightly more than usual, then twist your hips and legs out to the side to the beat of the music. Try to vary the two directions back and forth in one beat. (once every 2 beats) and 4 rewinds in one beat (once every single beat).
Cross legs. This move incorporates multiple leg swings followed by a quick spin for awesome effect. Step aside as usual in 3 taps. On the 4th beat, lift your leg slightly in preparation for the swing. On the 1st beat, keeping your upper body parallel, gently swing in front of you. Your foot should swing back on the 2nd beat. swing it again on the 3rd beat, and on the 4th beat, cross your leg over the foot that is used as a support and put it back on the ground. Use that momentum to complete a full lap on beats 1, 2 and 3 in the next beat so you're in the "normal" position on beat 4.