TRADITIONAL BACHATA

EMBEDDED IN THE CULTURE

BACHATA DANCED BY THE LOCALS

TRADTIONAL DOMINICAN BACHATA AS DANCED BY THE LOCALS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IS A RELATIVELY SIMPLY DANCE.

THE REASON FOR KEEPING THE DANCE SIMPLE IS THAT MOST LOCAL DOMINICANS ARE NOT PROFESSIONAL DANCERS OR REGULAR STUDENT DANCERS ATTENDING CLASSES.

AS SUCH IT IS POSSIBLE TO PICK UP THE BASIC MOVES QUITE QUICKLY BY WATCHING OTHER PEOPLE DANCE WHICH IS THE WAY THE LOCALS LEARN.

THE GREAT THING ABOUT ALL THIS IS THAT AT ITS CORE THE SIMPLICITY OF BACHATA MAKES IT READILY ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WISHING TO LEARN TO DANCE, SO IT IS NOT AN ELITIST ACTIVITY.

HOW THE LOCALS DANCE

GROW UP LISTENING TO THE MUSIC

THE LOCALS GROW UP LISTENING TO BACHATA MUSIC FROM WHEN THEY ARE CHILDREN, SO THE WAY THEY INTERPRET THE MUSIC CAN BE DIFFERENT FROM A MORE TECHNICALLY RIGID ADHERENCE TO DANCING ON THE 1 COUNT, THAT IS BEGINNING TO DANCE ON THE FIRST BEAT OF THE BAR OF MUSIC.

LOCALS MAY STRAY AWAY FROM THE ONE COUNT AND FIND AN ALTERNATE RHYTHM IN THE MUSIC TO ENJOY.

WHEN IN A BAR SETTING PLAYING BACHATA MUSIC, LOCALS WILL TEND TO DRINK & SOCIALISE AND WHEN A SONG IS PLAYED THAT THEY PARTICULARLY LIKE THEY WILL TAKE TO THE DANCE FLOOR.

THIS ATTITUDE TO DANCE DIFFERS FROM BACHATA SOCIAL EVENTS ORGANISED BY DANCE SCHOOLS WHERE DANCERS WILL PROBABLY EITHER DANCE CONTINUOUSLY OR AT LEAST TO A HIGH PROPORTION OF THE SONGS AS THAT IS THEIR REASON FOR ATTENDING THE DANCE SOCIAL

NEITHER APPROACH IS EITHER RIGHT OR WRONG OR BETTER THAN THE OTHER APPROACH, BUT RATHER BOTH APPROACHES SIMPLY REFLECT A DIFFERENT EMPHASIS ON BACHATA.

THE MUSIC IS OFTEN CALLED "CANTINA MUSIC" AS IT WAS PLAYED TO BAR PATRONS

GREAT DANCE for BEGINNERS

OPPOSITE OF AN ELITIST DANCE

BEGINNERS TO BACHATA SHOULD TAKE ALOT OF COMFORT & CONFIDENCE FROM THE FACT THAT IN ITS PUREST FORM BACHATA IS QUITE A SIMPLE DANCE AND SO YOU DON’T NEED YEARS OF PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE BEFORE STEPPING ONTO THE DANCE FLOOR TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.

DUE TO ITS HISTORICAL & CULTURAL ORIGINS, BACHATA IS A DANCE FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

IT IS & ALWAYS SHOULD BE THE VERY OPPOSITE OF A “SNOBBY” OR ELITIST DANCE PRESERVED FOR JUST THE FEW TO ENJOY, WHEREBY ONLY SEASONED PROs ARE ENTITLED TO DANCE IT.

BACHATA IS A DANCE FOR EVERYONE.

BASIC FORM OF THE DANCE

HALF A DOZEN OR SO MOVES

TRADITIONAL DOMINICAN BACHATA TYPICALLY INVOLVES ABOUT HALF A DOZEN OR SO BASIC MOVES COMBINED WITH THE DANCER ADDING SOME SPONTANEOUS & IMPROVISED INDIVIDUAL BODY MOVEMENTS.

WITH ITS INSPIRATION TAKEN FROM THE BOLERO, THE BASIC STEP WAS DANCED IN A SMALL SQUARE OVER 8 COUNTS ONLY IN CLOSED HOLD.

HOWEVER, BACHATA IS DIFFERENT FROM BOLERO AS SYNCOPATION IS INCORPORATED, MEANING DANCERS STEP IN BETWEEN THE FULL BEATS ON THE HALF BEATS.

OVER TIME LOCALS BEGAN TO DANCE IN HALF-OPEN HOLD AND FULL OPEN HOLD AND VARIATIONS WERE ADDED INCLUDING TURNS & FOOTWORK COMBINATIONS.

HIP MOVEMENT

HIP MOVEMENT IS A FUNDAMENTAL OF THE BACHATA DANCE STYLE.

TRADITIONALLY, THE HIPS WERE USED TO EXPRESS & COMMUNICATE ROMANTIC FEELINGS TO A DANCE PARTNER, AS THE DANCE ITSELF WAS PART OF THE COURTSHIP RITUAL.