What We Teach in our Bachata Lessons

Bachata, a romantic and passionate style of dance that originated in the Dominican Republic, and is probably the most popular kind of Latin dance in the United States, and especially in New York City today. Bachata is danced to the bachata music, a popular guitar music from the Dominican Republic, very romantic and often sad, based on the bolero rhythm, that came to life in the early parts of the 20th Century and spread to other parts of America and to Europe. Just like Salsa, Bachata is normally a lead & follow (freestyle) partner dance, based on a three-step with a Cuban hip motion, followed by a hip tap on the 4th beat. The movement of the hips is very important, and the dancers typically move with bent knees to sway the hips easier. Although there is a lot of body movement in Bachata dancing, it is simpler than Salsa, with less shines and lifts, and very simple and infrequent turns. There are many different styles, or interpretations of Bachata: Dominican, the original bachata dance, Traditional, which is very close to the Dominican style, Modern, with Salsa and Ballroom elements. The most popular Bachata style is the Traditional style, with a frame similar to the salsa frame, basic steps moving side to side or on the spot, close connection with a partner, soft hip movements and a tap with a small "pop" with the hip on the 4th beat, with dips, and infrequent shines and turns.

How We Teach Bachata

At Star Dance School we provide you with structured and fun Salsa classes that also provide a great workout.
We always start the class with a warm up. This includes stretching, a brief review of what we taught in the previous class, and some basic figures and footwork you'll need for the rest of the class. The review and the footwork will be the basis for the rest of the class. This means that if this is your first lesson, you'll be able to follow the rest of the class quite easily. You will have to be patient - you won't become the greatest salsa dancer in one lesson, but you will learn more each lesson you attend and eventually develop an excellent choreography and even your own style. Bachata is all about enegry, fun, and having a good time, so each bachata lesson aims to keep your hips and feet moving and your face smiling. Our talented, energetic, and friendly instructors will have you bachata dancing in no time at all.

Interested in scheduling Bachata lessons at Star Dance School?

To schedule a private, semi-private, or group dance class, please call us 617-202-9200, email us at info@stardanceschool.com, or write us a message using the Contact Dance Studio form on the right side of this page.

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