Lessons Prices
Group Lessons: Minimum of 6 students : $15.00 per student/ per hour
7 students or more : $10,oo per student / per hour
Private Lessons: 1 to 4 students : $85.00 per hour.
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Origin and Steps
Bachata is a style of dance that accompanies the music by the same name, and it has his origins in the Dominican Republic, where Bachata refers to get-togethers that include food and music. Since these parties played guitars, the guitar-based music of this time became to be known as Bachata.
Bachata musicians took their inspiration from a number of music genres. Perhaps the most influential was the Cuban bolero; others include Mexican rancheros and corridos, Dominican merengue, Cuban son, guaracha and guajira, Colombian-Ecuadorian vals campesino and pasillo, and Puerto Rican plena and jibaro. Meregua, which is a fast-paced Dominican Republic dance music, also influenced Bachata.
Basic Movements
Start with the male on his left, with Cuban hip motion, and the female with her right also with Cuban hip motion. The dance direction will interchange at every 4th count. In order to remain in time with the music, start with a tap of the right foot in tune with the musical change in rhythm. Then, Stepping with left foot; 1, 2, 3 and pop with right, then change direction and with right foot step 5, 6, 7 and pop. Repeat.
Rhythm
The dance is a four-step beat achieved with a walking Cuban hip motion, and a unique “pop”. The dance is performed both in open position and in closed position depending on the setting and mood of the partners. Dips are not original to the dance and turns are done infrequently.
Styling
The male leads the female with subtle communication using pushing and pulling on the hands to guide the direction in which to move or to hint on upcoming turns. The female may also provide communication using her left hand to indicate whether she is comfortable or not dancing in a closed position. Bachata is a really sensual closed partner dance.
Styles
- Dominican Style Bachata
The original bachata, from The Dominican Republic is the way it is danced in the Island. This style can be danced with or without bounce, typical with lots of footwork and free style moves and with alternate between close and open position. Short turn patterns. - Traditional Style Bachata
A style developed in USA and Europe. Based on the earlier Dominican Bachata and the most common style of bachata danced all over the world by 2009. The main characteristic of this style is the use of a small hip movement on the 4th count of the beat (1, 2, 3 and hip) and the close connection with your partner (a very romantic style of dance). Turn patterns and dips are included in this style. - Modern Style Bachata or Bachata Moderna
A new style also developed in USA and Europe that incorporates fundamentals from other styles as well ( Some Salsa, Tango, Ballroom and Zouk). Bachata Moderna is based on the concept of the crosses, where on each count you lead to a cross (1,2,3), but on the 4th count you keep the hip movement of the Traditional Style Bachata. It also includes different variations as “Bachatango” and “Urban Bachata”. - Bachata Tango or Bachatango (a sub-style of Modern Style Bachata)
It is a style of dance mostly incorporating Tango styling. It is characterized by embellished kicks, dips, turns and long pauses generally used in Tango as well as other popular Latin Dances. This dance is performed in a very close position with fewer elaborated foot styling than Bachata due its focus being more on sensuality. The basic steps are the same 8 count as Bachata only that it produces a side to side motion, while occasionally moving back and forth. The “pop” count will be used to add elaborated sensuality and varied Latin dance styles. It should be noted that ‘Bachatango’ is a foreign introduction and is unheard of in the Dominican Republic.