Bachata

Originating in the Dominican Republic, Bachata, is both a style of dance and a type of music. Bachata, the dance, utilizes a Cuban hip motion and the Bachata pop. Depending on the partners and music, Bachata can be danced in both open and closed positions. Focused primarily on a very subtle connection based on light pushing and pulling, Bachata’s connection communicates the direction of the dance and can signal upcoming moves to follows. Bachata can be broken down into three main categories:
Dominican Style Bachata: also known as “original” bachata, this style focuses less on numerous turn patterns and features high energy, stylized footwork, and more improvisational moves.
Traditional Style Bachata: most people outside of the Domincan Republic recognize this form of bachata. It is identified by the unique bachata pop, a styleized hip movement on the fourth beat, and a very close partner connection. Traditional style bachata also incorporates more turn patterns and dips into the dance.
Modern Style or Bachata Modern: is an evolving style of bachata that includes characteristics of other dance styles such as bolero, tango, and more. Modern style bachata uses crosses on the first 3 counts as its basic movement. It has also expanded to include Bachata Tango that uses Tango’s sultry styling and the Cuban hip motion and minimizes bachata’s elaborate footwork.