Let's Talk: Can You Really Call Yourself A Bachata Dancer?

Lots of people dance bachata, but in my opinion, not all of those people are what I would describe as "bachata dancers" - and this is my opinion. It has nothing to do with level, nothing to do with ability, but I believe that people should tick a certain amount of criteria before they can call themselves a bachata dancer and not just someone who dances bachata.

Check it out, and tell me your own opinion in the comments!

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[maritzagarcia]

Beautiful Rasa. I’m Dominican and I have been dancing many different dances for years. I’m extremely happy that you made this video because some people don’t understand that we Dominican feel disrespected when they call it bachata. I wrote a very respectful comment about this topic to someone’s video and he got very angry and said I need it to get on with the modern times and embrace sensual bachata because it was here to stay. I don’t mind that they call it sensual bachata but don’t try to make us feel that if we don’t like it we are old fashioned, have some respect for our bachata.
Love your videos🥰🥰🥰

[velFleger]

Hi! I'm so glad someone is talking about this topic, and I agree with almost all of your points. But… you mentioned that footwork is more important than body movement. That’s not true, and it’s not just my opinion. Bachata = 3 steps + tap + HIPS. My bachata teacher from the Dominican Republic told me, “girls don’t like crazy footwork, they love to show off their hips!” So, even if you’re doing the 3 steps and tap or some advanced footwork, but your hips and upper body are stiff, you’re not really dancing bachata. This applies to guys too. If you use your feet correctly and shift your weight during the dance, your hips will naturally move. But it's crucial to unlock your knees, then your hips, and also use your chest to lead properly. So, in my opinion, the basic step is enough to call yourself a bachatero if your body is moving. Advanced footwork is just the extra flashy stuff.

Best regards! :)

[empathyloww]

Peoud to be able to call myself a bachatera, started with moderna, fusion and sensual, but now Im in love with dominican, sadly not many leaders dance that, and as the dj puts a more traditional song you can see the dancefloor is almost empty... also youre so right about sensual bachata - its not for everyone! And now its assumed that if Im at a big bachata party Ill be happy and willing to dance that by default. So sad...

[sevdateske]

Agree, and I noticed that in many countries where bachata and other Latin dances are relatively new (like post soviet spaces), they mostly teach and dance sensual which is not for everyone, for various reasons, but they call it bachata and they think this is all bachata is about, mostly ladies swinging their heads and arms around, and guys being rather forceful and dominating. I was uncomfortable with such approach to this beautiful style.

[AV]

I'd like to share an idea with you regarding today's way of dancing sensual bachata.
My approach involves forming hypotheses and testing them through observation and practice. Here are two key ideas I've held almost since I've started dancing:

1. A dance style is defined by its basic step and its relationship to rythmic elements in the song. In the case of Bachata that would be the three steps and a tap and its relationship with the guira and bongo.

2. Given 1, if you are not walking the dance style is not well defined. This is typically the case during during sensual moves and intro.

Now, given these points I have a few interesting observations:

- Sensual Bachata at some point introduced the notion of standing in place, i.e. no basic, and doing sensual moves in the middle of the song. Am I interpreting correctly? Also, is this one of the features that separates Moderna from Sensual?

- Currently Zouk is bringing so many sensual moves into Bachata. Notably, these include moves where the leader walks around a stationary follower without using the basic step (which I think is what you were talking about in the video). These used to be considered Zouk fusion in the past, I believe. Are these incorporations altering what sensual bachata is or just a momentary trend?

[trueredred]

So right rasa,
If there’s no appreciation of the roots of bachata, it’s dance and importantly it’s music, it’s borderline cultural appropriation IMHO.

[pepsicolla]

Rasa, you've made some sensual dancers angry with this video 😂 . It's a shame many people who say they dance bachata, but they don't even know the foundations. They don't have the correct hip movement, nor follow the rhythm and do some weird spins, head rolls etc. I think every bachata teacher should truly focus on teaching good foundations first.

[voljohe]

When can you move from Bachata student to a beginner bachata teacher? The reason I ask this is because I’ve noticed that there is no level 1 Bacahata classes. I see more and more gals and guys not knowing the fundamentals and just moving without really understanding the basics. Unfortunately I can’t move that well to say I could teach but I have a decent understanding of what I would consider level 1 and unfortunately no one is stepping up to the plate. It’s kinda hard to transition from what they teach to a level 1 class. I’m not interested in the money but the value of having good follows and likewise leads is more important to me. Should I do it and face judgement from my peers and possibly by teachers who know more. I’m so reluctant but at the same time I see potential people who would enjoy dancing but the gap is too wide for people who need to practice to get good or decent and stay. I’m in sort of worried that I won’t do well enough.

[RadoGG]

No!!! I'm a salsero, even though I do bachata as well. End of story 😃

[madesteve]

Great video and agree 💯.
Maybe this is why when I watch sensual bachata couples I either love or dislike their dancing. I.e. I love it when their sensual bachata is a, "sensual extension", of bachata, where you can identify the bachata root. I dislike sensual bachata when it looks like a competition to, "see who can bend their body more than anyone else", dance😅. It's like, ok so someone who's triple jointed is gonna come in and vlow everyone away 😅😅 really.
Sorry I respect everyone to enjoy and dance how they like but just my feelings. I like hybrid dance versions of the original root to at least have a flavour of the the original root dance because it uses the name BACHATA 😅.
Btw The same point for me goes for Kiz hybrids of kizomba. I hope that Kiz doesn't become totally unrecognisable to have come from kizomba in the future, otherwise there'd be no point in calling it Kiz.
Love your videos. Love to all dancers

[anthonyorafferty]

Bachata was born of a native peoples & held dear to their National identity eventually migrating to European dance schools where it was reinterpreted within the dance schools of Europe. So what we see now is a product of dance schools not a native peoples. Looks & feels ballroom. I didn't dance Bachata because of it. I was in Dominican Republic for month this year solo & within 24 hours I had lost my camera, laptop etc after jumping off a coach & leaving my 2nd bag then chased it into the city while tracking it down found myself within spitting distance of a machete fight which was quickly ended with gun-fire. Only to be reunited with my bag though a network of coach drivers for $20 which included being chaperoned part across town & placed on another coach. There after every coach or taxi the driver 'looked after me & assuring that the next drive would also'. I reached an outpost of an old friend from the early 80's he took me to a Haitian bar where the music was loud & the girls were dark. I.found a love of old Bachata music & native dancing.

[dadada]

I don't know about this and may even disagree. I know many in the scene probably would. I dance salsa as well, but I only dance cross body, having never made the transition to anything else. I wouldn't call anyone who prefers to dance one over another not a true salsa dancer. The same is the case for bachata. If they are all equal branches of bachata, then you are a bachatero if you dance anyone of them. The only way I can see one can resolve this is if you say you are not a bachata dancer, but a "sensual bachata dancer"... Either that or you have to use a new name for sensual bachata... Maybe "sens-Bach" 😂 taking a page out of kizomba's book. But since we don't have that, we have to follow the salsa model instead.

[evertondod]

Love bachata but I couldn’t dance it all night.

[mt]

As always, great video and topic Rasa! This is one of the rare subscribed channels that I always check videos! Even the days when I feel down, your videos always pick me up. And I 100% agree with what have been said in this video! Please keep up with good work Rasa!🫶

[JoeNelo]

is a chocolate chip cookie, still a cookie? If its thicker or flat, is it still a cookie, or is it no longer a cookie because it doesnt conform to a specific view?

that being said, i learned traditional for my first 6 months now, when i go to a place where it is primarily sensual, its challenging to find good connection in open position sometimes. There are things they either don't remember or just don't know. There seems to be a lack of following from the ribcage..., or not understanding how to follow a traditional dancer. Its still bachata is many other senses, its just different. Much like there are 20 styles of Karate.

[gogokizomba]

This is interesting, It all looks the same to me, and although I

I do think every social dance style suffers this eventually, it's the price of growth.

Take kiz and kizomba, kizomba ppl get mad at kiz but they are Disrespecting the authentic ppl, they know they do, Kiz and tarraxo ppl get mad and Douceur ppl for Disrespecting thier style and docure ppl probably have before with something or someone and authentic ppl are not happy if you dance with to many women sexually so everyone is not happy about something.

Point is it all depends on your intentions, if you want to teach or be an ambassador of that culture shall we say then I agree with your first points especially. But if you dont want the above then I personally don't see a problem. I like fusion dances personally, that's why I'm drawn to Urban Kiz.but I can't say I care if someone calls themselves kimzombero, Bachatera or salseros I just like.have Good time and be able to express myself, so I'm selective about parties as a result.

[caffeinevelocity]

While I share your opinion on the overuse of sensual moves, I couldn't disagree more with the semantic revision you're trying to push.

Languages borrow words from one another, and the meanings of those words can change in the process. The English word for the vehicle used in medical emergencies, "ambulance, " comes from the Latin word meaning "to walk." Several Slavic languages then borrowed the word from English and used it as a general term for a clinic. Similarly, the word "bachata" is used in the Dominican Republic to refer specifically to the local variant of the dance, while the rest of the world uses it as an umbrella term that encompasses Dominican bachata as well as offshoots like urban, sensual, fusion, and whatever other terms people like to apply to their interpretations of the dance.

If you want to promote Dominican bachata, trying to police people's language is an exceptionally poor way to go about it. If you want to emphasize how important the Dominican style is to you, you can call yourself a Dominican bachata dancer. Saying, "Here's how you can incorporate my style into yours to improve as a dancer" is probably going to get a much more positive reaction than "You can't call yourself a bachata dancer if you don't dance like me."

[diogenesofsinope]

There is only bachata domincana, all the rest is shit