4 Basic Bachata Steps To Dance Any Song

As you should know bachata lives in the last years its golden age, as it has become one of the dances with more followers. A relatively easy dance for the beginners and where the most expert dancers have many possibilities to show their talents.

Emerged in the 1960s in the Dominican Republic as a transformation of the bolero to Antillean tastes, nowadays it is not missing in any dance hall or school with bachata lessons that boasts.

Its typical choreography was born in the 1990s, with two forms of bachata dancing:

• Dominican bachata: the couple usually dances with few figures and focusing on hip and foot movements.
• The urban bachata: the dancers get together and separate to be able to carry out different figures focusing the movements in the body.

For most experts, the main characteristic of bachata dancing is undoubtedly continuous hip movement, especially in the fourth beat (the rhythm of bachata has a four-beat beat, the dance of eight).

Bachata is a dance where personal style is fundamental. But what are the basic steps of bachata you should know to dance to any song?

Basic bachata steps for dancing any song

#1. The basic step of bachata

The basic step of bachata, in fact, consists of three steps that are danced in the first three times and a touch with the sole of the foot that is performed in the fourth time.

When the sole of the foot touches the ground in the fourth period of time, the hip moves upward. A hip movement that is more marked in women than in men.

The basic step of bachata must be carried out in good style from the beginning of the learning process. A recommendation that is usually made to master it is to keep up with the music and keep your knees slightly bent. In this way, the movement of the hip will naturally arise.

#2. Turns in the bachata

One of the fundamental movements of bachata is the twists and turns. The most basic of all is the one in which the man raises his arm so that the woman can make a complete turn to the rhythm of the music. Then they both return to the normal dance without losing the rhythm.

The process of the twist in the man and woman would be as follows:

• The return of the man in the bachata

As she dances, she counts the times in her mind (1,2,3,4), and when she reaches the fourth beat, she begins to raise her leading arm (the extended arm) over the couple's head, starting to release the pressure of the other arm.

In beat 1 of the next measure, the pair will begin to turn by making a circle under the man's arm, gently holding onto the leading arm.

The turn will finish in time 3, so that in time 4 both the man and the woman are dancing in sync again.

The return of the woman in the bachata
In time 4, the (extended) leading arm of the man begins to rise. At that point, keep holding on to the leading arm, but remove the other arm from the partner's shoulder and move under the leading arm curve.

In beat 1, the woman turns in a circle under her main arm, trying to finish the turn in beat 3. The intention is to reach the normal dance position in beat 4 and start again together the steps in the opposite direction in beat 1.

#3. Screw

Screw is a step of the bachata in which the girl passes in front of the boy. A position changed a little more complex than the previous ones, but without apparent difficulty.

In the coiling, the man advances and positions himself behind the woman. During the process, she will raise her left hand so that the woman can be placed in the screwed position.

In the course that the man passes behind the woman, she stays in the same place. This is how you get to the coiled position, with the man behind the woman.

#4. The waves of bachata

The waves are one of the main movements of sensual bachata. A dance that, as its name suggests, plays with the sensuality of the movements.

The wave is a very simple step to execute. You just have to step forward the body a little, climb up, lean back slightly and bring that tilt from the head down as if it were a wave that slides through the body.

The continuous repetition of the movement will be what makes us look like a wave.

As you have seen, the steps of bachata are not really very complicated or complex. But like everything else, it takes a lot of practice to be able to score and let yourself be guided to perfection.

Bachata is a dance in which people of all ages can participate and lately it sounds everywhere, so go ahead, sign up for bachata classes whatever your level. You'll have a great time!