Right hand turn, left hand turn, step, hands up, then down, turn again, double turns, front to back then back to front, front to front, turn, back to back, syncopated step, hesitation, turn, turn, turn… don’t you get tired even reading it? Imagine the girl dancing it!
As in all things in life, the middle path is the path to illumination: yes we love different steps, girls admire a guy that knows how to lead and has the perfect leading strength, that thinks quickly and takes you for a ride. But it is so good when he throws a couple of basics in his dancing and that is valid for any style. The guy has to remember that he doesn’t turn half as much as the girl so if he leads her for a whole music of turns she is bound to be tired of it, or dizzy, or sick.
Check your partner’s colour, if she is turning a bit green you better go to “one, two, three, five, six, seven” for a few bars. It did happen to me and I rudely refused to turn when the guy lead me to turn. He tried again, and again, and one last time. He had turned me so many times, so quickly, for so long, I was getting dizzy. Then I think he got it. It was a salsa and I got some nice cross body leads and basics and in a few seconds I was ready for more. That is all the girls will require, a brief respite, three bars for a quick breath and then you can show off again.
Honestly, especially with bachata and zouk, basics are the best, you can feel the music, feel the rhythm, your partner, your movement. Never underestimate the power of a good basic step. I can dance a whole music of basic bachata without getting anywhere near bored. Sometimes I ask some guys to dance and they say that they don’t know many steps. Difficult steps are great but not essential. Wearing your heart out is.
Using the basics to understand the structure of the music is also great. My favourite dances are not the ones full of glitter, they are the ones where the leader respects the breaks, and follows the flow of the song, using hard “thumps” and soft “Yiimmmmss” to choose our steps. Choreographies that are like that also give me goose bumps and a sense of euphoria that is indescribable.
My recipe to the perfect bachata is that: basic steps + other steps + feeling the music + feeling the delight of dancing. So relax, breathe and enjoy your basics and your dancing, your partner will too.
Written by – ‘Louca por Bachata’ Tania Crivellenti. Tania’s blog: The dancing bug. You can find Tania at various latin venues, LDA and facebook!
I absolutely agree. I would rather dance an entire song with a beginner who has a good feel for the music and a relaxed, confident lead than an intermediate dancer who just goes for spins. Some leads don’t even let you get an idea of who they are and how they dance before starting up their trick moves, so we go through an entire song without connecting.
Hello!
I´m so glad to read this!!
Every time a good bachatera is asking for a dance I´m thinking, how can i impress her. So every time I make lots of cool stuff (I think) but it´s always when I dance close, basic and without these cool stuff I get comments that I dance good.
Ok, so I´m a guy and we doesn´t always understand so fast but now I know that I best impress by doing it basic.
Thank you for helping me become a better dancer 🙂
If only everybody knew this… it’s not about showing off, it’s about the connection.
Can I play ‘Devils Advocate’ here, and say that although I do agree, that it is about “Connection”, I have to say that not every person you dance with, is going to want to establish a connection with you straight away…
Maybe they are new to Bachata, or haven’t yet truly understood the dance…but sometimes it’s better to not try and establish a connection straight away, and let the partner grow into that feeling…
Before everyone shouts me down….I do agree with you guys!! (Connection is one for the most important things), but I have to say that I’ve seen so many guys dive in there, and try and make it emotional and connect with the girl….and sometimes the girl just wants some nice fancy moves, that fit perfectly in time with the music.
I hate to admit this…but sometimes, when I’m dancing Bachata with a Girl for the first time, I tend to have the dance fit around some nice turn patterns that hit the breaks/and the vocals…and chuck in some closed hold movements in there, and if the girl responds well, then each succussive dance, I’ll focus more on the connection….(admittedly, there are fair few girls, where I’ve felt the connection immediately, and so…danced it accordingly)…but ‘Connection’ is such a deeply person thing for each person, that sometimes it needs to grow organically 🙂
Lee