Bachatango, a relatively new style comprising a fusion of 2 dance styles- bachata and tango, is taking off worldwide, and recently Australia too has started to enjoy the sensual, passionate but strong characteristics that this dance has to offer.
But what exactly is ‘Bachatango’. In a nut shell, Bachatango is a style of dance that fuses the four-step Dominican bachata with Argentine tango moves, including elaborated kicks, dips, turns and long pauses. This dance is predominantly performed in a very close position or in the tango closed body frame. It has fewer elaborated foot styling than Bachata due to its focus being more on sensuality. The dance is characterised by sensual body movements with a strong focus on overextended Cuban hip motions.
Bachatango started its popularity and evolved as a branch of Bachata in Europe. With the popularisation of bachata music, dancers worldwide tapped into the romantic side of bachata finding new ways of expressing their passion. In 2002, as bachata began to be played on radio worldwide, dancers began to elaborate and extend their already sound knowledge and love for Bachata. With the quick progression of this style, it is now being danced to both bachata and tango music and it is seen in bachata competitions worldwide.
Bachatango seems to be the new Latin style taking off in Australia, with more and more people craving to learn the sensual and passionate style nationwide.
Its growing popularity was displayed in the Australian Bachata Championships for 2010, in which Mitch and Ellicia from Modus Vivendi In New South Wales showcased the first ever Bachatango couple routine.
Mitch and Ellicia are the pioneer couple of this style here in Australia. They both look forward to sharing this incredibly addictive style with every dancer possible. Their next showcase is at the Sydney International Bachata Festival in April, in which they will teach, perform and have also choreographed a team Bachatango routine.
Come and join them for their workshop and see just what the hype is all about, you might become a Bachatango convert too!
Written by Ellicia MacDonald. Ellicia is a popular dancer Bachata (Bachatango), Salsa and Latin dancer in Sydney, Australia. Ellicia is also part of the world renown Modus Vivendi Team
Thanks for this wonderful article Ellicia. It’s so great that people are pushing boundaries and developing much loved dance styles!!
I feel so happy and honoured to be part of Ellicia’s and Mitch’s Bachatango Team for the Intern. Bachata Festival in Sydney. It’s a great Routine and you are both great and qualified Teachers. The whole Team loves it, it’s so much fun!! Hope this is just the Start !!
I love to see Bachata growing! we need more motivated instructors like Mitch and Ellicia in this world! Keep up the good work, and I can’t wait to see your next performance!
Hi Juan!
Here in Italy there are a lot of Bachatango instructor…
For example, in Padua we have “Fabio and Matilde” from the “Salsita Linda” school.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC3HNmTDej4
And… the first nose that I hit dancing cuban salsa was Matilde’s one. What a spectacle! Sorry Matilde. 🙁
It was great to read your article on Bachatango Elicia! My partner and I are from Adelaide and are both studying Bachata and Tango. We love the refined sensuality that Tango lends to Bachata as well as the variation in pace.
It would be lovely to attend your classes or workshops one day soon.
Thanks!
Great article Ellicia 🙂
Modus Vivendi Project are going to look great yet again at the Bachata Festival thanks to you and Mitch. I am very glad you guys are teaching BACHATANGO here at Latin Dance Australia and look forward to seeing your next choreo for the LDA Ball!
Catch Mitch and Ellicia at the upcoming SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL BACHATA FESTIVAL, they will be a hit!
Really Nice Article….a Pleasure to read!
Just to add my Two cents to the conversation…
Bachatango is a bit like the ‘Black Sheep’ of Bachata over here in the U.K.
Personally, I love it…as Bachata is my first love, but I’ve always wanted to learn the Tango (one day, in future hopefully :-)) but it’s very rare that a DJ will play a Bachatango track, over here…as so few people know how to dance it…but for me, the cross on 1/2/3 in bachata, have a similar feel (I would imagine) as leading in Tango, and so those fundamentals (the man leading with a firm clear frame) allow for that cross-over potential
The purist’s (especially on the Tango side), are very dismissive of the incorporation of the two distinct dances…and (to the best of my Knowledge), very few teachers over here, place any emphasis on this particular style, and thus there aren’t many places to learn it. If you want to learn Tango or Bachata…there are loads of places to go and learn either dance, but Bachatango…will require a fair bit of searching, to find somewhere that regularly teaches it.
I’ve been lucky enough, that when I’ve done Tony Lara’s London Bachata workshops, he always includes a ‘Bachatango’ workshop…so I know a little bit, but I’ve never had the opportunity to dance it socially…
Well, guess what the DJ played @ Bar Salsa last night??…
…Nooooo!!, not a ‘Country & Western’ song….a Bachatango track 🙂
The girl, that I was due to dance with (whom, I’d never danced with before)…must have already known how to dance Bachatango, because she knew it was a Bachatango track from the first couple of seconds when it started. Suffice to say that I put my (un-road tested) Bachatango skills to test, and It was such a Sensual/Passionate dance (my best dance of the evening, if I’m being honest), that I’m still thinking about it the next day..
Many thanks for posting “Bachatango