Basic steps in bachata. How to dance bachata: the basics of technique

- beautiful and sensual pair dance, which appeared in the distant Dominican Republic. Only in a hot country of snow-white sand, azure sea and heavenly landscapes could an equally hot and passionate dance be born. Bachata is smoothness of movements, flexibility and plasticity of bodies, hugs and a romantic mood. If you look at a couple performing this dance, there is a feeling of complete unity and harmony of the partners, as if they are driven by one common wave of bewitching music. Today, bachata is gaining more and more fans, and the main role in this trend is played by the simplicity of the movements performed, but this is an erroneous assumption that may arise when first visually introduced to the dance technique.

Bachata - how to dance correctly?

Bachata lessons should be held in pairs with a dance partner, while such an emotional contact should be established between the partners, thanks to which the dance will be performed lively and organically. It is very important for dancers to open up and make contact with a partner, and if for people with a South American temperament this is quite natural, then for reserved Europeans it is very difficult. Despite its apparent simplicity, bachata is a whole complex of complex movements that should look natural. And for this, lesson after lesson should be honed technique: here the most important thing is the synchronism of the partners and the correct course of each part of the body. In the classroom, dancers will have to master many wave-like movements and deflections, and this requires hours of training.

A few rules for beginners

Those who are captivated by this extraordinary dance, which combines the contradictions of passion, tenderness and unpredictability, should definitely learn bachata. They will be helped dance classes with experienced trainers who will explain the dance technique in practice. But not always and not everyone has the opportunity to visit dance school, and basic skills will never become redundant. Here are some of the main and most important rules bachata.

• Firstly, the leader in the pair is the man, and the woman is the follower. As if obeying her partner, she dutifully follows him, and each new step is certainly accompanied by a smooth rotation of her hips.
• Secondly, good stretching is required for bachata lessons, especially some of the thigh and psoas muscles. However, this is not a stretch in its classical sense, when the main goal is to bend the body at a maximum angle. The plasticity of the muscles is important here, due to which the rotation of the hips will, as it were, give a wave throughout the body. For pre-workout the best way simple tilts and circular rotations of the torso are suitable.
• Thirdly, the main element of the dance is the kick, without which bachata is inconceivable. This is a smooth rotational movement that women should perform with their hips, and men with their entire body. The one who managed to comprehend this element of dance, one can say, comprehended the very essence of bachata.
• Finally, each step in the dance consists of 3 small steps, which should be performed at ease, while maintaining the visual lightness and playfulness of the movements.

And most importantly: in order to master bachata, it is not enough just to learn the basic movements and ligaments. It is important here to be able to improvise, because bachata is improvisation, full of passion and emotions, like the temper of South Americans.

There are only two fundamental moments in the technique: work with the body and "kick" to the 4th and 8th counts. The easiest, most effective, reliable and at the same time the cheapest way to master these elements is to learn them in, where they will tell you everything about the details of how muscles and joints work.

Friends, people regularly come to us with the words “we studied at parties / on the bridge / at master classes in the Tiki bar, we know the whole base, take us to the continuing group.” We are not sorry, we take it, but as a rule, after 5 minutes of class, these people realize that they have overestimated their level. Not because it is so difficult with us, but simply at master classes and during parties it is impossible to learn: the format is different.

Body work requires mobile and stretched muscles of the back, abs and lower back. If you are not used to working with them, you should start with simple back stretches and tilts from side to side, familiar to everyone from school.

In general, the deficit physical form is perhaps the most common obstacle in the growth of dance skills. And here it is important to understand that what is important for dancing is not your ability to pull weights, throw balls or run fast, but something completely different: plastic, mobile and stretched muscles, ready to work.

Plastic is not flexibility!

The difference here is in the anatomy. Flexibility is ligaments and tendons. Plastic is primarily muscles and work in the joints. If you stretch the ligaments of the inguinal region, you can sit on the twine. Can you beautifully and quickly work with your feet? No. Stretching is necessary for plasticity, but a stretched body is not necessarily plastic.

For the development of plasticity you will need:

• "insulation",
• stretching and

We were lucky to learn from the wonderful master of movement, Alexei Aleksentsev, on the right in the video his plastic class. If you decide to take dancing seriously, save the video to your computer, watch and review. This is a mandatory and, unfortunately, the only textbook no one else in Russia knows how to teach like that.

But back to bachata. Here, for a beautiful and full-fledged dance, you do not need to perform miracles of self-control, it will be enough for 15 minutes 3 times a week to warm up your body and then stretch it in the area from the middle of the thigh to the ribs / shoulders.

Everyone knows these trivial exercises from school and is quite capable of doing them at home, so we do not waste valuable class time on them at school.

And the second necessary technical element of bachata is "kick".

There’s nothing to even describe here, it’s important to just remember your gender: girls kick from the hip, boys from the body, and don’t mix it up!

Bachata video watch you can repeat and learn even at home, we advise you to watch bachata videos in series, learning from one dancer. However, it should be noted that from the lessons of bachata it is necessary to take only the most necessary and be careful about the technique being performed! It is not difficult to master it, but you need to be quite attentive to which foot you start the move with (this can be quite unusual), how you hold your back, which hand you will lean on your partner / partner.

Bachata videos are useful to watch and for those who want to improve their technique, you will see a couple of tricks in the lessons that you will definitely want to transfer to the dance floor, practice with a partner and make your dance more spectacular. It is for this purpose that it is worth coming to our lessons at the best bachata dance school in Moscow!

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VIDEO: Bachata Basic Steps

VIDEO: basic steps + female turn

VIDEO: male twist in bachata

VIDEO: basic steps in open and closed position

VIDEO: Bachata Bundle for Beginners

VIDEO: bachata link for confident dancers

In this dance it is very important to feel the general mood, to get positive emotions and set fire to your partner. After all, without it, nowhere! That is why watching a bachata video is useful for a dancer of any level in order to understand the general atmosphere, enjoy beautiful dance and dream about how you will dance if you continue your studies. To look at the technique of professional dancers, at the beauty of their numbers and incendiary mood is always a great temptation and temptation!

Bachata video tutorials

Bachata dance is a manifestation of maximum trust between partners! And it's so easy to learn! We confidently say that you can learn the basic steps of bachata, even if you watch video tutorials . But at the same time, any technique requires practice! So we are looking forward to salsero of any level in our trainings in best school Moscow. Special practices are organized in our school, where you can master those signature stylish features of dancers, try out new movements, practice polishing basic equipment and/or just having a great time with a partner!

TRIAL LESSON FOR BEGINNERS

We remind you that you should not be afraid to come without a partner! Salsa and bachata are both good because partners change, so you should not be embarrassed by either your physical preparation, or height, or your solo desire to dance!

To dance with pleasure and be relaxed, you need to feel the atmosphere of the dance, so we suggest you watch videos from our and foreign dance masters. Incendiary numbers, refined technique, ease of movement, smooth lines, and most importantly mood - all this will make you start dancing right now. Get ready for it!

It's also nice that lessons can be found for all levels of choreography: from basic steps to complex transitions. And one more thing, today video lessons are presented literally in all languages. So you can practice your Spanish or English at the same time if you feel the need!

Bachata dance tutorials are also suitable for those who are often embarrassed to go to the dance floor and come to our lesson completely unprepared. Watch the lesson and practice the basic steps, turns, so that you can already imagine what awaits you in advance and feel that you do not stand out from the others! We advise you not to be afraid of anything, and feel free to come for real pleasure to the bachata school, where there are fully equipped

July 26th, 2012 03:31 pm

Note #21 - Salsa - Triangle Steps and Dominican Bachata

Last time I described a bunch

Today I want to describe a few different ways walk, decorating the dance, if you are dancing solo. Some of these steps were shown at the master classes at the salsa festival, some were peeped at the classes in the senior group.

salsa

In general, I agree with Olya (teacher), who says that your decorating steps are not so important for a partner in the dance - more important is what he sees, that is, shoulders, chest, stomach and hips. Special decorating steps are more attractive to outside viewers and serve for your own satisfaction, but - in any case, in the future it may be useful -)

Salsa - How to walk in a "triangle"

We stand one by one, imagine an equilateral triangle on the floor, directed with the top forward and the base back. We are standing in its lower left top. On 1 - we step from the left foot to the upper peak forward-to the right, on 2 - with the right foot to the lower right peak to the right, on 3 - we put the left foot to the right foot to the lower right peak, on 4 - without a pause - we step forward with the right foot - to the left to the upper vertex, on 5 - with the left foot we step left and sideways to the lower left vertex, on 6 - we put the right foot to the left to the lower left vertex, on 7 - again from the left foot we go forward and right to the upper vertex and on 8 - without a pause - put the right foot to the right-side to the lower right vertex of the triangle.

How to walk "Cuban step"

From this position, you can continue to take the Basic Step, or go to the Cuban step, i.e. left foot 1 - step back to the heel of Casino, right foot 2 - in place and left foot 3 - sideways to the left, pause, then 5 - right foot back to the heel - step Casino, left foot 6 - step in place and then, on 7 - a step to the right-sideways with the right foot, followed by a pause.

If you have already mastered base step so that it is already "sewn up in the subcortex", perhaps it's time to diversify it a bit. There are times when the music speeds up, or slows down, or there are some accents in it, and while dancing, you can accentuate the step in accordance with the music.

How to Accent the Basic Step

You can emphasize, for example, by making an additional pause, or instead of a pause, on the contrary, add a dot. For example, we begin to walk the usual basic step for 1-2-3 from the left foot, but instead of a pause, we make a “point” with the right foot, without transferring the weight to the right foot at the end. On 5 - we take a step forward with our right foot and freeze, skipping a step with our left foot in place at the expense of 6. Instead, you can move your shoulders back and forth, or (for girls) "wave", on 7 - return your right foot to its place and, instead of pauses, at 8 - we make a point with the left foot, without transferring weight to it at the end.

Other improvisations are also possible - the main thing is that the movements are appropriate and correspond to the music, its speed and rhythm -)

Bachata

Now let's move on to Bachata ..)) I wrote a little about this dance a little earlier in one of the notes, in particular, about steps left-right and back and forth. He is very passionate, requires good guidance from the boy and is rewarded with unforgettable smiles and appreciation from the girls -) Intrigued?

Remembering the basic bachata step

Let's start by standing in an open position and walking from right to left (where the boy will lead the girl). The sideways lead is slightly different from the Mambo step lead in Casino salsa. During a pause, the boy with his left hand pulls the girl’s right hand a little to the left, and she resists, and on 1-2-3-4 the boy steps to the left, and the girl to the right, the basic step of the bachata with dots. At 4, the boy will already begin to lead the girl by her left hand to the right with his right hand, and on 5-6-7-8 he, together with the girl, begins to move in reverse side.

How to lead a girl to turn in bachata

In order to lead the girl to the turn in open position, you need to give the girl a signal at 4. For example, a boy leads a girl to the left (for a girl to the right). To give a signal, on 4 with his left hand, the boy takes the girl’s right hand to the left and raises it, bent at the elbow, after which on 1-2-3-4 he goes to the right and sideways, and rotates the girl to the right and inward by the hand with her simultaneous advancement (I talked about the turn on the steps in bachata a little earlier).

Similarly, the boy turns the girl in the opposite direction. On 4 - he brings his left hand to the right with his right hand (to the left for her) and lifts it up, after which, on 5-6-7-8 he goes to the left-sideways, and rotates the girl to the right-inward.

How to lead in closed position in bachata

Right-left and back-and-forth can be danced in a closed position. The boy hugs the girl to him with his chest, holding her by the shoulder blade, left hand the boy's elbow is bent and raised up along with the girl's hand. back and forth leading is the same as in salsa, that is, we press with the elbow of a raised hand (magco, but confidently) or pull the back towards ourselves.

To lead sideways, the boy needs to practice shifting the thoracic region relative to the body to the left and right, without twisting in the shoulders. If it works out, then the boy hugs the girl to him, and then gives her a signal a little in advance by shifting his shoulders in the right direction./p>

Bachata, I repeat once again, is a very passionate dance: the contact is tight, and the boy hugs the girl. You should not, however, abuse it - both partners should receive pleasant sensations from the dance.

It still won’t work to stand right in front of each other - just rest your knees, or push each other’s legs. The boy shifts slightly to the left relative to the girl so that her right knee is between his legs, and his right knee is between hers. in the future there will be some movements to which the boy leads the girl with his hip, or foot, touching the girl's leg from the inside of the leg. Be ready -)

Also, in a closed position, you can rotate with the girl around a common axis. Leading in this case is carried out simultaneously with the hands and the body, when the boy presses the girl to him.

"Swinging" (transferring weight) in bachata in a closed position

The boy may not lead the girl somewhere to the music, but simply swing in place, transferring the weight of the body from the right to the left leg. At the same time, the signal is given by the body and shoulders so that the girl does not start walking if there is a slightly less tight contact, when the boy wants her to just sway to the side and stay in place.

Important! The shoulders should move to the side not from the bottom up, but from the top down. That is, at first the shoulder goes up, then to the side, as if throwing itself on something and then down, and we swing in the other direction (similarly).

How to Block

This movement is somewhat similar to "rocking", only we stop the girl after the first step to the side. That is, first the boy gives the girl a signal, then by 1 - together with the girl steps sideways (for example, to the left), and, holding the girl from the next step, by 2-3 slowly returns the weight back to the right leg. At 4 - a point, or put the left foot behind the right on the toe.

You can also do an accented Block, for which you swing to the left and go back to count 1, and then freeze on your right foot to count 2-3 and make a point at 4.

How to turn 90 degrees to the left with a girl

The beginning of the movement is very similar to the Cross Body Lead from Los Angeles Salsa. In a close position, the boy steps forward (giving a signal to the girl, pressing his elbow with his hands), then turns the body to the left by 90 degrees and steps back with the right, giving way to the girl, by 3 - leads the girl by the shoulder blade behind him, closing the position, by 4 - point.

How to Slide in Closed Position in Bachata

The boy in a closed position presses the girl to him, at the expense of 1 - transfers the weight (his and the girls) completely to the left leg, and, starting almost simultaneously, on 1-2-3 with the toe of his right foot pushes the left foot of the girl, which was left without support to the right (to the left for a girl) a little further than shoulder width, about 3-4 (on soft legs), he transfers the weight (his and the girl’s to the other leg), smoothly raises the right shoulder, on which the girl’s hand lies, up, stretching it (but without straightening the leg completely to the end, otherwise it will lift the girl of short stature into the air) to the right (to the left for her), and on 4 - puts a point with the left foot to the right.

Elements of Bachata-Dominican Republic

Dominican bachata is a special variation of bachata, characterized by varied and sometimes quite complex movements of the legs and feet. I remind you that for a girl (boy) our face, shoulders, arms, chest, stomach and hips are dancing, and everything below is often simply not visible - we do these elements for the audience, therefore, at first you can not lament, if something doesn't work.

Two steps on 8, instead of a dot on 8

You can take the usual steps on the spot on 1-2-3-4 with a point on 4, and on 5-6-7-8 instead of a point on 8, take two short steps, that is, on 5 - step with your right foot, on 6 - a step with the left foot, at 7 - a step with the right foot, and at 8 - a short (in time) step with the left foot in place and then the same short step with the right foot in place.

Point on count 3 instead of 4

Let's try to make a dot on count 3 instead of count 4 in our usual steps, and the rest of the steps are normal, with weight transfer. It looks especially interesting when moving back and forth.

Step with cha-cha-cha element in bachata-dominican

On 1 - we take a step-point (without transferring weight) to the left a little shorter than shoulder width, then we return the leg back and from it we step alternately with our feet: 2-and-3 (2-left, and-right, 3-left), or "cha-cha-cha", and right on 4 we make a point.

We do the same to the right: on 5 - point to the right to the side, 6-and-7 - return the right foot and alternately step "cha-cha-cha" (right-left-right), on 8 - make a point with the left foot.

"Arab" or "Afro" element (with twist of the hip)

We stand on soft feet. On 1 from the left foot, we step forward onto the toe so as to put the bent leg in front of us with the knee to the right (without transferring weight), and with the heel to the left, on 2 - from the hip we turn the leg to the left (the toe is in place, the heel moves inward), as a result , the leg turns around and turns out to be the knee to the left, the heel to the right. On 3 - put the foot back, on 4 - point with the left foot.

Similarly, on the other leg: on 5 - without transferring the weight, we put the half-bent right leg on the toe in front of us with the knee inward (to the left), on 6 - from the hip we turn the right leg on the toe (due to movement of the heel) with the knee outward (to the right), on 7 - put the right foot back and on 8 - make a point with the left foot. Hooray! -)

Outcome

On this, if we are not given something else new at the lesson tonight, I will leave you for two weeks, going on vacation, which I will spend in Altai ..)

I wish you all good health, be cheerful, open, honest, joyful and light! =))