For our video of the day, we have a sensual Bachata dance. The dancers, Janis and Zoe display their obvious chemistry in this graceful partner dance. Throughout the dance, the couple keeps close contact for most of the time while occasionally breaking apart to add some spins or dips. Their movements coupled with the love and fondness the couple exudes create a dance that is impossible to look away from.
Bachata dance originated in the Dominican Republic in the 1950s and 60s and was most popular in places like bars. The dance style has always been a highly romantic one, often telling stories of romance and heartbreak through the routine. Unfortunately, at the time of Bachata’s creation, the Dominican Republic’s dictator, Trujillo, banned the dance style, believing it was a lower art form compared to the Meringue style of dance which he embraced wholeheartedly.
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Unfortunately, Bachata’s bad reputation stuck around, even after Trujillo’s reign. The style was largely relegated to brothels after its banning and as such was not viewed favorably by the public at large. For decades it was suppressed due to its poor reputation, but in recent years has been embraced by the world at large as a beautiful, romantic dance.
At its most basic form, Bachata is a three-step dance accented by a hip movement (usually done by the female partner). Older versions of Bachata would dance from front to back, but in recent years, it has become more common to dance side to side instead.
If you’re interested in learning Bachata dance, there are three different styles to choose from. The Dominican Bachata is the oldest and the most ‘historically accurate’. This style follows the original styles of the dance, relying on more freestyling and bouncy footwork than other types of dance. If you’re new to dancing, this may be one of the more difficult styles to master.
On the other side of the spectrum, Bachata Moderna (or the Modern style) is the newest form of the dance. This style utilizes the hip movements of Dominican Bachata but also takes inspiration from Bolero, Tango, and other Latin dance forms.
The most popular style of Bachata is the ‘Traditional Style’. This type of Bachata dancing takes the hip movements of Dominican Bachata, but is much more structured, relying on crosses and dips more than the original.
Overall, there are several different types of Bachata dance available to whoever would like to learn. If you’re interested, check out your local dance schools to find a fun learning environment.
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