Bachata dance
Adam Taub
What Is Bachata Dance?

Bachata is a social dance from the Dominican Republic that is danced to Bachata music. It is an important part of Dominican culture, which has also gained tremendous popularity in many places around the world. Traditionally, it’s danced socially in partners of two, although it’s also common for people to dance Bachata solo informally. Bachata music is in 4/4 timing and the foundational or “basic” step is often described as 1,2,3, & “touch,” then stepping again in the other direction, 1,2,3 & “touch” for a total of 8 beats in total when combining each side. The “touch” may be a tap, touch, accent, or syncopated step such as “4&1.” Bachata dance in the Dominican Republic was heavily influenced by a variety of dances, principally Bolero, Son, and Merengue and you can see each of their influences in the frame, the shape of the foundational steps, the footwork, body motion, lead and follow, rotations and moves. Bachata is an active living dance in the DR so it continues to be influenced by other music and dance within the DR and abroad.

What Is Bachata Dance?
Bachata blog
Adam Taub
What Is Bachata?

What is Bachata? Bachata is a genre of music and dance that originated and is currently popular in the Dominican Republic. Bachata has gained popularity around the world, and is now listened and danced to in many countries.

What Is Bachata?
Bachata blog, Bachata Teaching Tips
Adam Taub
8 Tips to CONNECT Your Dance Students to MUSIC ...

In this blog post I'm going to be focusing on ways that we can connect our students to the music. I think intuitively we all understand how fundamental and how essential music is to the dance experience, but a lot of times when planning a class, or even when dancing, music gets put to the side. As some of you know I've done a lot of documentary film work with Bachata musicians. I also teach dance classes but my real, deep, introduction to Bachata music and dance was really through documentary film work with Bachata musicians. In some ways that connection came first for me. That connection with the music is fundamental and so important for dancers.

8 Tips to CONNECT Your Dance Students to MUSIC | Bachata Teaching Tips

Bachata Dance Rhythm in the DR - Bachata Dancing On Different Timings

Bachata Dance Rhythm in the DR - Bachata Dancing On Different Timings

There are some big differences with how Bachata is danced in the Dominican Republic in comparison to how it is taught around the world. One of the biggest has to doing with Bachata dance rhythm and timing. When Bachata is taught around the world the vast majority of classes teach students to dance "on 1," taking their first step on the first beat of the music and then marking, tapping, or touching the 4th beat. There is nothing wrong with dancing on this timing, but in the DR dancers can, and will start on the 1, 2, 3, or 4 in the measure. It is normal to see a floor full of dancers in the DR dancing to multiple timings.

What is "Bachata?" What does "Bachata" mean?

What is "Bachata?" What does "Bachata" mean?


Most of those familiar with the word "bachata" know it as a popular musical genre and dance form native to the Dominican Republic(DR). However, before it came to be used to refer to a genre of music it meant a "fiesta del patio" or an informal gathering of friends and neighbors where music was played and drink was often served. It was not until the early 1970's in the Dominican Republic that bachata came to describe a musical genre. It was first used as an insult, a disparaging term that impliee that the music and the people that listened to it were from a "lower" class, uneducated, crude, vulgar, and immoral. Today, to a great extent, the word has been "reclaimed" and currently has a much more positive connotation in the DR and internationally.