Bachata – How Many Steps?
Are you a beginner and looking to learn how many steps are there in Bachata? No problem, we are going to give you the full breakdown.
Here is how you can understand Bachata and be able to dance Bachata and do turns in bachata. There are a total of eight steps in bachata. Well… technically six. Well…technically you can do 16. Let me explain.
- Basics of Bachata. Bachata has a total of six steps. There are three steps where you shuffle to the side, bring your feet together and then shuffle to the side again. On the fourth count you tap – because there are a total of eight counts in Bachata. Then you do three more shuffles back to the other side and then you tap again. So it depends on how you view it. At Toronto Dance Salsa we say Bachata is eight counts with six steps and two taps. But in reality, as you get to more advanced levels none of that matters.
- You can dance Bachata on the syncopated steps. When you count Bachata you would say “one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.” You would then dance on those eight counts – six steps and two taps. But you can also dance the beats in between – the syncopated steps. So you can count and dance on “one, and, two, and, three, and, four, and, five, and, six, and, seven, and, eight.” This way you can add extra steps. This is much more advanced and honestly, if you are reading this article I have probably confused you – so don’t worry about it. At Toronto Dance Salsa as you reach the end of Bachata Level 1 we do explain and teach some of the basics of dancing on the beats in-between or syncopation.
- Basic turns in Bachata. Whether you are a leader or follower, you are going to twist into a quarter turn to either your left or right on the one. Then do another quarter turn to face away from your partner on two. Then you do a half turn on three and a final tap on four. You can rinse and repeat the other way.
Of course, learning Bachata is a lot more fun when you learn with other people! So come check out Toronto Dance Salsa and join our school. We can make sure you feel like you #belong on the dance floor.
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