How To Improve Your Bachata Dancing
Improving your Bachata Dancing is easier than you think. Everyone wants to feel sexy and flow freely while dancing Bachata. These tips may not be the sexiest but I promise that if you have a strong foundation, your Bachata Dancing will improve. You will feel sexier, smoother and incredible while dancing Bachata.
Sit Back
One of the biggest mistakes most beginners (including me!) make is dancing with your weight on your toes. Sitting back on your heels will improve your Bachata dancing tremendously.
You can try this exercise to help you. Sit down on a chair or stool with your back straight. Your chest should be open, shoulders down – no hunching! Get up from the chair and keep your back, chest and shoulders in this same position. Pretend the chair is still there and pull your hips and your butt back with your knees bent. Lean back into your heels. Your weight should be from the ball of your foot down to your heel. I like to call this the T-Rex position. It sounds funny, but you won’t forget and it helps. Your Bachata Dancing will improve because you will be more stable and balanced and look smoother on the dance floor.
Quarter, Quarter, Half and Tap
The most underrated move in Bachata is the single turn. Even advanced dancers make mistakes when doing Bachata turns, so if you want to improve this tip will help. Many Bachata dancers feel rushed at the end of a turn. There is a simple fix for this – concentrate on the twist.
If you remember quarter, quarter, half and tap it will help. Here is how you do it. Bring your feet together to start a Bachata turn. On count 1, either with your left foot as a leader, or right foot as a follower, twist. But make sure that your torso, your belly button, twists a quarter of the way. So on count one, you should face 90 degrees away from where you started. On two, you do another quarter turn. So you should be facing away from your partner. On three you do a half turn so you should be facing your partner again. On four you should tap. So you complete the turn in three counts and tap on the fourth.
Single turns make Bachata unique, and you will feel great satisfaction when you get yours down and your dancing will improve.
Relaxed Breathing
It might not be the tip that you were expecting, but it’s the one that I wish I knew. Trust me – if you want to improve your Bachata, relax your breathing. Bachata has a very mellow vibe. I always describe it as that feeling of being at the beach with friends. The sun is setting, the bonfire is going. People are relaxed and enjoying some food and drinks. There is no work tomorrow. There is no rush for anything. Everyone is relaxed and enjoying the mood and each other’s company.
Bachata dancers need to tap into this energy. Don’t stress or get tense about getting the moves right. So tap into the mellow energy and improve your Bachata dancing by taking a deep breath. I do it before I even ask someone to dance. Sometimes they wonder if I’ve had a long day. But that’s ok. I realized that if I want to flow and connect I need to breathe and relax. The more relaxed you are, the more you will flow and feel like you #belong when you’re dancing Bachata.
If you want to level up your Bachata even more, read Part One and Part Two of How to Dance Bachata Like a Pro.
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