Should I start with Bachata or Salsa?
At Toronto Dance Salsa we teach two of the most popular Latin dances- Salsa and Bachata. But should you start with Bachata or Salsa? That’s a great question, so here are some distinctions between each dance for you to figure out which one is right for you.
- It’s all about the mood. Salsa is like running fast down a hill with the wind in your face. It’s like driving down a highway. Salsa is about speed, energy, power and excitement. In Salsa you go from one move to the next at lightning speed. It’s like a roller coaster, it’s fun, it’s tricky. But it does take longer to master.
Bachata is like being on a beach. The sun is setting. There’s a bonfire and you’re having a great time with great people. You’re vibing, you’re flowing, it’s romantic. It’s slower. It’s smoother. It focuses on gentleness, it focuses on connection. It focuses on feeling more than anything else. Bachata focuses less on tricks, but it has so many. It doesn’t ask for more than what you have at that moment. Bachata is more forgiving when you miss a beat.
- It’s all about the rhythm. The rhythms are also different. Salsa has a very unique rhythm of quick, quick, slow. Each quick is one beat and the slow is two beats. So if you have trouble with rhythm and you feel nervous about it, Bachata might be a better choice. Bachata is rhythmically even. It has eight counts where each count is a step, which makes it easier.
I’ll be honest, I started with salsa and, and it was challenging and I definitely did not have good rhythm. But it still worked for me. I was happy with it. It did take longer for me to learn to hear the beat but I stuck with it and now I run Canada’s largest Salsa dance school! So if rhythm is really something you struggle with then bachata definitely is the way to go. But on the other hand…
- It’s all about the dance – do both! Why pick just one? They’re distinct enough that you can do both and get the best of both worlds. Get the best of running down a hill with the wind in your face and being at the beach and having a bonfire, having some drinks and slowing down. A lot of our students do both Bachata level one and Salsa level one at the same time. It is also two times a week where you get to escape from your home, from your troubles, from the drama of your life. You will get two hours a week to be on the dance floor – connecting, being part of a community, feeling love, being cheered on. It is amazing! PIck both – it is twice the fun!
I can’t wait to welcome you to our big family, have you come in week to week, have fun, connect with new friends and let loose to amazing Latin songs. Click here to check our current schedule.
If you have any questions you would like me to answer here are some ways you can contact me: message me on Instagram (torontodanceSalsa), on Twitter (#torontodanceSalsa), on Facebook (Toronto Dance Salsa) or email me at [email protected].
