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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

I can’t wait to welcome you to our big family, have you coming in week to week, having fun, connecting with new friends and letting lose 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 info@torontodanceSalsa.ca.

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Sidewalk Salsa
Every Thursday from 730-930p.m. Break out your clave and burn the pavement at the corner of Bloor and Spadina! Nothing
beats dancing outdoors with the great people who never miss this event!

Salsa on St. Clair
While this event just passed us by; it’s one of the best! Bands, schools and dancers put on one of the most fun Salsa street parties in the world!

The Beaches Jazz Fest
Get a tan and dance the weekend away! A dedicated Latin stage means the Salsa, Merengue and Bachata will accompany you while you get that perfect tan!

Wasaga Beach Party
A somewhat more informal party, people usually put together a great beach b.b.q. and dancing on one of the nicest beaches in Ontario. Think bikinis and bachata! Woot!

VIP Thursdays
Check out our very own, D.J. Duck and Romantico as they heat up the newest Salsa hotspot on Thursday nights.

Lula Lounge
One of the greatest clubs to see live bands from across the globe! When you walk in, you’ll swear you’re in Cuba and when you hit the floor, you’ll know it!

Acrobat Fridays & Tds Saturdays
A serious dancers’ favourite, Friday nights feature performances, instruction from many teachers and just amazing dancers. Come dance on the special Saturdays when Tds hosts their outing as it’s more relaxed, but still really fun!

Plaza and El Rancho
Two of my fav places year-round as the music is a great mix (even playing Reggaeton) and the people come out to just have fun. Be sure to check out the special Brazilian nights as you can dance Samba, Zouk and Lambada (that’s the forbidden dance!)

Babaluus
A Toronto standard in the heart of Yorkville. Great dancers and new dancers take to the floor in this more upscale club. Be sure to check out the On2 and Cuban nights.

6 Degrees Salsa Tuesdays
Put on your finest dancing gear as this club features some of the best and dressiest dancers in the city. Be sure to check out their special long weekend salsa parties, with the amazing ‘White Party’ coming soon!

Tds and Dovercourt Sunday Socials
While I’m biased towards the Tds social, both events feature new and advanced dancers having a blast, dancing the weekend away! Whether you missed asking that cutie to dance on the Friday night, be sure to not miss your chance at these Sunday parties!

I love dancing in the summer and whether you’re outside or indoors; be sure to keep dancing as it’ll help you get closer to having that beach-body ready!

Till then,
Stay Shining Salseros!

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Cascade
I never truly understood bachata until I went to the Dominican and saw how it was properly done. I was amazed to see that it wasn’t about turn patterns but rather how the bodies speak to one another through subtle movements on the dance floor. When Shakira sang about ‘hips don’t lie’, she was definitely speaking about bachata, as all of the dancers were very close and their bodies were telling stories on the dance floor.

The best bachata dancers always seem to have a cascading effect to their movements. From a subtle shoulder roll leads the dancer’s body’s to arc one way and then crescendo into a full around-the-world movement. To me, it’s not about doing a one cool move into another; but rather how you move when you do a cool move into another.

Which leads me to something similar yet slightly different…
Call and Respond
Another trait that I love about good bachatera’s is how they respond to the movements that I’m making. If I go from a side basic into a ‘on-the-spot’ movement will she acknowledge that quickly, or will it take a few steps? If she catches that I want to do an ‘on-the-spot’ movement will she respond by accenting her body movement? This is all call and respond.

A term used most-often in music, Call and Respond refers to when one instrument will play and then another will play in a way that it’s almost talking back to the first instrument. In Hip Hop, you’ll see M.C.’s often ask a question and the audiences will respond with an answer, which in turn the M.C. will either repeat his question louder or perhaps add a new question making the Call and Respond more of a game.

In Bachata, great dancers feed off one another in their movement. Sometimes they are so good you swear that they have choreographed this at home, but great partners watch each other for subtle movements from the shoulders, hips and body; and move accordingly. It makes your dance sexy and shows your partner that you’re paying attention.

Respect
Dominican dancers love to get close, but that doesn’t mean that the same thing goes here in Canada. While many people do get close, we are for the most part, an intrinsic people and getting close means that you trust your partner to show you a certain level of courtesy. I’ve heard many tales from lady dancers who complain about guys who politely ask them to dance only to press up against them in an ungentlemanly way!

Those who know me well, know that I only have a small group of people whom I feel comfortable dancing such a close and sensual dance with. I can also name off about a dozen other dancers who feel the same way. The best dancers are the ones who will keep their space with their partners until it feels more natural to get close.

Being Playful
With the respect issue out of the way, I love watching the dancers who are flirty/playful with one another. In her classes, Sara, is always saying how you can flirt your dance up a little with the smallest of things. From spotting your partner just a little bit longer before you turn, or even Sharon’s motto of ‘there’s never a bad time for a hip roll’; one can really make it great with small, subtle-movements. Personally, I like to exaggerate my arm movements, as if I was underwater. It sounds weird, but makes all of my combs look like romantic gestures instead of ‘insert-arm-over-partners-shoulder’.

Timing
One of my favourite dance partners says that her favourite bachatero’s play with timing. One thing that Emely really made apparent is that the basic is just that, a base for all of the fun movement. There have been a few classes where we would spend swaying in different rhythms and times to demonstrate how beautiful it can be when two people are just moving to how their bodies feel they should move to the music. I remember looking in the mirror in one of those classes only to marvel at how together, the class looked like a swaying bamboo forest.

Have fun with timing. Take the full 8 counts to do a hip roll, accent the guitars by popping back and forth a few times…take a chance.

Expression
This is to me, the most important factor in what makes someone a good dancer… no matter the style of music, it’s how the dancer reacts to the music that matters. Think of the last song (or movie, or book or photo) that made you want to cry. Someone about it just effects you and you react to how you truly felt when experiencing it. You should always dance this way.

Dance is expression and the best dancers truly listen to how the music makes them feel. I see so many people out on the dance floor whipping through moves that don’t match the music that it makes me want to cry. This isn’t ‘Step it Up’ and we’re not out there to ‘serve’ our partners… we’re out there to express how the music makes us feel and hope that in turn, it lets our partners know how the song moves us.

My favourite dancers speak to me on the dance floor, and if you truly listen, you’ll speak back. Bachata is a beautiful conversation that’s sensual, romantic and best of all, a conversation that only you and your partner will truly understand.

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What is Zumba Fitness?

Founded by celebrity fitness trainer, “Beto” Perez, Zumba Fitness Classes Toronto fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic workout system that will blow you away. It’s an exhilarating workout of caloric-burning, heart-racing, muscle-pumping, and body-energizing movements meant to engage and captivate for life! The routines feature interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat.

In the past years Zumba Fitness Classes have become nothing short of a revolution. Coining the concept of “fitness-party” and making fitness fun, Zumba has spread like wild-fire throughout North America. The routines feature interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms, and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat. Add some Latin flavor and international zest into the mix and you’ve got Zumba Fitness!

Zumba Fitness Classes will get you grooving to Merengue, Salsa, Reggaeton, Cumbia, Bachata and Cha Cha Cha. The progressive level 1 class will start you with the basic footwork patterns and as the weeks progress, styling and fitness elements will be added to have you really working up a sweat! What are you waiting for? Join the party!

Join Tracie every Thursday 6-7pm from October 29th to December 10th at Empress for a high energy dance workout.

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New Belly Dance Beginner Class

What is Belly Dancing?

Belly Dance is a very sensual, fun past time and offers an excellent workout especially for the abdominal area. This ethnic dance which originated in the Middle East has different influences from regions such as Egypt, Africa, Lebanon, Turkey and more. Today it is enjoyed by dancers worldwide and is a popular form of entertainment and exercise as well as a great way to meet new friends and socialize.

Belly Dance has many social, mental and physical health benefits. Belly Dance classes promote better circulation and can reduce blood pressure, assist in joint health and act as a great cardiovascular exercise which burns calories, tones up and strengthens the body and assists with trimming up and getting fit.

The technique of belly dance varies with the type and style but most of the basics involve circular motions that, very similar to salsa body movement, isolate certain body parts such as hips, abs, shoulders, etc. The use of a coin belt or scarf tied around the hips assists with accenting and isolating the hips.

It is a misconception that men do not belly dance. Historically men have been very involved in this dance and we welcome males in our Toronto Belly Dance classes.
Join Laura from Arabesque every Monday or Wednesday from 6-7pm for Belly Dancing for Beginners at Empress.
Mon Oct 26 – Dec 21
Wed Oct 14 – Dec 9

The post New Belly Dance and Zumba Classes Just Posted! appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

Date: Sundays 2:00 – 3:00pm starting Oct 18th
Instructor: Tracie Yee
Type: 9 classes x 1 hr per class
Cost: $126/$117 per person

Sexy Bachata Moves
Kick your Bachata dancing into high gear with some new sexy turn patterns that will add flair and sensuality to your dancing. Join Elton and Velina as they cover body movement, rhythm and musicality, as well as explore new dance patterns in this 1.5 hr workshop at Empress Studio. For those who have completed a minimum of Level 2 and up or passed an assessment.

Date: Saturday November 7th from 5:30 – 7:00pm
Instructors: Velina Sotirova and Elton Martins
Type: 1.5hr workshop
Cost: $35/pp or $30/helpers

The post New Open Shines Class and Bachata Workshop! appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

The doors open at 6:30pm and we have two lessons lined up from 7pm – 8pm downstairs (intermediate) and upstairs (beginner) with Emely and Tracie.

From 8 – 9pm there is social dancing with DJ Efren who always keeps the mood fun and exciting with upbeat, sexy salsa, merengue and bachata songs.

At 9m the competition will begin. We have 4 couples competing in the finals:

Mridu and Elton
Winnie and Manuel
Maysa and Dan
Karen & John

Each will perform a 2 minute to 2.5 minute routine that they have choreographed. The judges (Oscar, Vanesa, Teddy, Rene and Angus) will have the opportunity to rate each couple and, once the 4 couples finish their routines, I will have the opportunity to add up the scores with Sara while the audience enjoys 3 performances by our fellow dance schools: Latin Energy, iFreestyle and Mambo Mosaic. The announcement of the winner will be announced after the schools perform and then DJ Efren will continue on with the social dancing for the rest of the evening.

Hope to see you all out supporting our competitors. I will post the results next week!

The post The finals are this Sunday! appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

1) Cha Cha Cha – The Sequel

This workshop will take place at Empress Walk on Dec 13th, 2008 from 1-3pm. It is perfect for both the students who already took the first workshop or for those who missed the workshop and wanted to learn how to dance New York style On 2 Cha Cha Cha. New combos will be taught. Students must have completed level 2 or receive permission.

2) Salsa Body Isolation and Movement

This workshop will take place at Empress Walk on Dec 13th, 2008 from 3:30-5:30pm. In the first hour learn different techniques for salsa body isolations and movement. In the second hour learn to use the movements in turnpatterns. Students must have completed level 2 or receive permission.

3) Bachata

So many of you have asked for this workshop. It will take place in January on a Saturday at Empress – time to be announced. Advanced Bachata body movement, musicality and turnpatterns will be covered. Students must have completed level 2 or receive permission.

Each workshop is $35 or two for $60. Helpers pay $30 per workshop. The first two workshops are already posted and registration is open.

Let us know what other workshops you would like to see for 2009!

The post Two New Workshops for Dec! appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

The next new class to be offered is the very famous Zumba Fitness Workout 5 week session. This is a high energy, fun cardiovascular exercise program that incorporates Latin dance footsteps, body movement and arm movement to get the heart pumping and the muscles working. No partner is required. Cost is $70 for 5 weeks and the class takes place on Wednesdays 5:45 – 6:45pm starting November 19th. Here are some more details regarding this program:

What is Zumba Fitness?
Founded by celebrity fitness trainer, “Beto” Perez, Zumba Fitness Classes Toronto fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic workout system that will blow you away. It’s an exhilarating workout of caloric-burning, heart-racing, muscle-pumping, and body-energizing movements meant to engage and captivate for life! The routines feature interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat.

In the past years Zumba Fitness Classes have become nothing short of a revolution. Coining the concept of “fitness-party” and making fitness fun, Zumba has spread like wild-fire throughout North America. The routines feature interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms, and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat. Add some Latin flavor and international zest into the mix and you’ve got Zumba Fitness!

Zumba Fitness Classes in Toronto will get you grooving to Merengue, Salsa, Reggaeton, Cumbia, Bachata and Cha Cha Cha. The progressive level 1 class will start you with the basic footwork patterns and as the weeks progress, styling and fitness elements will be added to have you really working up a sweat! What are you waiting for? Join the party!

Toronto Dance Salsa offers Zumba Fitness dance classes in Toronto for beginners. This five week introduction class will address all the basics of the dances including technique, footwork, arm movements, body movement and styling.

Our Zumba Fitness Toronto classes are taught by Tracie Macko. Here is Tracie’s bio:

Tracie Macko, Salsa and Zumba Instructor
Tracie first fell in love with salsa in 2002 at a club in her hometown of Winnipeg, MB. Moving to Toronto that same year, Tracie saw the diverse dance and performing arts community that Toronto had to offer and immediately immersed herself into the Latin dance social scene. She quickly obtained a position as a Salsa dance group and private class instructor at Soles Dance Studio, and was a main dance instructor there until Soles closed its doors in the summer of 2004.

Since then Tracie has continued on as a private On1 Salsa Dance instructor, and, in 2005, expanded her teaching into the world of dance fitness, teaching ‘Zumba Fitness’ and Salsa Cardio at various fitness facilities throughout the GTA. Tracie has also established herself as a creative, dedicated and energetic dance performer and choreographer, making appearances on numerous Toronto stages in a variety of dance genres, ranging from cabaret style jazz to Salsa to Afro-Brazilian and Samba. She is currently a performing member of The Dance Migration, The Orient Dance Company and Las Gatas Entertainment. She is also a “regular” on the social Salsa dancing scene, dancing both On1 and On2 at clubs in the Toronto area, and is known for her unique style that reflects her diverse dance background.
Click here to view our Zumba Fitness Workout Classes Toronto.

The post Zumba Fitness Class Just Posted! appeared first on Toronto Dance Salsa.

The evening began with a beginner lesson downstairs with Sara Sharifpoor and Velina Sotirova and an intermediate lesson with Evan and myself upstairs. We had a great turnout for the lessons and I was happy to see that the students picked up the combination with greater ease than last week at Plaza Flamingo.

DJ Evan then got the night started with lots of great salsa, merengue and bachata. I saw plenty of faces of new students and past students so it was great to see everyone enjoying themselves. I had some fun dances myself – thanks to Frank, John, Vince, Mark, Rob and anyone else I danced with for the fun times!

Our next outing is on Friday October 17th at 9:30pm at Plaza Flamingo. Also keep Saturday November 1st open as that is our traditional Halloween Dress Up Salsa Party, this year at Peridot!

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Yes, learning to dance can be somewhat difficult but just like an new activity a little time and persistence goes a long way. And remember, it is FUN work – not the boring kind! The hardest part to learning to dance is surviving level 1. Once you’ve done this it gets a lot easier and with some practice every semester becomes easier and more fun.

I always tell my students the same story of my first few months learning salsa. I was a terrible dancer. I hadn’t taken any lessons and just decided to go out dancing at Babaluus with some girlfriends. When I finally got up the nerve to accept a dance I was mortified as to how bad I actually was and there were no improvements for a few months. My girlfriends got better and better and I struggled, not even knowing the difference between salsa, merengue and bachata.

Of course looking back I can see I handled it all wrong. If I had just taken some lessons I could have avoided subjecting myself and my partners to fairly awful dancing. However I learned salsa on the dance floor and after a few months of struggling the light finally came on and all the hard work (and embarrassment) paid off. I finally started to follow properly, move my body and begin to look and feel like a dancer. That first year I danced almost every night of the week and by the end of the year I was already entering my first competition.

If you are a student you are already leaps and bounds ahead of where I was. Just keep at it, practice at home, visualize the moves and go out to practices and outings and soon you will see why it is such an addictive pastime!

Enjoy your salsa journey!!

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