A Beginner's Guide to Dancing Bachata
Bachata Room Boston prides itself on being beginner-friendly and welcoming to people from all walks of life. As a social dance, Bachata is all about having fun, making friends, and learning new things.
If you’re new to Bachata, or to Latin dance in general, there’s no need to be intimidated. The basic steps can be picked up in minutes (which is why we run an hour-long lesson before each weekly social dance).
But, for those of you who want to know what you’re getting into before putting on your dancing shoes, I’ve prepared this quick guide to Bachata for beginners.
Bachata steps
Bachata is danced in a simple 4-step style. Check out this video to see the basic bachata step:
Simple, right? The fun doesn’t stop there. Bachata has various styles, including a side-to-side step, a forward and back style, and more.
In addition to these variants, Bachata is often blended with other forms of Latin dance. The “Bachatango,” and other modern styles that combine elements from Salsa, Tango, Kizomba, and others.
At Bachata Room Boston, you’ll learn a little of everything as you progress.
Bachata dress style
Bachata is an active and social dance. So, the first and foremost concern is comfort. Since you’ll be moving around a lot, avoid any warm weather clothing and fabrics.
Social dances don’t typically have strict dress codes. You’ll mostly want to focus on staying cool and comfortable.
When it comes to shoes, comfort is also the key concern. Sneakers are typical for most social dance environments, such as Bachata Room. At formal dances, you can expect more formal attire, such as high heels for women and dress shoes for men. We don’t recommend those for your first night few nights out learning bachata.
Top 5 tips for your first night at Bachata Room Boston
It’s fine to come alone! Social dance lessons aren’t restricted to one partner.
Don’t worry about what others are thinking. Everyone is new to Bachata at some point, and besides--everyone is too focused on their own moves to worry about yours.
Wear cool and comfy clothes. Bachata, Salsa, and Kizomba are all active dances where you might work up a sweat.
Keep an eye on your surroundings so you aren’t bouncing off of other dancers all night, but don’t sweat it when you do inevitably bump into another couple on the dance floor.
Come ready to learn and have fun and you can bet you’ll do a lot of both.
