What's That Dance

Bachata

By Joanna Gertler

Bachata is both a form of music and dance, originating in the Dominican Republic after the death of the dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1961 (his family had monopolised the music industry during his leadership). Born out of the countryside and rural neighbourhoods, Bachata was not generally accepted by Dominican society as it was believed to be associated with backwardness and delinquency.

The musical roots came from the bolero, a romantic style, and Bachata's subjects are similar, evoking tales of heartbreak and sadness. The dance and music have now evolved into a variety of styles from the original Dominican Style, to now include: Traditional Style (developed in the US and Europe), Modern Style and, Bachata Tango -although this style is not recognized in the Dominican Republic.

The original Bachata dance is based on a four-step beat, featuring a "walking Cuban" hip motion, and a unique "pop". The "pop" varies depending on the preferred style of the dancer: it may be as simple as lifting a foot and popping the hip to the side, or may include some fancy footwork while popping the hip to the side opposite of the natural Cuban hip motion. The music features a slight accent in rhythm at each fourth count, thus indicating when the "pop" should occur.
Performed by couples, with the man leading in either an open, or closed position, it's not unusual for the woman to indicate which position she prefers: open -holding but separate, or closed -holding and tight together.

As with the Merengue, dips are not original to the dance and turns are done infrequently. The variations of Bachata mentioned above use an 8 count dance sequence in a side-to-side motion.

Read what NY Times had to say about the Bachata Fest held in Central Park for their SummerStage event.

WATCH:
Get a quick overview of the five steps in Bachata before you take a class!