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gebandemuishond
20th-June-2008, 11:25 AM
What are people's thoughts on bachata? Anyone tried it?

Personally I prefer it to salsa, it's much more playful, fun and the music sounds pleasant. It can be sexy, and some people (perhaps even most:whistle:) cross the line between sexy and sleazy, but I don't think it has to be.

I've only recently come across a class of pure bachata, rather than the usual 10 mins stuck on the end of a salsa class, which is perfect because I'm really not a fan of salsa. Unfortunately the teacher spent far too long making and then laughing at his own jokes while everyone's awkwardly held in close position, so we didn't learn that much. But it's something I'd really like to get into.

Dan

Trouble
20th-June-2008, 11:31 AM
I think they should call it Bashita... cause most people that dance it look like they **** themselves.

I dont mind it but you gotta be really good for it to look remotely like dancing IMHO of course :D

David Bailey
20th-June-2008, 12:04 PM
Argh!! :tears: :eek:

Is nowhere safe from the "Plague!! Or the dance otherwise known as Bachata" discussion? :D


What are people's thoughts on bachata? Anyone tried it?
It's rubbish; just an excuse to grope, with no redeeming features.

It's the new merengue, in other words.

Lory
20th-June-2008, 12:22 PM
My only experience of Batchata, is with one guy, who happens to be a great lead (in many styles)!
Basically, from a follows POV, I think its dead easy and requires no lessons at all! (of course, it does help, if you get the guy who's the great lead! :na:)

Your mainly kept in close hold, so, if you go with the flow, you can't really go wrong. :nice:

The only thing I'd say you need to know is, the turns for the ladies are 'step-pivots' like the one's we do in Rumba, Cha cha or Salsa but I think it'd feel odd if you tried you do anything but that! :confused:

Its an OK dance to ring the changes every now and then but I don't think I'd like to do more than a couple of dances a night of it... *yawn*

Maxine
20th-June-2008, 12:50 PM
What are people's thoughts on bachata? Anyone tried it?
Dan

I think it originates from the Dominican Republic. I did a workshop on a weekender and really enjoyed it. Plus I’ve done some classes when I was in Mexico a couple of years ago. It’s fun and quite ‘grindy’. The music they play with it is brilliant.

sunnybunny
20th-June-2008, 02:42 PM
I saw it demo-ed at Marylebone last Sunday afternoon. It looks as if it would be ok to dance once in a while, but it did look a bit limited. I will not be rushing out to get signed up on a course.

Lory
20th-June-2008, 03:42 PM
I think it originates from the Dominican Republic.
I'm not sure about Batchata but Merengue certainly does. I've been lucky enough to go to the Dom Rep several times and I have to say, the beaches, hotels and people are brilliant but the music and dancing are the pits! :sick:

Merengue has got to be the most boring and monotonous style of all. I hate it and I hate the music too! :tears:

Nessiemonster
20th-June-2008, 04:08 PM
I found it not good for arthitic-y hips - a bit too wiggly even for me :D

dep
20th-June-2008, 04:21 PM
I found it not good for arthitic-y hips - a bit too wiggly even for me :Dbut, did you enjoy it?

Nessiemonster
20th-June-2008, 04:23 PM
but, did you enjoy it?

No, not really. Glad I gave it a go, but it really was too uncomfortable in my hips. I was comfortable with the guys I was dancing with (all of whom I knew well), but for the reasons mentioned previously in the thread I don't think I've feel emotionally comfortable dancing it generally, even if the hips would allow! :sick:

jivecat
20th-June-2008, 08:06 PM
I'm not sure about Batchata but Merengue certainly does. I've been lucky enough to go to the Dom Rep several times and I have to say, the beaches, hotels and people are brilliant but the music and dancing are the pits! :sick:

Merengue has got to be the most boring and monotonous style of all. I hate it and I hate the music too! :tears:

:yeah: about the beaches & people, especially the people, but don't agree about the dancing and music. I lived there for two years and found it all pretty fascinating, although it was much rarer to hear latin music in the UK then so it was more of a novelty.
I spent a lot of time going to beachside palm-thatched dance halls in villages in the middle of nowhere and thought it was all fabulous. Sadly, I didn't really learn to dance properly (Idiot!! What an opportunity missed.) though various colleagues got into it heavily and did learn properly. My view of watching the dancing was that there were some amazing dancers around although they may have been dancing to salsa and other latin music rather than just merengue. I might have a different view of it now, of course. It was weird being in a society where dancing was of such importance - everyone danced! Young & old, on the street, in bars, on the beach. It was considered an easy dance to learn the basics of (Where have we heard that before?) but my impression was that people who really wanted to could add a lot to it.

Live bands were also brilliant. I really like the energy and drive of merengue, as well as the percussion they usually have a really strong brass section which helps to give it the characteristic sound.

Bachata does originate from the Rep Dom though I don't remember hearing much about it. There were other slower, more romantic and folky dances/ music and I suspect it relates to one of these. I thought it was supposed to be romantic rather than grindy. Now, MJ doesn't really do romantic, does it?

Miss Flicts
22nd-June-2008, 02:50 PM
I like variety, so I don't mind dancing a couple of bachata tracks during an evening of mostly salsa/cha-cha....but preferably with a familiar or trusted partner.

Dancing bachata with a total stranger makes me slightly uncomfortable because of the below-the-waist body contact.

~*~Saligal~*~
23rd-June-2008, 01:11 AM
Umm... never heard of it... it is like Lambada?
(going to look up videos of it on Youtube)

gebandemuishond
23rd-June-2008, 11:16 AM
Wow, I never knew people felt so strongly about it! Maybe people are looking for a 'lower' dance form to slag off after all the crap jivers get from so called 'proper' dances:whistle:. I'm hard pressed to find a decent youtube example, not because there aren't any, but because most seem to be out of synch with the music.

My problem was the followers kept telling me I should try use my left hand to 'feel the beat' and I found I couldn't get my hand to bounce, no matter how hard I tried! Even so, I'm going to stick up for bachata, it's got such a sense of fun and playfulness you don't get elsewhere and believe it or not, you can dance it without groin to groin contact!

Dan

Shea
23rd-June-2008, 02:06 PM
I tried a class recently and I enjoyed it. I had just come from a ballet class and I found the bachata motion really relaxing on the hips. It was a good way to loosen up and chill after ballet.


it's got such a sense of fun and playfulness you don't get elsewhere and believe it or not, you can dance it without groin to groin contact!

Dan

It also wasn't a chance to grope. I didn't feel uncomfortable with any of my partners as everyone maintained a respectful distance. It's possible to follow with just light thigh contact rather than groin to groin. One of the leads was a girl who was better than most of the guys.

I had never done it before and picked it up straight away so it's not the most challenging dance form out there but it was fun for a change. :grin:

Sheena

Lory
23rd-June-2008, 04:31 PM
I had never done it before and picked it up straight away so it's not the most challenging dance
:yeah: If your a reasonable follow, you definitely don't need a lesson in it.