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Bachata Autentica, Boring? You're ignorant. Let me explain why....

10/15/2014

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I have been hearing talks that tradicional bachata dance and music is boring. Some people say that it is very limited and that there isn't much you can do...

Whoever says this  is obviously not very experienced when it comes to the art of dancing in general.

First of all, bachata is a feeling. Everything you think, and do during the dance is very much influenced by emotion, otherwise, you movements would just look mechanical or rehearsed movements. Even if you don't understand spanish, you'd still feel the emotion of the music.

Second of all, to say that Bachata Tradicional is limited is such a blasphemous statement. Lets look at some of some of the basic elements for example...

STATIONARY STEPS
This is a form where you stay in one spot. Just because you are staying in one spot doesn't mean you can't do anything else. What happen to hand and arm movements? What happen to the closed position?  What happen to sliding your foot out or in? What happen to Turns, Patterns, even Spins? Yes, you can do it in a Stationary Steps!

BOX STEPS
You can do slides. You can incorporate triple steps, double steps and even mambo beats movements. Yes, you can do turns without breaking the box. You can pause whole caressing her hair, etc etc...

FORWARD BACKWARD
- Lots of possible movements here. You have 4 steps going forward and 4 steps going backward, a total of 8 beats! You see I likened these steps from a whole apple pie; you can slice it in two, 4, 6 or 16! Just like in musical note, it can actually be broken down from 2 to 16!

TWISTS
- You can use your hand and arm movements. Lift your legs. You can do triple, double, steps, and on and on.

180 Turn and 360 Turns, Cross Body Leads
- Each of these movements has four beats. Each moves are like a whole pie, you can slice them in many different ways!

For More Read. Click BACHATA STRUCTURE Here

Third of All,  the musical composition of bachata gives you many opportunities to come up with awesome movements during a dance. The music in itself has several instruments you can match your musicality with as a dancer - I cannot teach you such thing because it will be coming from you as a dancer based on your emotions and the ability to be one with the music. Bachata Music, on a given song, also have pauses whereby you can act accordingly. There's just so many possibilities!

In conclusion, in any dance form, in any physical discipline, be it martial arts, ballet, sports, one fundamental technique isn't limited. Our left side of the brain is responsible for controlling the right side of the body. It also performs task that have to do with creativity and the arts. On the other hand, the right hemisphere coordinates the left side of the body, and performs tasks that have do with logic such as with science and mathematics.

I am aware of the rules of  Tradicional Bachata Dance. The impression of some dancers is that there are a lot of "No, you can't do that move..." in the dance.  Nothing could be further from the truth! If you are trained and well-versed in the original structure of the dance, you can do so many things. Why is this? Because the structure you built, catapults you to execute many movements as an architect of the dance, it's automatic.

Just like in Martial Arts, once you studied the whole system, meaning, you have built a good foundation, every angle - linear, circular, horizontal, vertical, has enormous amount of movements you can do because your structure is set up for it. It's the same way in a dance, there are so many angles you can cover and the structure would still be very evident.


"But, but, but, Rodchata, I just don't like Tradicional cuz I don't feel it..."

Actually, this is a common excuse, and it's actually a cop-out. Most of the people that says this, gave up on their first lesson. They got so frustrated because they are so used to the non-bachata structure that they won't get it overnight. If you think about it, building a structure of a building doesn't happen overnight! Yes, the foundation of the original bachata is hard to learn on the first day. Don't give up. You have to put effort, sacrifice and patience, because in the end, your dancing will be unlimited.

It's very easy to take the easiest route by learning a completely different structure that you can actually learn overnight. The difference, however, is like night and day.


Everyone nowadays, like everything INSTANT; instant coffee this, 1-hour photo that...
Patience and hardwork, applied in building a good foundation goes a long long way because once you built it,  it's strong.


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The Bachata I Teach Today...

10/12/2014

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 In the beginning, I humped the chata, put salsa in the chata and I even dipped the chata. But the art of dancing, for me, whether, it's salsa, tango, kizomba, semba, ballroom or bachata, is a continuing discovery.

Bachata Dancing, in particular, has been a passion of mine for 16 years now, and It's pretty exciting that every day, there's a new discovery, new concept, a new theory...new techniques.

In the name of research and self-discovery, I started embracing what some people call "Dominican Bachata, "Bachata Autentica" or to put it simply the way bachata is danced in the Dominican Republic, the birthplace of bachata. Thus, the bachata I teach, nowadays, is the structure of the original dance.

(For Reference: Read Bachata Structure Here - Click)

It's in the feeling of the music. I changed the structure of the way I dance because I feel it better. I move better, and most importantly, it make sense, at least for me. In other words, it's my cup of tea, my preference, and my choice.

Through Video Clips, let me share with you my genesis, devolution, my progression in dancing bachata.

In this video, you'd notice that I slided the chata (Electric Slide) with some humping. In the beginning, I really thought men and women were digging the hump to the chata. You'd also notice the upper body movements. This was my genesis.
In this second video, you'd notice that I dipped the chata, lifted the chata and other performance movements stuff.
In this third video, you'd notice the movement of the hips and the upper body movements. Of course the exaggerated "triple step" movements are evident (esp. the 2nd step where I push my hip). 
In this video, I began to embrace, how bachata is truly danced with some added performance movements. Some elements and structure are evident, yet, obviously, there's some improvements to be made. I am always my own critic, and looked for ways to better myself as a dancer, and as a dance teacher.

I began interviewing bachata musicians and dancers in the dance scene; in the USA and the Dominican Republic. They were always accommodating in sharing their experiences, their interpretations and even sharing a little bit of history.

When I traveled to DR, some great dancers and teachers were gracious enough to exchange some techniques  and concepts with me.
Nowadays, you would hardly see me do side-to-side steps, especially the electric slide version. One of the structure I adapted and noticed is that Dominicans hardly execute the side-to-side, but when they do, it is not electric slide (Traveling side to side). As I also explained in this video, the steps are much smaller and the importance of the hip movement especially on the 4th beat is critical. 

TO VIEW HOW BACHATA IS DANCED PART 1 - Pls click The Forgotten Move of Bachata ( I explained in details about Hip Movements)
In these videos, the upper body movements, obviously isn't my cup of tea anymore. You'd also notice one of the version of box steps which are pretty dominant in "Dominican" bachata given that, the dance is very much influenced by bolero. No side to side steps. In the second video, even when I was just goofing off with my wife, the structure is still there. The closed-position was also executed, a dance technique that not too many dancers use anymore.

There's still a lot things to learn in dancing the original bachata. But the most important thing in my opinion, is the very structure. In a dance, a structure is like a building. Once the foundation is laid, you cannot change it, unless you demolish the foundation. But any architect can design the building to their liking and skills.

There are many interpretations of bachata dancing nowadays. I suppose to each his own. Some dancer prefer to dance just one type, and others prefer to dance everything. I believe in being a multi-dimensional dancer.

The Bachata I teach is the Structure, the way it was danced in the beginning with techniques that are based from the structure. I happen to believe that once the structure is there, an artist can do whatever he wants. Just like an architect of a building, hecan add or tweak moves here and there, but the structure will still be evident.

There's is big debate going on Facebook forums nowadays. On one side of the aisle, Original Structure Bachateros criticize dancers that uses the term bachata when they teach - I happen to agree with them. Their criticism is the fact that the structure in their own bachata curriculum is missing, therefore, it shouldn't be called bachata. The other side of the aisle criticize the Structured Bachateros of supresssing the evolution of bachata dancing.

I think that both sides of the aisle can actually co-exist. They just need to work out and agree with the terminologies. But then, anyone can call their style of bachata any way they want it, after all, we live in a country where freedom of speech and freedom of religion are welcomed. It's just improper to term a dance that doesn't look like what it's suppose to be.

My personal views on this matter, coming from both sides of the aisle,  is that every individual has their own cup of tea. Each side of the aisle just need to keep presenting and promoting the best of their style can offer. I happen to love the original structure of bachata because I feel it.

For Reference: I have made two bachata instructional videos - The Secrets of "Dominican" Bachata.
There is going to be a 3rd video in the series, simply because, as I said before it's a continuing discovery and improvement.

You can find me teaching the original structure at Allegro Ballroom, 5855 Christie Ave, Emeryville, CA - EVERY WEDNESDAY from 730pm until 10pm. You can RSVP Here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1412266519035684/
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    Rodney Aquino

    Rodchatero at large

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