Bachata is a fun and addictive dance that originated from Carribean's Dominican Republic. Today Bachata enjoys huge popularity in the Latin Dance scene around the world, and you can hear Bachata music playing at every salsa/latin dance event. Most dancers who dance Salsa would also know Bachata, as the two became intertwined, despite being different dance styles.
In Bachata there's a lot of focus on the playful interaction and connection between partners. We have to warn that side effects may include: increased self-confidence, improved posture and coordination, and a larger than usual smile!
As Bachata entered the mainstream around the world, it evolved and was modernised through infusion with popular culture of the day. Modern Bachata enjoys influence from R&B, hip-hop, as well as Latin and Brazilian rhythms. Result is a beautiful fusion, which draws you in and makes you forget the outside world!
In contrast, classical/traditional Bachata stays closer to its Dominican roots (hence called "Dominican Bachata"). It's characterised by busy footwork, and a more traditional music and flare. Being fairly localised, it enjoys less popularity than the modern Bachata movement around the world.
At Latin Dance Hub we focus on the more popular modern version, also called "Sensual Bachata", as it aligns better with mainstream, and fits a wider variety of music. The "sensual" part owes its name to the influence from other styles, such as Brazilian Zouk. We teach our students a wide variety of movements, to be able to interpret and have fun with the modern Bachata music.
Our Bachata classes are grouped into 4-week courses, which helps maximise learning, and to build on top of the material covered in earlier classes. We encourage you attend to all of the classes. There's a lot of material packed into each class, so you wouldn't want to skip them!
This is accessible to everyone. Benefits are enormous - increased confidence, breaking barriers to meeting new people, better posture and coordination, having fun to awesome music!
Masha has a real talent for teaching dance, and making it accessible to virtually anyone. She will break down every movement, and explain it in a structured way that makes sense. You will walk out a better dancer, guaranteed!
Beginner Level (L1) - Aimed at those with little or no dance experience. Starting from scratch, we learn Bachata basic steps and timing, and gain confidence with some fun moves and combinations. We teach a lot about leading and following techniques, so that you can take your new skills on the social dance floor, and have a blast!
Improver Level (L2) - You already know the basics from L1, and can confidently step out on the dance floor when you hear the next Bachata song. Now it's time to expand your horizons, and immerse yourself into the world of modern sensual bachata, and get a bit more creative. We build on top of the basics covered in L1, progressing forward by adding sensual & cool moves, and expanding your dance repertoire.
It is generally easy to join our Bachata classes any time - Bachata is an easier dance to pick up than Salsa. However, if you've never danced Bachata before, it may be a challenge to catch up after the first two weeks of the course. It's ok if you missed the 1st week, and willing to catchup. We are generally aligned to NZ school terms (as it makes it easier to plan with school holidays), and have two 4-week courses running each term, so the next course start date is never too far away.
While we do accept casual drop-ins ($25 / class), it may be overwhelming to join in the middle of the course, as we tend to build it up progressively, and base new material on what was covered before. You will get the best learning by joining and sticking with the entire course, as it is structured to maximise your learning of concepts, by aiding your memory through carefully selected repetition.
Classes only go ahead, if we have the required minimum registered for each class - so register early to avoid missing out!
Partners are not required, as we will rotate throughout the night.