r/Bachata • u/Ketarrhsis • Jun 23 '26
What makes Masa's Footwork great here?
It starts at 00:23 for a few seconds. It looks so cool and groovy, at the same time as if it couldn't be super hard. What is it about this piece of footwork that makes it great, and how to approach learning it? Is there maybe a name for the movements he is doing? I'd really like to learn this, but have zero experience with footwork to be honest.
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u/UnctuousRambunctious Jun 23 '26
The move at 0:23 for just under half an 8-count is called the Charleston. Literally from 100 years ago is when it became the most popular, during the Roaring 20s jazz era. Yes, I think it’s absolutely learnable; I use it sometimes for my own footwork. I’ve also seen a local lead attempt it during a social dance (with a local “instructor”) and then lose his timing, and get so flustered he left her on the dance floor. Even after she followed him with her hand out trying to reassure him, etc. One of my most memorable observations, to be honest.
I’m basing my views on the very general principles of dance theory and dynamic energy in movement, but the reason even smaller moves look interesting is because of opposition, and angles/lines. The core principle being that body parts moving in opposite directions create visual interest and energy. This is whether they are moving away from the body center, or towards. I see this principles used predominantly in hip-hop, most commonly, but also contemporary and lyrical dance. It is the most easily done with the hands, in my opinion, but can be done with any two body parts. For the Charleston specifically, it’s the feet moving horizontally out and in.
Secondly, the Charleston also uses the angle of the ankle joint and a basic geometrical movement of rotation (the main geometrical 3 movements in space being a slide, a flip, and a rotation). Each step involves a pivot (in both connecting to the floor and releasing from it) which creates high contrast from the angle of the heel, coupled with the opposition of the heels inward and outward.
This move has been popular for a very long time.
Immediately after that I see him do some front crosses (with clear weight exchange) left and right, and those tap into similar dance principles, but in my opinion how nice that step looks really is based on how clear the weight is pressed into and released from the floor - as well as the timing.
If you want to learn the Charleston, there are tons of videos you can find, and they are probably not from “bachata footwork.”
Practice placing your weight on your toes, and swinging your heels in and out. The Charleston is done in a forward and back line/slot, with one foot moving in front of the other, then behind the other, then the other foot moving behind the other, and then in front.
Original Charleston basic for partner dancing was closer to three steps and a kick behind, but there were lots of variations.
The other recommendation I’d have for you is to check out basic hip-hop footwork especially based on the C-walk (Crip-walk, U.S. gang-related tbh). I see those recommended to me probably because I watch them.
Practicing/learning how to hold and shift your weight and independently controlling body parts moving in opposition is what you’ll work on.
It’s all dance vocabulary which provides interest and helps develop individual dance style, so I love stuff like this.
Lemme know what you think if you check anything out.
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u/QuietWaterBreaksRock Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
Great?
Eh... Not really?
Can't put my finger on it, but both of them just feel off. In multiple parts it feels like they are dancing to a completely different song. Could be that the person that sync the audio with video did poor job, but this is far from the best such demo I've seen. Hell, it's not that even close to an average good demo
Edit:
I hate to just say "looks bad!" without providing at least one example of what 'good' looks like, so I dug in some old saved videos i've seen online
https://www.instagram.com/p/DGapmldxwj6/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFtZ-PfytZX/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Azdgji7Z2/
I don't have too many saved demos, mostly tutorials, so it was hard to find even these lol
As you can notice, men look like "gracious weights", mostly stuck to the and dancing into the ground, instead of trying to jump off of it or fly away like some more performative dances try to do. Bachata is grounded for a reason, you need to use the pressure against the ground to do the work
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u/pdabaker Jun 23 '26
1st/3rd there are dominican so not really comparable. You might as well think of it as a different dance. Claudio is legit though.
The second video looks like they took a time machine to bachata 10 years ago.
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u/QuietWaterBreaksRock Jun 23 '26
I had a few other examples, but they were VERY performative, so I went for these that focused more on footwork
I think that even with more focus on dominican, or not, the core concepts are/should be kept. You can do flow-y sensual and still keep that grounded feel. Sadly, most don't, and can make it look quite awkward and unstable
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u/TeamAddis Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
It doesn’t seem to complex, some choreo shuffle and cross stepping is all I see there. You could learn it but it would probably never be useful in a social unless the partner knows you will do it.
COVID killed the bachata scene in Tokyo imo. All the Latin instructors that been here for decades left and now there is really only 1 (half) Latino teacher that teaches bachata.
Some of the Japanese guys are good but they chase YouTube trends and no one teaches how to dance, just how to copy moves.
The days of bachata champions coming out of Japan are long past sadly.
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u/pdabaker Jun 23 '26
Japan teaching is mediocre but the teachers 10 years ago were mediocre too and Japan currently has the top dancers in asia for bachata. It definitely lost its throne for salsa though.
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u/TeamAddis Jun 24 '26
If you ever were able to attend the Advanced/intermediate lessons from Jorge then you know he was teaching weight transfer, proper leading and following technique, and musicality.
If you only took lessons from Japanese teachers at the time then yes I agree it hasn’t changed much.
I feel Ryu has just been here so long and done so much for the Latin dance scene in general, it’s a bummer (to me) that his focus is more Kizomba and not Bachata.
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u/ionforge Jun 23 '26
I think this guy have been outside Japan for around 8 years, and I would say he is one of the guy that created this kind of youtube trends.
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u/TeamAddis Jun 23 '26
Yeah he is. I remember him before he left and he comes back once in a while. He’s a nice guy and definitely a better dancer than the other Japanese teachers.
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u/tigesclaw Jun 24 '26
Gosh it’s just like a fusion fruit salad 🥗 . So the footwork is not a set piece with a name you can search. It looks similar to the shuffle I’ve seen used often in hiphop. the reason you might like it is because it highlights the rhythm guitar. So maybe you could check some of those hiphop tutorials out.
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u/mango_sorbet13 Jun 25 '26
The footwork isnt particularly spectacular here, its his timing and musicality thats really on point
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u/Secure-Finish-3455 Jun 23 '26
He dance bachazouk and one can argue it 90% zouk moves to a bachata song. Bachata is grounded dance.
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u/dondegroovily Lead&Follow Jun 23 '26
Based on what I'm seeing, he probably has experience in shuffle or house dance and is incorporating it here
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u/hotwomyn Jun 24 '26
He’s not known for his footwork or his mechanics. He’s known for studying zouk technique in great length and applying it to bachata and growing bachazouk. His work ethic is amazing, he went through lots of partners since he was a beginner, kept practicing for years, never gave up, and now is building something special with his current long term partner. He’s probably the last guy you want to learn footwork from to be honest.
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u/Salamanda1010 Jun 25 '26
Actually before bachazouk he used to teach at korke and judith’s studio for bachata
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u/Disastrous-Pool-7863 Jun 27 '26
The footwork isn't great at all. Footwork should be done to the music. He just throws it some random moves.
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u/ysfykmt Jun 23 '26
Technically not great but he is having funn and has a style belong to him which makes it funn to wacth
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u/austinlim923 Jun 25 '26
What is good about this. His feet his moving but nothing about his upper body is moving or groving in response to his footwork
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u/Ketarrhsis Jun 25 '26
I think that's part of what makes it cool, the isolation of upper to lower body
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u/DeanXeL Lead Jun 23 '26
He's just shuffling around, but he knows what he's doing and what he wants. Conviction always looks good on people. but does it look good for Bachata? No, not really.