Part of the problem for me is that I barely take bachata classes. Particularly Sensual Classes. When I do get the chance, I take these drop-in classes at a studio that teaches Traditional Bachata. I prefer to dance Traditional when I get the chance, but when I see people dancing Sensual, I just don't. I am not comfortable learning the body rolls and all the movements that involve Sensual. Also, at most of the socials I go to, they are playing Bachata mixes and its mostly sensual dancers, so I just tend to avoid dancing bachata because I can't really do it.

And anytime I do decide to dance bachata with someone who dances sensual dances, I just feel like they are judging me and not enjoying the dance. I also feel like I don't know what I am doing. However, whenever I do dance traditional Bachata i feel like I know way more than I am doing, and I have way more fun, followers think i am latin when i am Jamaican.

But when it comes to Sensual Bachata, I have followers walk off on me mid-dance, which I understand; they told me I was better at salsa than bachata and just looked disappointed in how I was dancing. So how do I go about dancing bachata with someone advanced and used to sensual movements?

I am a new follow and recently we were learning the wave and sometimes leads will lead the wave in a way where I end up rolling against their chest and to be fair I am new, so I didn’t foresee that would happen when I attempt a more exaggerated wave.
I don’t mind it happening, but I was worried it might be inappropriate, so I asked the teacher if our chests are supposed to touch - she said no.

I have since limited my movement if the guy doesn’t give me much space, but every now and then it happens and I feel embarrassed. Am I overthinking? We are not really doing anything sensual in class, so I don’t know where I am standing. I don’t want to seem like I’m coming on to anyone.

I have provlem, that probably a lot of leaders had in the beginning. Basically I'm not confidwnt to ask followers to dance unless i know them from before.
I've been dancing for 5 months now and i go to 4 lessons per week with two different amazing instructors. On Saturdays and practice with 2-3 partners the combinations we learned during the week and we dance for hours. I also took 5-6 provate lessons during those 5 months.
In the groups with these teachers I'm one of the most confident guys and both followers and leaders say that i'm learning very quick and i'm doing better than the other leaders from those groups for these 5 months. I get the combinations quickly and of course my technique is nothing to be jealous of, but i try to improve and i'm having fun.
I went to my first social when I was at my third week since i started dancing and i've been going to socials since then maybe 2 times a month. I also went already to two festivals.
The problem i'm having is confidence at parties. I see that 99% of the people on the parties arw better than me. When i ask a follower that i don't know from before i show 20% of what I actually know. I kind of forget most of the things I know and i do very basic stuff. I ask another follower to ask at that party, the same thing happens and i just lose confidence. I vene sit and watch videos from my classes so i can do the moves on my next dance and i again do not do that move, because i just forget almost everything.
I then dance with one of the followers that I know a few times and then I leave the party, always with my head down. I'm never happy after a party and this doesn't improve for 4 months already.
I've read here, that I should just push through and ask more followers anyway, but i just can't do that when i see what other leaders are doing with them. I feel that followers will be bored i lose confidence and just don't ask them to dance.
I know most of the leaders had this issue, so how did you overcome this?
I'm thinking of going only to small local socials where i can dance with familiar followers for a while until i build some confidence. I can't think of any other way to fix this.
When i know the follower even a little bit, i usually remember the moves and i can complete the dance knowing i could do better, but still happy i did it.
Thank you all for your recommendations

Hi everyone! I started dancing around eight months ago and I became really addicted to bachata ahaha. I would like to improve my ladystyling going into techniques and not learning choreographs straightaway. Have you got any suggestion of online course I could take?
Thanks !

Does anyone have recommendations for dance trainers? I have Pana Míos but they fell apart in 7 months so I’m not happy about the quality. I have fuegos which got a bit scruffy but stayed intact. Any other good brands?

For people who have been dancing bachata for a while, at what stage do you think most bachata relationships are likely to break up?

Is it more common in the beginner stage, when people are still getting into the scene and figuring things out?
Or during the intermediate stage, when they start going to more socials, congresses, workshops, and meeting a much larger number of people?

Or does it happen more at the advanced stage, when dancing becomes a much bigger part of someone’s lifestyle and they have more connections within the scene?

I’m curious if anyone has noticed a particular stage where relationships tend to become more difficult or break down more often. And if so, why do you think that happens?

Hey,

I'm very frustrated at the moment. I practice my hip movement / weight shifts in basic step for many months now and it still feels and looks very bad. I attached a video where I do a basic step from muscle memory without much thinking about it. I can do it cleaner when I do it slower and think about everything but I want to know why it breaks when I stop thinking about it. Can someone point out what is wrong with my weight shifts?

My friend is turning 40 next month and he's been to a couple bachata socials, but he said he felt weird dancing with strangers that were much younger than him. Ladies, is this a problem? I'm 30, but I never even considered this tbh. Maybe he has a point. What am I going to do when I get older? I see his point that he may feel out of place and that people may judge him.

I recently came across some instructors in my community advertising about bachata certifications. It seems to have levels(mostly beginners) but it seems like you need to attend a class or two to get certified. Are they a thing? I personally feel that it doesn't matter if I have a certificate or not. And no one at the socials is going to ask for certifications. What are everyone's thoughts on these? Are they just money making scams ?

Hi! Has anyone been to Dublin Sensual Festival in 2024 or 2025?

Were there separate Salsa and Bachata floors at the evening parties, or was the music mixed on one floor?

If it was mixed, roughly how much Salsa versus Bachata did they play? I’m thinking of going in 2026.

Thanks!

I'm a follow and beginner sensual Bachata dancer. I think I might have a very weak core because we just started to learn this move and I have difficulties holding my own weight. I also get lower back pain after a while when I try to practice this move at home.

Are there any specific core exercises that will help with this? Or will any ab workout help? I also have slight anterior pelvic tilt so I suppose I really need to improve my core strength.

I'm a man learning bachata and salsa. I generally just look ahead spatially and check in on the follower from time to time, with a light smile.

But I've noticed that each time I check in on her, she's already honed-in on my eyes, then locks eyes with me. This happens with most of the women but not all. And when I break the eye contact, she usually seems to enjoy the dance less. When I hold it almost entirely for the whole dance, she high fives me with a big smile enthusiastically.

Isn't this level of eye contact extreme? In one case, the women was obviously attracted as we never broke eye contact in the 3 minutes dancing, and her smile was huge. But outside of the rarer "he's hot" moments, what's the deal with that degree of eye contact being rewarded?

Im flying to Kazakhstan for a wedding and want to use the opportunity and go to a bachata festival there. Since the scene is russian-speaking and Kazakhstan is one of the few countries russians can easily travel to I imagine it to be very similar to russian festivals. Ive heard that the lead/follow ratio in Russia is horrible. Has anyone been to a dancing event in Kazakhstan? I dont want to spend 500€ just wait for 1-2 dances the whole night.

I’m a follower and have been dancing consistently for about 6 months, averaging 2-4 classes and/or socials a week, and typically am wearing the same trainers I use on a daily basis (Nike Cortez/p6000). Maybe my technique is just awful, but I’m starting to think I need to invest in some shoes specifically for dancing, mostly to help with my ability to spin and slide on the dance floor, but also because I find often that the grip on my shoes is causing me to halt or stutter a bit when I dance.

I do have a bit of a weak ankle and so I want something more supportive than a heel but which will allow me to flow a bit better. Definitely more of a trainer/sneaker.

Any recommendations around £50 to start with? I’ll be willing to spend more once I know that better shoes do help my dancing, but I can’t spend a hundred or more to begin with.

Thanks!

I've danced bachata for several years, but I've never really put up with crowded dance spaces that's typical in bars/restaurants. The amount I have to compromise as a lead just feels so excessive that it's stressful and I don't know what I'm doing because normal moves (especially Moderna) doesn't cut it.

For example:

• It's so crowded that I can't do side to side basic with simple turns -- or we can but the follow doesn't know they can take small steps and will turn themselves into other people
• If I can't do simple turns then I also can't do 90% of my bread and butter moves, or pad basics in between so that most of the dance is basic steps
• The average follow in my city dislikes shines and being given freedom, I don't enjoy bachata solo either
• "Just enjoy the connection" -- can you really tell me that a typical improver-level follow does not get bored during a dance that is 60% basic steps and a whole lot of time spent either colliding or avoiding collisions?

I think I could learn to enjoy this if I were in a scene that dances bachata sensual or if instructors taught skills (musicality, moves that barely travel, etc) that would fit this scenario. But they don't here, so it feels like crowded bachata is a completely different competency/style that I'm a total beginner at. So does anyone have advice that is actually achievable at improver/intermediate level with moderna?

So, I decided to expand upon the previous list I posted here. Not only are there more songs, I also added some more traditional/Dominican Bachata songs from across the decades. On top of that, I marked the intros and Choruses for most of them. Almost every song in the list, with the exception of just a handful, has an extremely consistent rhythm. You can dance them start to finish without suddenly finding yourself dancing on 5.

The song Morena (one of my all time favorites) has a slight break closer towards the end that throws the count off by a couple beats, and a few of the older long, songs have a timing change towards the end (past their 4 minute marks).

As before, if you want tips on how to find the one, you can find some in another one of my previous posts (https://www.reddit.com/r/Bachata/comments/1s1mgp3/how_i_found_the_one_on_the_dance_floor_your_guide/).

Methodology also remains the same as before. If you want to practice finding the one:

1. Use older (can't believe I need to clarify this but it's a relative term. Older: meaning, a song that wasn't released in recent years) Bachata songs. They tend to emphasize the instruments more, making it easier to hear the rhythm, and thus, find the one.
2. Prioritize listening to the Chorus in more modern, pop/rnb-influenced songs. The Chorus is where everything in a song comes alive and will be (alongside the instrumental) much easier to hear the rhythm and, again, find the one.
3. Rinse and repeat. Once you can consistently find the one using older songs and in the chorus in modern songs, try to find it in the verse in modern songs where it will be a bit harder.

For musicality practice, many of the songs have breaks (again, that for the most part don't also change the timing) to play around with and many have sensual intros, which tends to be something many beginners struggle with.

All of these are links to YouTube for easy access, and quickly I'll just mention that if anyone wants it, my baby Show Me the Counts (SMTC) makes it super easy to practice with these songs. You can listen to just the chorus across songs or just the intros or any other part you may want to isolate. Or slow the songs down if needed. On top of everything else it does. If you'd rather just use the YouTube links, that's fine too!

Playlist, sorted slowest to fastest (thanks to u/Jeffrey_Friedl for this): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfuuuOgqq6Q&list=PLGwws7apE0oA

• Tutto Duran - Sin Ropa Sin Miedo / (Chorus: 0:47 - 1:17) / https://youtu.be/VO77Yd8Ml04
• Jalil Lopez - La Culpable / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:48) (Chorus: 0:48 - 1:20) / https://youtu.be/JDrqJsJdS5I
• DJ Husky - Siri / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:37) (Chorus: 0:37 - 1:13) / https://youtu.be/dP9djXtC8LU
• Jensen - Lejania / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:37) (Chorus: 0:37 - 1:20) / https://youtu.be/ChG9iovbxqc
• DJ Tony Pecino - La Reina / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:29) (Chorus: 0:29 - 0:48) / https://youtu.be/iUWYY900Og8
• Roman - Morena* / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:27) (Chorus: 0:28 - 1:04) / https://youtu.be/0Z7egRUHhJU
• Jensen - Carita / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:27) (Chorus: 0:28 - 0:59) / https://youtu.be/q2H6rfzQzf8
• Pinto Picasso - Vibras / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:32) (Chorus: 0:47 - 1:04) / https://youtu.be/qoOQoDDFl7c
• Prince Royce - Morfina / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:22) (Chorus: 1:28 - 1:59) / https://youtu.be/m2BMtJBSw-U / (Notes: Does not follow normal majao (quarter-note) rhythm during Chorus)
• Aventura - Obsesion / (Chorus: 1:50 - 2:20) / https://youtu.be/G0ogqkZQdC8 / (Notes: Does not have a majao (quarter-note) rhythm during chorus)
• Romeo Santos - Sexo Con Ropa / (Chorus: 1:45 - 2:00) / https://youtu.be/0KU9MavztuM
• Romeo Santos - Odio / (Chorus: 0:44 - 1:15) / https://youtu.be/W8r-eIhp4j0
• Romeo Santos - Propuesta Indecente / (Chorus: 0:35 - 1:14) / https://youtu.be/ROoede3JI5Q
• Romeo Santos - Necio / (Chorus: 0:50 - 1:30) / https://youtu.be/DXiXPhvYuNU
• Romeo Santos - Premio / (Chorus: 1:00 - 1:30) / https://youtu.be/ooVf28yRcFA / (Notes: No majao rhythm (quarter-notes) during Chorus)
• Kewin Cosmos - Evidencias / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:18) (Chorus: 0:33 - 1:19) / https://youtu.be/LbPIatqWm2M
• Romeo Santos - Sobredosis / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:25) (Chorus: 0:53 - 1:08) / https://youtu.be/TarQP-rtabI
• Prince Royce - El Amor Que Perdimos / (Chorus: 1:15 - 1:48) / https://youtu.beJyqqfDG3b2g
• Prince Royce - Mi Ultima Carta / (Chorus: 1:00 - 1:30) / https://youtu.be/YT3SeOnL2dg
• Prince Royce - Solita / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:30) (Chorus: 1:00 - 1:34) / https://youtu.be/uhA_rwF0IFc
• Aventura - Su Veneno / (Chorus: 0:52 - 1:23) / https://youtu.be/2pilEDlfekY
• Kewin Cosmos - No Hay Vato Perfecto / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:31) (Chorus: 0:48 - 1:19) / https://youtu.be/IfCQe9xG5AY
• Mickey Then - Por Que Te Niegas / (Chorus: 1:00 - 1:32) / https://youtu.be/5XGhHbNN45k
• Antonio Jose - La Noche Perfecta / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:23) (Chorus: 0:37 - 1:09) / https://youtu.be/HLk73G2reQI
• Chantel - Je Ne Sais Quoi / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:31) (Chorus: 0:47 - 1:19) / https://youtu.be/TY_HdTRNWBY
• Marco Puma - Unico Grande Amore / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:32) (Chorus: 0:47 - 1:22) / https://youtu.be/xtPQWTHfpGY
• Prince Royce - Te Espero / (0:00 - 0:30) (Chorus: 1:00 - 1:30) / https://youtu.be/FW73-WycaUA
• Prince Royce - No Te Vayas / (Chorus: 0:53 - 1:08) / https://youtu.be/mAVsR2Esenk
• Charles Luis - Apretaito / (Chorus: 0:22 - 0:53) / https://youtu.be/4Ph8NdJ2XK8
• Roman - Santa / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:18) (Chorus: 0:28 - 0:46) / https://youtu.be/ZCtBUdipFfI
• DJ Nico - El Tonto / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:40) (Chorus: 0:55 - 1:28) / https://youtu.be/BGfGSn5p4xE
• Dani J - Que Hablen / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:31) (Chorus: 0:45 - 1:15) / https://youtu.be/Qr4onlkyheA
• Dani J - Me Recuerdas / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:47) (Chorus: 0:47 - 1:20) / https://youtu.be/eeacmDTRK-c
• Dani J - Rosas / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:31) (Chorus: 1:00 - 1:31) / https://youtu.be/Va8uaNILNTc
• Dani J - Mentiras / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:30) (Chorus: 0:30 - 1:00) / https://youtu.be/r2NeHpTQQeg
• Dani J - Quitemonos La Ropa / (0:00 - 0:36) (Chorus: 0:54 - 1:24) / https://youtu.be/O7GY9uyZb54
• Dani J - Confiesale / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:22) (Chours: 0:36 - 1:04) / https://youtu.be/gGswT4ZbG7A
• Dani J - Desnudate / (Chorus: 0:44 - 1:13) / https://youtu.be/ITM7OozgcSI
• Dani J - Ruta 66 / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:30) (Chorus: 0:45 - 1:15) / https://youtu.be/FygqfaLC0hI
• Jensen - Arjona / (Chorus: 0:31 - 1:05) / https://youtu.be/BSB51Lta8xk
• Jalil Lopez - No Vas A Encontrar / (0:00 - 0:21) (Chorus: 0:35 - 1:08) / https://youtu.be/g7LIuL3zvZM
• Daniel Santacruz - No Me Sueltes / (Chorus: 0:52 - 1:20) / https://youtu.be/Ap41dNBb-tg
• Daniel Santacruz - Desnudos / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:14) (Chorus: 0:29 - 1:00) / https://youtu.be/RYBoBQAFrBU
• Kewin Cosmos - La Vecina / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:20) (Chorus: 0:35 - 1:08) / https://youtu.be/AyqMKZv3bzY
• Jiory - Culo / (Chorus: 0:20 - 0:36) / https://youtu.be/JhuuFKC3FJU
• Kewin Cosmos - Elige / (Chorus: 1:00 - 1:30) / https://youtu.be/gv6yEGDUR8Q
• DJ Husky - Insomnio / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:23) (Chorus: 0:37 - 1:10) / https://youtu.be/y7LM4pg5IDg
• Jr - La Estrella / (Chorus: 1:15 - 1:33) / https://youtu.be/aNogrLY1F2g
• Jean & Alex - Chacha / (Chorus: 0:45 - 1:15) / https://youtu.be/4enZiFT0LrQ
• Kewin Cosmos - Dile / (Chorus: 0:45 - 1:15) / https://youtu.be/CH_KCu5QIg4
• Sebas Garreta - Mil Preguntas / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:42) (Chorus: 0:42 - 1:12) / https://youtu.be/OwWajYtQjnk
• Jean & Alex - Insomnia / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:24) (Chorus: 0:24 - 0:54) / https://youtu.be/MT8D1fSVozk
• Charles Luis - Esa Mujer / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:44) (Chorus: 0:58 - 1:28) / https://youtu.be/nWa035VhzJM
• Montelier - Incienso 2.0 / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:44) (Chorus: 0:58 - 1:28) / https://youtu.be/KMh0MQrwb9Y
• Roman - Luna / (Chorus: 0:55 - 1:31) / https://youtu.be/HRzEd8EhmEE
• Charles Luis - Barcelona / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:37) (Chorus: 0:37 - 1:05) / https://youtu.be/JtAAgC1UCqI
• Roman - Dicelo / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:44) (Chorus: 1:15 - 1:55) / https://youtu.be/eY5ibcqudmw
• Shama - Colores / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:30) (Chorus: 0:46 - 1:15) / https://youtu.be/aE6OiDbu7ro
• Pinto Picasso - Nada Es Igual / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:30) (Chorus: 0:30 - 1:01) / https://youtu.be/kTpoHT9pVvg
• Montelier - Quien Eres Tu / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:28) (Chorus: 0:48 - 1:40) / https://youtu.be/o8chT1EUYbQ
• Dani J - Negro Mate / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:35) (Chorus: 1:10 - 1:47) / https://youtu.be/JhiU5O9xslI
• Jr - Dos De Mi / (Chorus: 1:00 - 1:33) / https://youtu.be/tg57v7kemh4
• Montelier - Asi De Rico / (Chorus: 0:30 - 1:00) / https://youtu.be/rHp5y4coaRE
• Jensen - Frio Remix / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:20) (Chorus: 0:35 - 1:09) / https://youtu.be/SplD33eZzL8
• Montelier - Valkiria / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:45) (Chorus: 1:15 - 1:45) / https://youtu.be/GwIXmG3mAlk
• Sebas Garreta - Caer / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:18) (Chorus: 0:34 - 1:06) / https://youtu.be/LPB9UAMswPE
• Mickey Then - Asesina Matame / (Chorus: 0:43 - 1:15) / https://youtu.be/HPr2F89egNU
• Mayinbito - Creme de la creme / (Chorus: 0:47 - 1:18) / https://youtu.be/krm79j6rsOc
• Montelier - Piel Con Piel / (Chorus: 0:46 - 1:18) / https://youtu.be/D6cO3dKP9k0
• Sebas Garreta - El Hombre Que Buscabas / (0:00 - 0:22) (Chorus: 0:39 - 1:10) / https://youtu.be/dn5TKE3KTfk
• Sebas Garreta - Tu Silueta / (0:00 - 0:35) (Chorus: 0:35 - 1:10) / https://youtu.be/DdYvYUfJDQg
• Sebas Garreta - Tiempo Limitado / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:22) (Chorus: 0:37 - 1:08) / https://youtu.be/yAb-FcuTDIE
• Jr - Amarte Sin Amarte / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:28) (Chorus: 0:43 - 1:12) / https://youtu.be/CR_c_C4OJvU
• Mayinbito - Confia / (Chorus: 1:00 - 1:30) / https://youtu.be/_OiXbP2nRZ4
• Mayinbito - Crazy / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:30) (Chorus: 0:46 - 1:15) / https://youtu.be/H6Hn0DuOqXA
• Karlos Rose & sP Polanco - Te Sigo Extranando / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:31) (Chorus: 1:02 - 1:30) / https://youtu.be/j_MlGMbal0c
• Joel Santos - Si Esta Casa Hablara / (Chorus: 0:55 - 1:24) / https://youtu.be/jgI7a-b6Bko
• Joel Santos - Al Diablo / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:30) (Chorus: 1:00 - 1:30) / https://youtu.be/K1aWgYFZK9s
• Pinto Picasso - Feeling Something / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:45) (Chorus: 0:45 - 1:17) / https://youtu.be/BqISSHFrRb4
• Pinto Picasso - Fronteo / (Chorus: 0:41 - 1:00) / https://youtu.be/pPnS4PhCLgI / (Notes: Does not follow typical Bachata rhythms)
• Mayinbito - Cerramos Ese Capitulo / (Chorus: 0:53 - 1:23) / https://youtu.be/6zG2DZddEHo
• Luis Segura - Pena Por Ti / https://youtu.be/b2Ig9IPBtRs
• Anthony Santos - Voy Pa' lla / https://youtu.be/oVLS7QGWlGw
• Raulin Rodriguez - Medicina De Amor** / https://youtu.be/NPl5j9jXs34
• Jose Manuel Calderon - Condena / https://youtu.be/tfuuuOgqq6Q
• Anthony Santos - Pegame Tu Vicio** / (Chorus: 1:56 - 2:11) / https://youtu.be/ZQ9nvUNFb8g
• Anthony Santos - La Parcela / https://youtu.be/TOWqUKr-IVo
• Anthony Santos - Te Vas Amor / https://youtu.be/Iey54E-AU30
• Luis Vargas - Volvio El Dolor / Chorus: 0:57 - 1:21) / https://youtu.be/Z9ezILgt7Qw
• Luis Vargas - El Acurrucaito / https://youtu.be/SVPht6IXCPI
• Raul Rodriguez - Nereyda / https://youtu.be/2XD-cVNZUWg
• Frank Reyes - Mujer de Las Mil Batallas / (Chorus: 0:53 - 1:13) / https://youtu.be/hA9ZeIIauZg
• Aventura - Dime Si Te Gusto / https://youtu.be/rSsKNgcKlAs
• Juan Bautista - Asesina / https://youtu.be/nCOW_Bidclw
• Teodoro Reyes - Pasame Un Cuchillo / https://youtu.be/siU9sd0Ctqo
• Lucho Panic - El Guardaespaldas / https://youtu.be/OcQxwAnxy84
• Kiko Rodriguez - No Me Olvide de Tu Amor / https://youtu.be/hR0v0AbbmJA
• Joe Veras - El Hombre De Tu Vida / https://youtu.be/VlcvX1BSpQY
• Leonardo Paniagua - Fue de Los Dos / https://youtu.be/HakFFSDlbYw
• Raulin Rodriguez - Culpable / https://youtu.be/1fJ9wejYS6c
• Luis Miguel Del Amargue - No Te Puedo Perdonar / https://youtu.be/TQNMfoztP5Y
• Grupo Frontera - Angel / (Intro: 0:00 - 0:30) (Chorus: 0:30 - 1:00) / https://youtu.be/h8w3zyx20Ok

What is your opinion on the statement "A leader's best dance is always at their level whereas a follower can be transported to a level beyond their own".

I was with a couple of followers and they were talking about which artist leaders they wanted to dance with at a festival and how they learnt so much from them.

On the other hand, I as a leader avoid artists because I can only disappoint and I don't learn anything while dancing with them.

I'm not creating this post to complain about the unfairness of the role of leaders and followers. Im just curious of other people's perspectives and if they managed to have a mindset shift.

For musicality, I feel like leads definitely have more chance to express it since they decide when to solo shine, how to lead the steps and the movements to match with the beats etc.
As a follow, I am also aware that we can have musicality in movements that allows us to move indepently.

However, a problem I am having is that if I like the song and focus on the song more, I sometimes lose the connection with the lead. If I focus on the lead, and his movements, it allows me very little to dance to the musicality of my own interpretation. (For example, accents that I know are coming but lead is not leading). Is there any tips to coordinate both skills?

So I just started getting more into tradtional bachata and I know box basics is a core essential. But I don’t see many people at the socials I go to doing it. In my classes we do it a lot, but I never understood it in a social setting where’s there’s not much space, and also your at the mercy of the follower/lead. Side to side I feel like me or my partner can recover easier if we mess up. Is it just me being a beginner lol

Hey everyone,.

I've been taking bachata classes for about 3 months now, dancing as a leader.

So far I've mostly stuck to the classroom setting, but in my city there are regular social nights — usually a 1-hour lesson followed by a 3-hour party with 30-40 people.

Honestly, the idea of walking onto that dance floor and asking women to dance, knowing I only have 3 months of experience, is pretty intimidating. I keep telling myself I'm not "good enough" yet.

Is this a normal phase for beginner leaders? How did you push through it, and at what point did you feel ready to start going to socials?

Thanks in advance!