Bachata Basic Steps

Table of contents: How to Dance Bachata. Bachata Footwork, Bachata Basic Turn Patterns, Bachata Styling

A rundown of the basic bachata steps. Including the Bachata Box Step, The Triple Cha-Cha Step,, and The Diagonal Box Step. Video instruction by Adam Taub and Isolde Löfvenholm

The bachata box step

Bachata Dance The Box

A traditional Dominican pattern of dancing bachata is the box step. The box step maintains the same basic step pattern described above, but instead of simply stepping side to side, the dancer steps in a square. The most common way of dancing the box step is to step sideways with the left foot, with the right foot follow, just as in the most basic step, and then with the 3rd right step put your foot forward. Tap with your right, side step with your right. side step with your left to bring it next to your right, then step back with your right to return to your starting position. Tap, with your left and start again. A couple following dancing together in box step have a richer interplay than straight side to side, and the box can open up into a variety of more complex variations. There are also variations of the box step that differ in timing and style. See the Adam Taub and Joan & Griselda Soriano videos to the left for examples of the bachata box step.

The bachata triple or 'cha-cha' step

Bachata Triple Step

In the Dominican Republic, the tap step is often replaced by a quick three step sequence sometimes referred to as the 'Cha-cha' step (because it is also part of basic cha-cha-cha footwork). Where you would ordinarily tap with the right foot on 4, here you instead step with your right foot on 4, followed quickly with your left foot on '4 and' , and then again with your right on 1 - leading into the second half of the pattern. The sequence of 3 cha-cha steps occur at double the speed of the ordinary steps around it. The cha-cha step can be substituted in the same way for the left tap, and can also occur in other parts of the basic bachata pattern. See the Bachata Autentica dance video to the left for an example of a couple dancing bachata with the cha-cha step.

The Diagonal bachata box step

Diagonal Box Step

The Diagonal Box Step is a variation of the Basic Box Step that is popular in the Dominican Republic and is a foundation for more advanced techniques.