Denis y Ellada

“The most important thing in couple dancing is connection, connection, connection.”

Asking and answering what matters most in partnerwork.

“The intro is your time to catch the main motif of the music. That motif runs through the whole song, and the voice, the sounds, every movement has to follow it.”

A lesson on musical dynamics and musicality, and how to catch the motif in the intro.

“In derecho you stay calm, and once you move into majao you have to dance harder.”

Explaining the energy difference between the derecho and majao parts.

“Don't go into partnerwork the second the song starts. Show yourself first — your signature style.”

Advice on jack & jill intro strategy.

“Do something simple, look at each other, connect. Keep the musicality and keep the connection — that's all there is to it.”

The bottom line of the advice: hold onto the connection instead of the complicated moves.

“In a competition, skip the hard moves. Everyone's stressed out, and complicated stuff can break the connection.”

Advice on partnerwork strategy in a jack & jill competition.

“Bachata music has an intro, a verse, and a chorus. The verse is derecho, the chorus is majao.”

Matching bachata song structure to the dance parts.

“In the intro you just start dancing and catch the sound that becomes your motif, and in the verse you dance on the spot, kind of like social dancing.”

Breaking down how to approach each part of the music

“The most important thing here is showing the difference between derecho and majao.”

The point emphasized while wrapping up the derecho-to-majao transition drill.

“The best strategy for the intro is to show one striking move, some interesting moves and turns, while keeping the connection alive.”

Spelling out exactly what to do in a Jack & Jill intro

“Every single move has to be on the music.”

The core principle he drops as he starts talking musicality

“If you want to dance stronger, use strong steps and use the space.”

Concrete ways to bring strong energy in the majao

“In the derecho, show the music and your style. In the majao, use strong energy, space, strong steps.”

Laying out what to bring out in the derecho vs. the majao

“If you want to keep the connection in open position, you can do a slide and show the follower the space to move into.”

Demonstrating how to hold the connection in open position

“With that many people out there, you have to dance brighter. Use the space — walk somewhere, change direction, change your level.”

Advice on standing out among a crowd of competitors in a Jack & Jill

“Use your hands to make the movement bigger. If you only dance on the spot, you won't stand out.”

A note on hands and the size of your movement, while explaining how to use space

“Your eyes should only be on the follower, on your partner. Make eye contact.”

Stressing where to look during a practice run-through

“Ladies, use active hips, bend your knees more and dance lower.”

Demonstrating how the follower's part gets that strong quality in the majao

“You can use styling anywhere, but where we use it most is in the turns.”

Moving into the styling section and explaining where it lives

“On the Madrid step you're free to use your arms, waves, movement — whatever you want.”

Explained while demonstrating Madrid step styling