Klau y Ros

“You feel the lead taking you from behind with the elbow, and your body just goes along with it.”

Explaining how connection through the elbow turns into a whole-body follow

“Don't get stuck on the idea that you need zouk to do these moves. Every technique we use is 100% bachata.”

Clearing up the misconception that their moves come from zouk.

“You stretch your body out away from the arm, so it feels like you're hanging off it.”

Explaining the hanging-off-the-arm sensation that gives the "coat-hanger turn" its name

“Every technique we use is something we explored on our own while social dancing.”

On where their bachata technique actually comes from.

“Let your body relax, and shift the weight in your chest over to the other side.”

Coaching the follow to let the weight shift turn her naturally in the coat-hanger turn

“Don't connect with your right hand. If you take your hand off and never touch her again, she has no idea what you're doing and she gets scared.”

Explaining endless contact in bachata sensual, and pointing out the danger of suddenly breaking the connection

“Keep this hand touching her at all times. It doesn't matter how — wrist, forearm, palm, anywhere is fine.”

In endless contact, what matters isn't where you touch but that the contact never breaks

“I understood that the technique is completely different. Completely different energy, completely different frame, completely different leading.”

The fundamental difference between bachata and zouk, as they felt it after their partner took zouk classes and compared.

“In zouk, the woman has less independence because she has to wait for everything to happen.”

Comparing the independence of a bachata follower with the zouk follower's role

“In our style, I focus more on holding my own center and controlling the power and balance of the movement. That way I can be a lighter feeling for my leader.”

Explaining how she controls her own center of gravity and balance as a follower

“In sensual movement we use the wave, we use the chest roll, and out of that chest roll you can create all kinds of different movements.”

Explaining the movement technique of sensual bachata

“It's the lead that takes you to the right. Don't move before I lead it — you have to wait.”

Correcting the follow for moving ahead of the lead during hanger turn practice

“What you're doing right now is breaking the position. You wait, then start from the right — that's what makes it a circle.”

Explaining that the follow's path in the hanger turn has to draw a circle

“When I close my arm, you open your chest and come with me.”

Explaining how the follow responds to the change in the lead's arm angle by opening the chest

“We come from what we have — the knowledge we got from sensual experience, and everything we've explored and created together. It's not based on zouk technique.”

Closing remarks summing up the identity of their bachata style

“The point is, you don't need to learn zouk to dance the way we dance.”

Wrapping up on the difference between bachata and zouk technique.

“Open your chest, and feel that I'm taking you to the third point.”

Guiding the follow to feel the lead's change of direction with the body, mid hanger turn

“The reason it looks like zouk is that there's a lot of chest rotation and a lot of turning.”

Explaining why bachata and zouk can look so similar.

“Arm first, and then it's turn, turn, turn.”

Walking through the order of arm and torso rotation in the hanger turn

“When she slides, I slide. It's always slippery.”

Explaining the principle of sliding together while keeping contact with your partner

“This connection always has to stay.”

Wrapping up the endless contact explanation by restating the core principle