Tonio

“The bigger the energy you pull out of the music, the deeper you have to root down. There's no need to shoot upward.”

On how to use your body when the music swells — the principle that more energy actually means going lower

“If you want to dance bachata, you've got to drop your hips down and dance using more parts of your body.”

Said at the top of class while setting up bachata's basic posture.

“This position helps you use your hips, and it lets you stand more stable, so it helps you use your upper body too.”

Demonstrating the lowered, bent-knee stance himself and explaining what it gives you.

“Instead of making the change with a jump, you go down.”

Correcting the habit of popping up when you create a change in a movement — you make that same change by dropping your weight instead.

“Real bachateros work to make songs with their mouths and their ears — not AI bachata, not bachata made on a computer in a day.”

Contrasting AI- and computer-made bachata with music made by real musicians

“Bachata is the feeling of love — and disillusionment.”

Answering the question "what is bachata?" — getting at the emotion the word itself carries.

“Bachata is a feeling. Love, and heartbreak.”

Defining bachata as emotion rather than technique. The subtitles were auto-translated, so the wording has been smoothed out.

“As you listen to the guitar's amazing phrases and melodies, your ear will get more and more used to bachata music and the feel of bachata.”

Emphasizing how important it is to train your ear for bachata music by listening to the instruments