(Bachata) Today's side check variations + a spoonful of musicality that gives the dance its flavor~ Waffle & Sera open class

“You're not just sending her out — you're using this frame to send back the step that's drawing a circle. You're not just pushing with your arm.”

CONTEXTOn leading a side check with the frame made by bending the wrist — don't push with the arm alone

“Keeping the hip contact, that's how I'll send the up.”

CONTEXTExplaining how the follower receives the up motion while keeping hip contact

“If you pull toward the leader, the follower goes down to the side instead of down to the front.”

CONTEXTHow the direction you pull the frame changes the direction of the follower's down

“Your arm is kind of like a steering wheel. Depending on how my arm moves, depending on the angle, my upper body has to move along with it.”

While explaining how to lead while keeping your frame — comparing the arm to a steering wheel, stressing that the torso moves with it

“Through the frame, guys should always feel a little uncomfortable toward the follower's side. That's how you know it's right.”

CONTEXTExplaining that the tension a leader feels when leading with chest frame is normal, not a mistake

“Musicality is such a big deal these days, right? The frame has to stay connected the whole time for that musicality to come alive.”

CONTEXTStressing the importance of keeping frame while hitting the up-down movement on the beat

“From a position where I'm looking at the follower slightly on a diagonal, I do the up-and-down in that diagonal direction.”

CONTEXTExplaining the direction of the up-down from a diagonal position — not facing straight on, not fully to the side

“You've got to do that up-and-down, otherwise the follower's body twists out of line.”

CONTEXTExplaining that in the diagonal position, the up-down motion has to be precise so the follower's body doesn't twist