(Bachata) The heart of bachata: ✨the swing mechanism✨ + the latest musicality sliding basic — Son Nari's Friday shine class

“The hips go first, then the foot follows.”

CONTEXTEarly in the swing mechanics breakdown, pinning down the order of hips and foot

“In the swing, straighten one knee and you get the plain basic. Straighten it and take the hip along with it, and you get the macho basic. Straighten the hip and change direction, and that's the sensual basic.”

CONTEXTExplaining how the swing mechanism determines which kind of basic step you get — plain, macho, or sensual

“A swing always has to have that idea of the abs opening and closing. Always.”

CONTEXTDistinguishing a fake swing (just moving in place) from a real one through the concept of the abs opening and closing

“When you swing, the heaviest parts of you have to move front to back, and you absolutely have to catch the rebound.”

CONTEXTStressing how the body's center (the hips, etc.) moves during a swing and why the rebound matters

“The bounce is something you get from going up.”

CONTEXTPointing out that the bounce comes from the upward motion, not the downward one

“You shift your weight using the upward force. What's actually moving is only your hips — your feet stay right there on the floor.”

CONTEXTExplaining that weight shift isn't the feet moving but the pelvis moving on a rising force

“When your heel comes off the floor, the heaviest part of you has to move — you push that, and that's what creates the down-up.”

CONTEXTExplaining how to make a down-up by pushing the hip right at the moment the heel lifts, after the foot has traveled