★Best of Best★ Bachata Basic Workshop by Raquel

Why this video

Basics are easy to skip past — they feel like 'stuff you already know.' But the flavor of Raquel's style really comes down to basics. This workshop breaks down Figure 8, Swing, and Push one at a time, and resets the habit of decorating with the upper body back to legs that press into the floor.

Three principles of Raquel's basics

- Start with the prep — always begin with a prep step and press into the floor. Think of the low stance you'd hold waiting for a bus. - The upper body just assists — you're not isolating with the upper body alone. It only widens the move's range a little, and it goes up, not out to the side. - Same step, different texture — depending on the music, the same step can come out smooth, or sharp.

Even just basics can be packed with sabor. You build highs and lows to match the music's energy.

Just one thing today

In practice, try dancing basics only, for one whole song, with no patterns. Check in on the feeling of pressing into the floor on every beat, and just let the upper body follow along.

“The legs aren't the main event of the movement. All they do is push the hips forward.”

CONTEXTCHOA looks back on the basics learned from a bunch of different teachers, then introduces Silvia's philosophy of the basic

“You always start with the prep, and press into the floor.”

CONTEXTStressing how much the prep matters, while explaining the merengue step that builds the Figure 8 on spot.

“Keep it grounded — that feeling of staying stuck to the floor.”

CONTEXTExplaining the lowered stance, and the grounded sensation Raquel always emphasizes.

“Imagine you're waiting for the bus. Even if the bus never shows up, you just stay in that position, right?”

CONTEXTRaquel's metaphor for the low, waiting stance — the prep.

“Before you transfer your weight, push the hip out first. On the diagonal.”

CONTEXTExplaining the prep that comes before the weight transfer in the Figure 8 on spot.

“You're not isolating with the upper body alone. The upper body just helps a little, to widen the range of the move.”

CONTEXTSeparating the roles of upper and lower body in the swing, correcting the habit of throwing only the upper body around.

“Don't send your upper body out to the side — send it up.”

CONTEXTCorrecting the mistake of throwing the upper body way out to the side in the swing.

“The sharpness has to match the music. The same step can come out soft, or it can come out sharp.”

CONTEXTExplaining the musical difference between the derecho and majao parts in the Swing with Tap & Drop variation.

“Even just the basic can be full of sabor — you make the highs and lows follow the energy of the music.”

CONTEXTExplaining the Swing with Tap & Drop variation, and how to build dynamics that match the music's energy.

“The power comes from pressing into the floor with your legs — Raquel has said this about a hundred times.”

Explaining the mechanics of the swing basic and where the power for the press/push actually comes from.

“However you apply the push, it's perfect for the majao part — you can use it in endless variations.”

CONTEXTWrapping up the variations on the push basic and explaining how far you can take it