♡K-Bachata New Generation♡ Teaching showcase — learn from the Korke & Judith Teachers Course Level 1 grads

“The guys have to lead with the frame and the body too, not the arms.”

Explaining the man's lead during onda/wave teaching

“Use energy — you can't use your arms.”

CONTEXTExplaining the man's lead during onda training

“You have to finish the down all the way through — that's how you keep the energy for the next move.”

CONTEXTA passage explaining the importance of the final movement in the onda

“Use the energy and make your onda pretty, comfortable, beautiful.”

CONTEXTClosing comment after demonstrating the onda

“Patterns matter, but today's point is understanding the energy flow of the different cyclings, and the precise final movement that makes it possible.”

Wrapping up the class, summarizing what was covered today

“I thought a lot about how to help as many people as possible stick with it. I'd rather have 3 people come and all 3 stay than 10 come and only 1 stay.”

An interview about opening a studio in Daegu, sharing their thoughts on keeping students around

“If I can set your basics for you, you'll soak things up faster and enjoy other classes more.”

An interview about wanting to bring what they learned at the Korke y Judith course back to their local scene

“Whatever move you're doing, you have to breathe. Onda, cycling, basic — all of it.”

Opening a bolero breathing lesson by stressing that breath applies to everything

“The most important thing for a leader is being able to breathe.”

Explaining how bolero breathing connects to leading

“Sensual bachata is going for a dance that flows without ever breaking. Just adding one more breath keeps the energy from cutting off.”

On why bolero breathing matters so much

“Let's focus on using our breath instead of on patterns.”

Stressing breath over patterns mid-class

“Dance is a hobby, something we enjoy together. You should be able to dance without straining, without hurting, without any discomfort. That's what I'm aiming for.”

An interview sharing a personal philosophy on why we dance

“The leader leads and the follower follows. Very literally.”

CONTEXTLooking back on what Korke stressed about the essence of partner dance

“When I'm following, I get greedy with styling because I just want to stand out and look pretty. But when I hold onto actually following the leader's lead, it feels more like I'm rebuilding my own style from scratch.”

An interview about a shift in follower mindset

“The most important thing for the guys is using your body as well as the women do.”

Stressing the importance of men's movement during a media and mantón lesson

“This is what every dancer is saying these days, Luis y Andrea included: lead with your body, don't lead with your hands.”

Bringing up body lead as a current bachata trend

“The women's move is a front-and-back wave, but the men's move is a side wave and chest up. The energy has to be clearly there.”

CONTEXTExplaining the difference between men's and women's movement

“All the energy starts from the up-down, so weight up is priority number one.”

CONTEXTExplaining the underlying principle of how energy flows

“The key is holding the energy all the way to the end.”

CONTEXTWrapping up the key point after demoing mantón and salida

“Before we had this principle, we used to fight a lot, even before we started teaching. But it gave us the answer for how to teach and how to move, and that was so good.”

An interview on the friction of teaching together as a couple, and the fix they found in the Korke y Judith principle

“Dancer, social dancer, performer — whatever you are, what I wanted wasn't to show how good I am. I wanted to show how much I'm enjoying it.”

An interview on how to approach dancing

“If you want to lead the hips, bend! Lower back straight, upper body tall.”

CONTEXTExplaining hip-lead posture during a honey burrito and caída lesson

“Once you start a movement, you have to finish it all the way. Once you start a hip roll, you draw the whole circle — unless the guy gives you a different signal.”

Learned in Korke y Judith's class — on finishing a hip roll all the way

“The most important part for the girl is the circle in the hips. The bounce is just side styling.”

Separating what's essential in the hip roll from what's just styling

“In bachata, turns are step turns.”

Mid-explanation of turn leads — what a bachata turn actually is

“If the guy raises your arm above your shoulder, the girl can't show any pretty movement.”

CONTEXTOn why arm position matters when setting up the caída

“Most people know it as a cambré, but in our Korke y Judith class we call it a 'caída'.”

Introducing the name of the move

“For a pretty caída: one, your weight has to be fully on one foot. Two, don't lean on the guy — balance yourself. Three, drop the tension in your shoulders.”

The three key points of caída posture, all in one go

“The point isn't your lower back — it's your chest.”

CONTEXTOn where the effort actually goes in the caída

“If you don't hold the posture, it doesn't matter how athletic or flexible you are — you can't do a pretty caída.”

On why posture is everything in the caída

“If you lean a lot of your weight on the guy, you'll never get this pattern. With fast movement, fast leads, I only feel comfortable when I keep my own center.”

Interview — on keeping your own center through the caída pattern

“Learning to dance really changed how I approach life. I used to dwell on the past and worry a lot, but learning to focus for those three minutes while dancing taught me how to be fully present.”

Interview — how the course changed the way life feels

“I want to be the kind of dancer who gets in the way of the lead as little as possible, while expressing as much of my own musicality as I can.”

Interview — the kind of follower to become

“My goal is to make any guy look good when he's dancing with me.”

Interview — a follower's goal, stated plainly