(Bachata) The essence of leading, passed down by Melvin Gatica — Gangnam Latin Festival

“The leader isn't moving most of the time. You're asking your partner to move, but you stay put yourself.”

On the leader's posture, from the headroll lead breakdown

“The most important thing is making a position that's comfortable for both my partner and me.”

On how the leader chooses their position for the headroll lead

“Sometimes I'm the one who has to move to find that comfortable position.”

CONTEXTOn the leader moving themselves to get a good position

“It's all a matter of intention. Where your intention is inside that movement — that's what matters.”

CONTEXTOn the prep that determines how big the headroll is, and where the intention points

“As a leader, you have to understand what it is you want.”

CONTEXTOn the leader deciding the direction of the prep (forward or back) for themselves

“I'm not pushing with force. I'm just giving more space inside the prep.”

CONTEXTOn the difference between forcing a push and giving space in the headroll lead

“The difference between a good leader and a great leader is that a great leader follows my energy and knows exactly when to take the lead back.”

CONTEXTOn the timing of the moment the follow takes over the lead and the leader picks it back up

“If I'm in the same energy as her, catching the exact moment to take the lead back becomes really natural.”

CONTEXTOn syncing with the follow's energy to find the timing of the lead

“If I'm stiff like a tree and not dancing, then I have to analyze when the right moment is. That's not feeling — that's just calculating, "okay, she's here now."”

CONTEXTOn the difference between dancing by feel in your body and dancing by analyzing in your head

“That's dancing with your brain, not with what your body feels.”

CONTEXTA metaphor for finding the lead timing analytically, without feel