There are many Latin dance styles, and they are all unique and beautiful in their ways. It is not uncommon that people can’t identify the differences between some dance styles. In this article, I will shed some light and address the main differences between Bachata and Cumbia.
What is the difference between Bachata and Cumbia? Bachata originates from the Dominican Republic, while Cumbia originates from Columbia. Bachata is danced in 4 step timing (dancers tap on 4 and 8); whereas, the Cumbia is based on a 2/2 or 2/4 time signature.
Bachata and Cumbia differ in style, music, and dance moves. Also, Bachata is more popular than Cumbia. So if you want to learn a dance style that you will have more opportunities to dance socially, then Bachata would be a better decision.
It is relatively easy to learn the Bachata and Cumbia. They are not hard to learn, even if you are a beginner. It all depends on which dance style suits you better. It would be even better if you are willing to learn both dance styles.
I personally like Bachata better because it is a more romantic, sensual, and well-known dance style. There are more social events in my area to dance the Bachata.
What Is Cumbia Dance?
Cumbia is a music and dance style that originates from the Columbian Caribbean coastal town of San Basilio.
Cumbia music is often called the mother of all Latin music because it influenced other Latin musical genres.
Cumbia dance and music are very popular worldwide but not as much as Bachata is.
The basic steps in Cumbia dancing are the back-break basic. A “wind-up” motion that characterizes Cumbia is often danced in a circular pattern sometimes called the Columbian or Cumbia circle basic.
Cumbia is closely related to Swing dance because many similar steps are found in these dance styles.
When dancing with a partner, the lead goes back with the left leg, and the follower goes back with the right leg.
Here is an excellent example of the basic Cumbia dance steps presented by “How 2 Dance”:
The word Cumbia has been acquired from the African Cumbe, which means dance. It represents a blending of cultures both rhythmically and musically during the 17th century when African slaves were brought to Colombia by the Spanish.
Since then, music and dance have evolved to match the contemporary World. Cumbia is now danced and played in many clubs and Latin social events in many countries.
Original Cumbia is different than modernized Cumbia. As I mentioned earlier, it has evolved to satisfy the needs of contemporary society.
Cumbia Music
Cumbia music originated in Columbia in 1800. Cumbia music is very popular in South America, Central America, and Mexico. Modern cumbia music emphasizes a variety of musical instruments like piano, bongo drums, and others.
The exact sound of cumbia music varies from country to country due to regional differences. Cumbia music is highly influenced by Spanish, African, and Native American culture and music.
Traditional cumbia music instruments include flutes, drums, and other wind instruments, ouds, guitars, and percussion instruments, like the maracas. Cumbia music has continued to develop over time, adding new instruments such as trumpets, Caja drums, clarinets, saxophones, synthesizers, and trombones.
What Is Bachata Dance?
Bachata is a beautiful and romantic dance from the Dominican Republic that originated in the early 20 century. The music is very similar to Bolero. The Bachata songs are sorrowful, and all about heartbreaks, but the dance shows how we cope with heartbreaks and everything sad that love brings.
Bachata is danced with 4 step timing. You go 1,2,3, and tap, and then 5,6,7, and tap. So, dancers always tap on 4 and 8. The hips are slightly bent so the dancer can sway hips easier. The beauty of the Bachata dance is in the hip movements. In Bachata dancing, the focus is on the hip movements and not very much on the upper body.
During Bachata dance, a lead decides if they will perform an open or closed position. Bachata’s performance depends significantly on the music being played, mood, atmosphere, and interpretation.
Bachata Dance Styles
- Original Dominican Bachata. The original Dominican Bachata came from the Dominican Republic in the early ’50s. Back then, Bachata was danced in a closed position only like Balero. The original Bachata is now most prevalent in Carribeans, with much faster turns and rhythm while alternating between closed and open positions.
- Traditional Bachata. The traditional style is a fundamental bachata dance style that originated in the early 90s. Traditional Bachata is danced in a closed position between partners while making soft hip movements and tap on the fourth step (1,2,3, move your hips slightly and tap).
- Modern Bachata. Modern Bachata originated in Spain in 2005. In the modern Bachata style, partners move their upper body more while emphasizing hip movements, especially female dancers. The inspiration for the modern Bachata style comes from the adoption of salsa turn patterns.
- Bachata Sensual. As the name of this style says, it is a very sensual dance style. As with Modern Bachata, Bachata Sensual also originates from Spain. This dance style emphasizes the music and the beat while doing circular movements and sensual body waves.
- Bachata Tango. Bachata Tango is a combination of Bachata and Tango dance styles. The hip “pop” (4th step) is used to increase sensuality, taken from Tango. It contains the traditional basic steps, but it is danced like Tango.
If you want to dive deeper and take a look at examples for each of the Bachata dance styles, check out this article.
Here is an excellent example of how to dance the Bachata for beginners.
Final Words
There is no doubt that learning either the Bachata or Cumbia will benefit you greatly. Learning to dance is a great skill to have in your life. I hope that this article has shed some light on the main difference between Bachata and Cumbia and that it helps you decide which dance style is better for you to learn.
