Many people have a misconception that Bachata and Reggeaton are similar dances. However, that is so far from the truth. The confusion is understandable because both dances are very intimate, and they may seem the same. This article explains the main difference between Bachata and Reggeaton dance.
What is the difference between Bachata and Reggaeton? Bachata originates from the Dominican Republic and has been around much longer than Reggeaton. Reggeaton originates from Puerto Rico and is a newer dance style. These dance styles differ in steps, patterns, music, and rhythm.
Bachata sensual has some similarities with Reggeaton because of the intimacy of this dance style. In Reggeaton, couples dance very closely by almost grinding against each other. Bachata sensual has a similar presentation. Both dance styles require dance partners to be very close to each other.
Dancing Reggaeton is easier to dance if you don’t have a partner, unlike Bachata. If you want to learn a few good moves for club settings, I suggest learning Reggeaton first because it is much easier. Also, you will hear Reggaeton music playing in clubs more often than Bachata music.
What Is Reggaeton?
Reggaeton is Latin music and dance style. Reggaeton originates from Puerto Rico in 1990s. It is influenced by Latin American, hip hop, and Caribbean music.
Reggaeton is a fun, sexy, and very popular dance style in nightclubs across the World. Reggaeton is an extremely sensual dance style, so it may shock many people.
Dancing Reggaeton is not much different from regular club dance. There is lots of hip action and grinding against dance partners while trying to look sensual as much as possible at the same time.
To learn dancing reggaeton, you must learn dance moves such as body waves, shoulder pops, and lower body isolation.
How To Dance To Reggaeton Music?
If you go to any club nowadays, you will be exposed to reggaeton music. So it would be a good idea to learn a few good moves you could bust when you hear reggaeton music.
Here is the breakdown of three basic moves you could practice at home when you are in a social setting where reggaeton music is being played.
The first move you could practice is hip action in the place. The movement of the hips will stay the same throughout the entire dance while adding more steps.
Have your left leg straight while bending the knee in your right leg. This will influence your hip action naturally. Then, just keeping switching legs by having one knee forward all time. These are very simple steps to grasp (explained in the video below).
The next move is “walking in the place.” In this move, you incorporate the first step with lifting a leg and placing it back on the floor while keeping the knee bent, so you get that hip action. It is almost like walking but without moving anywhere.
In the last step variation, you will move forward and back with the same hip and leg action explained in steps one and two. In this step, you will be using the same steps but moving a little forward whenever your leg lands on the floor.
Here is an excellent example of dancing to reggaeton music in clubs or any other social setting.
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 Reggeaton 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 Reggeaton and that it helps you decide which dance style is better for you to learn.
