This question has been a matter of great debate within the salsa scene, creating quite the buzz for our fellow Salseros. But for a Bachatero, the answer is a resounding YES! Bachata, the latest craze in the Latin Dance world, has taken the universe by storm. The demand for Bachata has increased rapidly within the last two years and continues to expand and take on new forms. Events, festivals and competitions are popping up around the world, from Lithuania and Australia to the UK and China.
About two years ago, Bachata was just a small snippet on a Salsa website. It has come a long way since then and has now evolved into a popular search term. The year 2008 was a pinnacle of success for Bachata, from the 1st Bachata Festival in the World held in Sydney, Australia to the launch of BachataSensation.com, one of the first exclusively dedicated Bachata sites in the world. BachataSensation.com is the soul destination for Bachata lovers worldwide. From the hottest Bachata music and videos, to amazing competitions, congresses, workshops and events, BachataSensation.com has what all Batcheteros want.
Bachatero – a definition
The Bachatero (a), by definition, “is one who takes part in festivities, a carouser, one who acts in a crazy drunken manner.*” Taking part in festivities, agreed. Being a drunken carouser…maybe a believable story in some cases….but here is the edited BachataSensation.com definition:
A Bachatero(a) is one who:
1. Prefers to dance a Bachata over any another dance
2. Dances Bachata compulsively in a grocery store, lavatory, Wal-Mart, etc
3. May not understand the Spanish language but can sing every Bachata song
4. Dances Bachata by default at any event, festivity or night club even to Techno… yes, Techno
5. Attends a Salsa Congress and hangs out in the Bachata Room all night
Rodchata, one of the founding fathers of the Bachata craze, says with a smile, “Bachata will be the new Salsa, give us five years.” As the organizer of several Bachata Festivals around the globe including the Reno Bachata Convention and San Francisco Bachata Festival, Rodchata also co-organizes the Lithuania Bachata Festival and DC Bachata Congress. Upcoming destinations include Hawaii and Puerto Vallarta! You can find out more about Rodchata and his upcoming events at www.Rodchata.com or www.sfbif.com for information on the upcoming San Francisco Bachata Festival.
“It’s 2010 and Bachata is the new Salsa!” says Leslie Ferreira from Bachata Caliente. “Just as salsa was the craze in the 90’s with people trying to create their own styles and techniques for the dance, Bachateros are taking this traditional Dominican dance to the next level. The classic footwork fundamentals and chest connection closed position has transformed into very fast, fancy and syncopated footwork as well as multiple spins, dips and turn patterns. What was once thought of as basic three step and tap dance, has now become full of complicated turn patterns and intricate footwork making it very attractive for salseros!”
Leslie and her partner Jorge Contreras, two of the hottest bachateros in the world, are the founders of Bachata Caliente in LA. In February 2010 they are hosting the first ever LA International Bachata Festival in Los Angeles, CA. From Lap Dance Workshops to Bachata on the Beach, this festival is really turning up the heat! The festival will feature dance stars from all over the world. Experience the Bachata craze first-hand, register for the festival at www.ilovebachatafestival.com.
1, 2, 3 and tap, 5, 6, 7 and tap…let the Bachata sensation continue to thrive!
*Source: Babylon Online Dictionary
About the author:
Aja Estro, founder and CEO of BachataSensation.com
With her roots in ballet and modern dance, Aja has been dancing Salsa and Bachata for a little over a year. She ventured into the Latin dance scene by chance thanks to a graduation party in 2008. That's when she experienced her first Bachata, and from that day forward she's been hooked.
Aja took her love and passion for Bachata and melded it with her online expertise to create BachataSensation.com. Well-connected in the Bachata community, Aja shares her experiences, upcoming events and more on the website.
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