Genesis Part 4: BachaZouk

Bachata... I used to suck at bachata!

I really do. I was so bad that my dance partner Michelle (the one I won the compettition with in 2005) actually complained to me about my bachata.

Ouch!

The first time I saw bachata was in QBa, Westin Hotel. I was wondering what kind of salsa dance is this whereby the hips moved like that and the guy was dancing so near to the girl and they weren't stepping on each other's feet! Amazing!

I learned much of it on the floor and I learn through much trial and error before I became... ok... just ok... no more... just ok.

So how did BachaZouk came about?

Well, I started to grow more passionate about bachata when I got better with it. The songs, the mood it sets me in, the movements, the essence of it... bachata felt... right.

Now, most people do bachata by "crab walking" left to right but because I was used to the circular motion on my salsa dance I actually incorporated the same movement into my bachata and the bachata I danced involved much circular motion and walking about which made it more interesting and beautiful to both watch and dance.

I learned about the syncronization of body movement and how to move together with a partner; I had spent much time learning about bachata and how was it supposed to be. I did my research and all the homework I needed and I was on high on bachata.

Out of Malaysia, many had commented that my bachata was very sensual and since then I had pursued bachata to greater heights. Initially, I had dubbed it Bachata Sensual. Most Malaysians do not dance bachata so sensually and most do not know how. Its very common to do the open position and walking left to right. A minority of Malaysians actually did the bachata name proud but too few to make Malaysia a strong name in bachata.

It wasn't until I met Nestor Manuelian from Modus Vivendi Salsa Productions, Australia that I learned about Zouk and how much Zouk and bachata could blend into each other. I studied much of it and Nestor had guided me much of the way into paving the road to create what I coin as the BachaZouk style bachata.

When Inaki Fernandez came to Malaysia, his bachata style (my students fondly call it Inakichata) was an eye opener to me and I soon incorporated the entire thing into BachaZouk. But at the end of the day, it was still Nestor who had influenced my bachata growth and Rhythm Identity now has their own signature style of bachata which they can proudly dance to and enjoy with.

BachaZouk?

You gotta see it to know it.
You gotta feel it to know it.
You gotta dance to it to be it!


Jaxen
"Salsa Daddy"