🖤 Bachata 🖤

One of My Favorite Things

young couple dancing dance party a couple in close position young couple dancing in living room the word dance in neon lights two girls dancing older couple dancing

I absolutely love dancing, especially bachata. If bachata is playing, you could not pull me off the dance floor, no matter how long I’d been dancing! This really surprises me. For so many years I believed I had no rhythm. I remember being in church as a little girl, trying to mimic everyone else clapping to the music. Ugh, it left me feeling so dejected! Then in high school, a friend dragged me to her Latin dance parties and showed me the basic steps. A new world started to slowly unfold.

Fast-forward several years, life had left me feeling shaken, distrusting, and disconnected from myself and others. I noticed myself turning to the melancholy and grief filled bachata songs for comfort. One day, I found myself at a bachata class before a Latin dance social and I discovered what I didn’t even realize I was searching for. I found a safe, welcoming space full of people with a clear sense of boundaries. Everyone was just free to express themselves. And express myself I did! Overtime, dancing bachata helped me feel more grounded, more trustful of others, and feel more confident in my own skin.

Back then, I expressed all the dark emotions waging inside. Now, I tend to listen to the bachata love songs and express my newfound joy and peace. Bachata offers a space for both. That’s why it’s my favorite!

If you would like to learn to dance bachata or learn more about its history, there are some resources below. Happy dancing!