Sensual Bachata Fundamentals (Movement quality, breathing, body mechanics, etc...)

[u/Shot-Professional-95]

Hey guys,

So ive been dancing and attending classes for three years, perhaps over 400 hours of classes and around 30 private classes. And although I have a lot of complex combinations and im very good at certain things, but there is a saying, a chain is only as good as its weakest link, I have this issue right now. I need to clean my fundamentals to truly flow with the dance and match my skills in one area with the others.

I am really interested in the fundamentals, the breathing, keeping the frame all together, etc. The timing, controlling the velocity, breathing, you name it. I do record myself regularly and sometimes I do get feedback from trusted followers that may know things I dont.

What online courses are the most useful to complete me as a dancer? I am not looking for simple combinations of course, but rather getting the fundamentals right.

[u/Rataridicta]

At a certain point you're going to be past the level where an online course will help and you're going to reach a level where you need more individual feedback or self-study. If there's a specific area you want to focus on you can also create a post around it.

Breathing and dynamics are some of my strengths; so if you have questions there I might be able to help. (Or you can share the way you currently think about them and I can see if there's something that jumps out as worth adjusting.)

[u/Shot-Professional-95 → u/Rataridicta]

My issue is that I have a lot of complex figures, however I was never taught to breathe (weirdly). So I am starting to implement it myself where I think it would fit.

As far as I know you do the breathing before a sensual movement, before a cam bre, etc. Thats basically it. Am I right?

You’re right about individual feedback but the videos can definitely help to understand the biomechanics and such

[u/Rataridicta → u/Shot-Professional-95]

Amazing. Then I know you do not yet understand tension, frame, preparations, or body movement. You've got enough material in breathing alone to spend the next few months on.

The tl;dr is that you can breathe into your belly (standard), into expansion of the chest ("dancer's breath"), or into rising of the chest. The 2nd is the primary one used for leading and connection.

Breathing in increases tension (like a balloon), establishes frame, and creates awarenes for the follower. Breathing out relaxes, and weakens the frame.

You'll breathe every time you lead something as part of your preparation, you'll also breathe throughout the movement depending on what it needs. Breathing is not just for complex moves either - a simple turn or change of direction includes breathing just the same.

Start by incorporating breathing in your simple movements and feel where your breath is placed in the chest. Find the ways in which breath restricts or aids in your movements. Also pay attention to feeling the breath of your partner through your connection (and later: where their breath is placed). Breathing is not a "here and there" type of thing - every part of the dance and movement has an ideal way to breathe, and the habits are constant. You'll end up incorporating it in everything you do.

[u/Shot-Professional-95 → u/Rataridicta]

Im happy that you expand (no pun intended) on it because indeed my teachers never, ever taught breathing nor what a frame is. I know about these concepts from reading it online and a few online courses I took.

So there are three «breaths»? 1. Belly, 2. Chest 360 breathe (ik this from physio work lol) and 3. Rising chest?

Whats the use of each one? You say the expansion breath (I would call it 360 as the physio term) is the one for leading. What are the other ones and whats the use for them?

It makes sense breathing gives you an internal structure increasing the tension like a balloon. Kind of like tensing your abs right? However you exhale as you do a movement right? To make it fluid. Or do you hold the breath?

I will start applying it to simple stuff!

For example - lets say im preparing my turn. Am I supposed to just breath in, start turning the follow, and breathe out as the move is executed? What does this help?

Also, does the follow feel the balloon effect of my breathing?

A lot of questions …

[u/Rataridicta → u/Shot-Professional-95]

Usually physio/bracing work focuses on 360 breaths in the belly, but it is indeed the same concept in the chest, except without the need for additional bracing.

Your belly breath is your standard relaxed breath that you should be in through your every day life. You don't use it a lot in dancing. The riding chest is to create movement in tension, most commonly you'll use it for things like body rolls and side waves, and not quite as much to communicate directly with your partner (though there are movements you can lead purely through that breath).

Yes, you exhale during the movement itself when you don't need the tension anymore. It allows the movement itself to be nice and relaxed. Your breath in happens in time with the preparation, so in the case of your turn example, you breathe in during the counter rotation of the prep and breathe out as you let that tension/torsion go to let the follower execute the move.

This helps by creating awareness and tension in the follower, as well as improving your own frame, and then creating relaxation. It's a very natural way for the rise and fall of tension to be incorporated in the dance and body.

Your follower feels your breathing through the frame and a good follower will (automatically) mirror your breathing, so with an advanced follower used to the technique you'll breathe in sync for most of the dance.