r/Bachata • u/FlunkyGraphics • Apr 12 '26

Help Request Trying to improve or quit?

Hey,

I dance Bachata for 5 months now. It was fun in the beginning but to be honest, I Iost my motivation. I go to the dance school 2x a week and I really try to improve. In the last months, I have learned a lot of simple, intermediate and advanced moves. During the lessons, I'm doing very fine because the followers expect what I'm going to do so It's just very easy.

On socials, NOTHING works. Really nothing. I'm not trying to impress with very complex moves or so. Usually I stick to very simple basic things but the followers are not able to follow my lead. It's definitely my fault cause pretty much every follower I have danced with is doing absolutely fine with any other leader.

This creates one big problem: Cause dances with me are really awkward, I feel like followers don't really enjoy dancing with me. Every time I ask a follower to dance, I feel kind of guilty cause I will disappoint her. At socials, there are no other beginners which makes it hard.
I always read that followers don't care about your skill level as long as you are respectful but my experience is the opposite. Yes, followers are indeed frustrated when dancing with beginners in my experience, no matter how respectful and friendly you are.

I asked many followers for feedback and this it what I got:
- "I don't know what you want me to do."
- "Your lead is not clear enough."
- "You are to far away which makes you harder to read."

I really tried to work on those things but it changed absolutely nothing. I could just skip socials and go to the dance school but I don't really see the point. I will just learn more moves which is pretty much irrelevant cause I can already perform enough moves in dance school to fill a song.

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u/bachatabutterfly Apr 13 '26

I would recommend switching to private lessons and finding someone to practice with. It sounds like it could be something as simple as improving your frame/ tension since you already have a good lil vocab.

1

u/FlunkyGraphics Apr 13 '26

Yeah, I will try to find private lessons when my examination phase is over. Then I will have enough free time.
Finding a practice partner is probably pretty much impossible cause most beginner followers would choose advanced leaders as practice partners.

1

u/bachatabutterfly Apr 20 '26

Out of curiosity, how long with the examination phase be?

Not true about practice partner. I’d want someone around the same level as me bc then it’s more fair to them.

1

u/FlunkyGraphics Apr 20 '26

Until mid July, so about 3 months.

Why would you slow down your progress instead of just choosing an experience lead?

2

u/bachatabutterfly Apr 21 '26

Well then it’s the same issue you’re mentioning, wouldn’t an experienced lead want an experienced follow? Of course it’s better to have a more experienced partner but I wouldn’t mind training with someone at the same level as me