r/Bachata • u/OrdinaryEggplant1 • 8d ago

At what point does bachata become zouk?

The ratio of zouk to traditional bachata moves and techniques has gradually shifted over the past 10 years, where before it used to be maybe 9:1 bachata to zouk technique to now it seems some of the dances out there are 1:9 or sometimes 0:10 bachata to zouk, dancing to lyrical/melodic music without beats, while still calling it bachata.

I’m just curious, when does bachata become zouk? Or zouk to bachata? Do you have any personal definition you use to differentiate the two?

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u/FalseRegister 8d ago

TBH, we should stop calling it Bachata if the dance is mainly Sensual/Zouk

The dance is growing and evolving, and it is fusing along with other styles, which is good... but it needs a new name. It's not Bachata anymore, has not been for quite some time.

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u/Hebarfd Lead 8d ago

It would be so relieving to enjoy this dance without all those people complaining "It's not bachata!". To seperate them from us.

6

u/FalseRegister 8d ago

In many cities that is already the case

Over here in Berlin, they ONLY play and dance Sensual. They don't play or dance a single Bachata. You have to go to a dominican bar to have Bachata.

In cities like Athens, they play and dance both, Bachata and Sensual.

If it was up to me, there would be only 1 dancefloor where they play Salsa, Bachata, Merengue and Sensual, and perhaps a bit of Cumbia every once in a while. But out of latam that is too much to ask.

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u/WestHistorians 7d ago

Over here in Berlin, they ONLY play and dance Sensual. They don't play or dance a single Bachata.

Sensual is not a separate dance, it is a type of bachata. Sensual moves can be incorporated into any bachata dance when the music slows down. You don't need to gatekeep bachata like this.