International Bachata School in Malaysia

The Bachata dance was said to have originated from the Dominican Republic. It is danced by couples usually in a romantic and sensual story-telling style. The Bachata dance was also, at some point, considered to be a passionate and sensual kind of expression of love through dance. Aside from the romantic-side of the Bachata dance, its story-telling humor also depicts women overpowering men.

As time passed by, like any other Latin American dance routines, the traditional Bachata dance is performed with close body contact of the partners or while contemporary Bachata dance routines feature minimal body contact.

The basic bachata dance sequence is a full 8 count moving within a square. Counts 1 through 3 and 5 through 7, when taken, generate a natural hip motion. Counts 4 and 8, consists of a "pop" movement. Depending on individual style, the 'pop' is executed by lifting or tapping a foot or by using stylish footwork while popping the hip to the side opposite of the natural Cuban hip motion. Bachata music has a slight accent in rhythm at every fourth count, indicating when the 'pop' should happen. The 'pop' is done in the opposite direction of the last step, while the next step is taken on the same direction of the pop. The dance direction interchanges after every 4th count.