Backstage – The Bachata Podcast

Delve into how the bachata scene has been evolving throughout the last 15 years.

Together with Role Rotation creators Felipe & Tiago, we will go from knowing how Role Rotation came to be, to deeper details of the "hierarchy in bachata", tips for upcoming artists, how to go viral, and even cheesecake!

As always with no filter.

Originally hosted by Yann & Lucie the podcast will be revamped and brought to light by Kevin & Nika.

Unfiltered interviews, discussions, and more inside topics surrounding the world of social dancing to check on its current state, the path it's taking from different perspectives, and much more!

In this episode, the guests are the hosts going through a general check-up on the bachata community based on a questionnaire made for the Bachata Geneva Festival, finding out what the community wants more and less of, how supported people feel, and more.

Have a great listen and stay tuned for bi-weekly new episodes.

There are only very few who mastered the art of social media. Ofir & Ofri are one of them. Their content is unique and entertaining all while staying 100% authentic and true to themselves. But it wasn't always like that for the israeli couple. In this episode they'll share with you the long journey & battle they had with social media and how they finally managed to let their true selves shine. And Ofir will share some general wisdom in the form an analogy or two...maybe three...four?! Sit back, relax and prepare for an hour of fun and lighthearted conversation with these two amazing people! on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ofirandofri_official/ their new online dance school: https://www.bebachata.com/

Someone asks you for a dance and you turn them down. Maybe that person was not respecting your personal space or they were dancing in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable. But instead of being honest about why you turned them down you make up an excuse. Sounds familiar, right? But why is it so difficult for us to be honest about it? Why are we unable to clearly communicate our boundaries and that the other person overstepped them? This episode is all about setting boundaries and how to communicate them. With us today is an expert on the topic: Isabella form Australia, a lifelong dancer and now bachata sensual teacher. In her classes she puts a big focus on boundaries & safety. She is dedicated to fighting the stigma of not being able to say no, whether you just started your dance journey or you are already an established dancer. On instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabella_mackrill/ On facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isabella.mackrill.7

She's back for another episode! In honor of internationals womens day we teamed up with Gatica and collected all sorts of questions from her followers on Instagram about being a woman in the dance scene. In this hour she goes in-depth and answers your questions from establishing boundaries to relationship advice. All questions with timestamp: 2:15 What inspires you to be better in your dancing? 6:30 How do you keep your level of dance now in the pandemic? 10:30 How do you improve your body control? 14:45 What can I do when a guy leads very rough? 23:05 What can I do when my dance partner doesn't respect my personal space? 27:20 I want to make more out of my passion and take it to the next level but I don't know how I can go big with it? 33:00 I see a lot of people dancing similar styles and being copycats. How do you keep your style authentic and unique? 35:25 How can I start to learn how to lead in the pandemic? 37:15 People think it's weird that I want to lead. What is your advice? 39:10 Sometimes I get jealous when I see my boyfriend dance with other girls. Have you been in that situation? What can I do? 43:05 I have a new boyfriend but he doesn't like that I dance. He trusts me but not the other guys. What can I do? 46:15 How do you manage to have a boyfriend that doesn't dance but also dance so sensual as you do? 49:20 A Bachata artist was hitting on me in a bad way. I was scared to say anything because he is a famous dancer. How can I handle these situations?

As was the case for many dance teachers, Covid-19 completely turned Brenda's life upside down. It forced her to take all her regular in-person classes online. In April 2020 she gave her first online lesson and today - barely 10 months later - over 1600 students subscribed to her online dance platform where she teaches Salsa & Bachata. A lot changed for her in this short amount of time and perhaps most surprisingly she is not teaching actual live online lessons anymore. Find out why in this episode where Brenda reflects on her journey and shares everything from signing up the first students to growing it to what it is today: A successful online dance platform. https://brendaliewonline.com/ on instagram: @brendaliew_official

El Tiguere runs Island Touch - one of the hottest dance companies in the world - together with Ataca & Alemana. Known as a dancer, DJ, entertainer and managing director of a global dance company he's seen many sides of the dance scene. A scene & community that has completely changed ever since the global pandemic hit. Dealing with those changes affects us all in different ways. In this episode we talk about an incredible important aspect that is often over looked: Our mental health. As dancers but first and foremost as human beings. As we mourn the loss of social dancing, dance classes and festivals, how can we cope and continue to keep the dance community together and stronger than ever? Sit back, grab a drink and find out as El Tiguere shares his inspiring take on this.

Spinning is an art. One that Felipe Ramirez has mastered. He is a lifelong dancer with a classical education in dancing and in this episode he goes in-depth on everything he knows about spinning and proper technique. Some topics we will cover: - Common mistakes people do when spinning - What proper spotting looks like - Identifying what you're doing wrong - Solo spins vs in partnerwork - Going from flat shoes to heels - Different types of spins - And much more such as different ways to teach technique and an insight into judging competition Felipe on instagram: @feliperamirezdance and @felipeytiago_official

Making dance videos is an art. One person that knows a lot about that is Johannes aka. BachataMedia. He creates high quality videos that make you feel like you are right there with the dancers. So this episode is all about that: Making the perfect dance video. Johannes will share a lot of tips on how you can improve your own videos but also about the mindset and approach that got him to where he is today.

"If you are only dancing as a leader or as a follow you are missing out on 50% of the dance." This episode is all about the concept of role rotation. A concept where both dance partners constantly rotate the roles of leading and following throughout the song. A concept that opens up doors to a world hidden to those that dance in a traditional way. Tiago has been teaching this concept for years and fully embodies it. Open your mind, grab a drink and join us as we explore this topic.

Showing emotions and affection is part of our dance. But there is a fine line between being authentic and overdoing it. A fine line that if crossed can make a dance look sexualised and vulgar. In this episode we talk about: The role of hyper sexualised dance videos on social media, where the limits are & what responsibility teachers have and selling out for likes. We are joined by Jorge & Lou who have recently caused a viral discussion on instagram about the topic of sexism in dance.

Pierre Henry is a Salsa & Bachata teacher that has been teaching musicality for more than 15 years. He's been a musician his whole life and therefore always approached dancing from a musical perspective. During the first lockdown he created an online video series on Bachata musicality as well as an interactive musicality breakdown app. Today he is joining us for a 45 minute masterclass on musicality. Prepare to get your mind blown and learn about musicality in a way you never have before. We would offer you a money-back guarantee but it's already for free ;) So....fasten your seatbelts and let's go!

Gatica made a name for herself in the dance world over the last couple of years. She's now mostly dancing Bachata and Salsa and is traveling around the world doing what she loves the most. In this episode we talked about her top secret upcoming projects, her style and why it pays off to be different, how to handle relationships within and outside the dance scene and the women movement project she started a few years ago.

Kristian is not your average Bachata Sensual teacher. Besides teaching he's been working as a Relationship, Sex & Self-Expression Coach for the last 10 years. In this episode he'll give you a unique insight into how the way you live your life is connected to how you dance. We'll talk about masculine & feminine energies, capability vs receptivity and much more. Get cozy and prepare for an hour of pure sensuality! Kristian & Isabella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristianxisabella_bachata/ Kristian on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristian.stephanmartin Kristian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristianstephanmartin/

We are slowly getting used to seeing women take on a leader role. Yet it's rare to see men dancing as followers. Are men afraid to do so? What makes a man dance as a follow? And how does dancing as a follow make you a better lead? Our guest in this episode is Benjamin from the UK. Like every other guy he started his dance career as a leader. One eventful night out at a festival in France made him reconsider his choices. And since then everything changed for him! Listen in as we discuss and question the status quo of our beloved latin dance world and all its stigmas! Benjamin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjagolarham/ Benjamin on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SNXViTHogw

What makes someone a good leader? If you ever wish you could read the mind of followers then wish no more! We surveyed 350 followers on exactly that question and in todays episode we discuss the findings of our research. Read the full article on confidentlead.substack.com

You're a great dancer and you put in a lot of hours in the dance studio. But still you see that there's something missing. You're good, above average even, but you're just not that advanced dancer you want to be. That highly desired and in-demand person everyone would kill to dance with. In this episode we're exploring the gap between an intermediate and a clearly advanced dancer. And what you can do to close it. Our guest is Aina from London, UK. In a very short amount of time she managed to become a highly desired dancer on the social dance floors. Aina on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aina.bachata/ Aina on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aina.akmalieva

There are points in life where you are confronted with yourself and forced to rethink everything you value and believe. Xavi was at such a point in 2019. To find himself and re-evaluate whats important in life he decided to go on a 6 month dance journey. A journey that would turn out to be life changing for him. Listen in as he tells you how he made it happen and what exactly made it such a life changing experience for him.

Get an insight into the life of a full time Bachata DJ. York is currently one of the most popular DJ's in Europe. We spoke to him about his musical journey, career advice, the ups and downs of constantly being on the road as well as the current & future state of Bachata Music.

Sensual Week is probably one of the most popular Bachata festivals in the world. Taking place in Cadiz, the birthplace of Bachata Sensual, it's known for an intimate atmosphere and high quality workshops. In this episode we are chatting with Yenny & Andreas who are co-organising it together with Korke & Judith. If this festival is not high up on your list then we're sure it will be after listening to this episode. Come join us as we take a look behind the scenes of this amazing festival.