Dance Learning Guides

A short styling sequence can give your practice a clear focus when you do not want to learn a long routine. In Sus Huellas Bachata Styling, Felipe Ramírez works with musicality, spins, body movement and speed to Sus Huellas by Romeo Santos.

What is the focus of the Sus Huellas class?

The supplied class description presents a short, intensive styling lesson. The named themes give you several possible practice goals, but you do not need to work on all of them during the same attempt. Choose the detail you most want to clarify and use a short section of the recording as your reference.

How can you use a short class more than once?

On one pass, concentrate on remembering the sequence. On another, choose a movement transition and compare how it feels at a comfortable pace. Later, return to the musical example and notice whether the beginning and end of the phrase remain clear.

Keep the comparison specific. For example, you can observe the exit from a spin without also trying to change every arm movement. Repeating a familiar phrase with one chosen focus gives you a practical reason to revisit the same lesson.

What if changes of speed feel rushed?

Separate the order of the steps from their performance speed. Practise the sequence at a manageable pace first, then use the demonstration to check where the change happens. If the transition becomes unclear, shorten the phrase and return to the explanation.

Styling and practice in both roles

You can study movement technique alongside leading and following. When bringing a styling idea into a shared dance, pay attention to the information exchanged with your partner and keep the shared task understandable. Practise a role change separately when both people agree to explore it.

Take the Sus Huellas styling class

Explore the online Academy and membership options to take the full class, or visit the Academy homepage to discover the school.

How do you work on musicality without changing everything at once? A repeatable choreography gives you one phrase to revisit while choosing a single detail to notice. In the Academy’s Miénteme styling class, Felipe Ramírez guides a bachata choreography that includes spins, musicality and changes of speed.

What does the Miénteme class focus on?

The class combines a set choreography with movement qualities that can be difficult to practise in isolation. Use the recording to study the order, then return to a smaller section when you want to give a turn, a musical arrival or a speed change more attention.

Separate learning the order from dancing to the music

Start with a short section at a pace where you can recall what comes next. Mark the movement if the full version distracts you from remembering the sequence. Once the order is familiar, return to the demonstrated musical example and check where that section begins and ends.

For a musicality practice task, listen to the same phrase before repeating it. Choose an arrival or a change you can recognise in the demonstration, then compare your timing with that reference. Working with one repeatable detail gives your next attempt a clear purpose.

How can you practise the spins?

Give the approach, turn and exit separate attention. If you lose the next step, repeat the transition out of the turn instead of adding another full run-through. Keep the movement and pace comfortable while using the explanation in the class as your reference.

What about leading, following and role rotation?

Styling practice can sit alongside the work you do in either role. A choreography session and a partnered role-switching exercise have different immediate goals. When you later explore a styling idea with a partner, keep the shared timing and connection clear, and agree on any change of roles.

Study Miénteme styling online

Explore the online Academy and membership options to take the full class, or visit the Academy homepage to discover the school.

Want a complete bachata styling routine to work on between classes? Filipa Antunes teaches a choreography to Odio by Romeo Santos at RoleRotation Academy. A set routine gives you the same sequence to return to, so you can notice how your timing and movement change with practice.

What is this class about?

The class introduces a complete styling choreography. Follow the recording to study the routine in sections, then connect those sections when the order becomes familiar. The class includes the choreography and music; it does not require you to invent a new sequence for each practice session.

How do you learn a routine without getting lost?

Choose one short phrase and identify its first and last positions. Practise that phrase before moving on, then join it to the next one. When two sections are individually familiar but the join feels uncertain, repeat only the end of the first section and the beginning of the second.

Use a simple reminder for the part you are learning: a direction, a recognisable shape or a musical moment you can hear. Check it against the demonstration. A useful reminder should help you recall the movement rather than replace the explanation.

What should you focus on after remembering the steps?

Return to one phrase and choose a single detail to observe. You might compare the timing of an arrival or how clearly you finish a movement before beginning the next. A short recording of your own attempt can help you compare the same section on another day, if you find that useful.

Can styling practice support both dance roles?

You can explore movement choices regardless of the role you practise in partner dancing. When transferring an idea into a shared dance, keep the connection and agreed task clear. Treat a role switch as its own shared learning task rather than an automatic part of this choreography.

Take the class with Filipa Antunes

Explore the online Academy and membership options to take the full class, or visit the Academy homepage to discover the school.

How can you make a bachata styling sequence feel more intentional? Start by noticing the difference between a shape and the movement that connects it to the next one. In the Academy’s class to Lucky by Pinto Picasso, Tiago Adegas brings together technique, poses, speed and spins in a bachata choreography.

What will you study in this class?

The choreography gives you a sequence in which to explore styling rather than treating every movement as an isolated decoration. The class focuses on poses, changes of speed and spins, making it a useful option when those are the details you want to practise.

A practice plan for poses and transitions

Choose a short phrase from the recording. First, identify where each shape finishes. Then practise travelling between the same shapes at a comfortable pace. A held position can look clear while the approach still feels rushed, so give the connection between positions its own practice time.

When you return to the music, choose one detail to observe: the timing of an arrival, the change between slower and faster movement, or the way a turn leads into the next step. Repeating the same short phrase makes that comparison easier than restarting the entire choreography after every attempt.

Should you add speed immediately?

Keep the pace manageable while you are learning the order. If a faster section becomes unclear, separate remembering the sequence from performing it to the track. Use the recording to check the explanation before adding another challenge.

How does styling relate to leading and following?

This post introduces a styling choreography. When exploring an idea later in partner dancing, keep the shared timing and connection clear in whichever role you are practising. Agree on any role switch as a separate task; learning a solo phrase does not require changing roles during it.

Take the Lucky styling class online

Explore the online Academy and membership options to take the full class, or visit the Academy homepage to discover the school.

Bachata RoleRotation Combo nº3 is described for dancers working at an intermediate level in both leading and following. Felipe y Tiago use a combination to bring those skills into a shared RoleRotation practice task.

What does this class focus on?

The class centres on an intermediate combination for two dancers who understand both roles. Check your foundations separately in leading and following before using the full sequence as your practice goal.

How can you practise with the recording?

Work on one short section at a time and return to the demonstrated explanation when needed. Repeat the same task under comparable conditions. This gives you something specific to notice, such as whether the preparation and the return to the basic remain clear.

Leading, following and shared practice

Your experience in one role does not automatically describe your experience in the other. Choose a manageable pace for both people and agree when you are practising a transition. Use simpler material when you need more attention for the newer perspective.

Take the class at RoleRotation Academy

Explore the online Academy and membership options to study the full class. You can also visit the Academy homepage.

In Bachata RoleRotation Combo nº2, Felipe y Tiago introduce an intermediate combination with a role change inside the sequence. The lesson invites you to return to the class and learn both parts, giving attention to the movement as well as the transition.

What does this class focus on?

This is intermediate bachata material for practising RoleRotation within a combination. Use the demonstrated sequence as a consistent reference while learning how the shared task changes from one role to the other.

How can you practise with the recording?

Choose a short section around the role change. Practise its movement in each role, then study the transition itself. Pause and replay the explanation when you need to clarify preparation, timing or the point at which the roles change.

Leading, following and shared practice

Make the role change an agreed task with your practice partner. Give each role enough separate attention before trying the complete sequence. If one perspective is newer, return to a simpler foundation in that role before adding more complexity.

Take the class at RoleRotation Academy

Explore the online Academy and membership options to study the full class. You can also visit the Academy homepage.

RoleRotation Combo nº1 gives you a concrete place to begin practising a role change within bachata. Felipe y Tiago introduce an accessible combination with one role switch, so you can study the sequence and the transition as connected skills.

What does this class focus on?

The class includes one role rotation within the combination. Begin by understanding the movement in each role, then study the demonstrated moment when leading and following change between the two dancers.

How can you practise with the recording?

Repeat a short section in agreed roles before adding the switch. Identify what changes and when, then revisit the demonstration if either person feels unclear. Keep the task small enough that the transition does not disappear beneath a long sequence.

Leading, following and shared practice

Both people need to agree that role rotation is part of the exercise. You can practise a whole section in one role, exchange roles between attempts and then work on the within-dance transition. Keep the pace appropriate to the newer skill for each dancer.

Take the class at RoleRotation Academy

Explore the online Academy and membership options to study the full class. You can also visit the Academy homepage.

Filipa Antunes joins Tiago in this Academy class to teach a bachata combination for social dancing. It offers another sequence to explore when you want to broaden the material you practise with a partner.

What does this class focus on?

The class is organised around a bachata combination intended for the social dance floor. Follow the demonstrated sequence in manageable sections and keep its timing and partner communication clear as you learn it.

How can you practise with the recording?

Choose a short section that you can repeat under similar conditions. Watch, pause and try the material, then return to the explanation when a detail remains unclear. Finish an attempt by returning to a familiar basic so you can continue dancing comfortably.

Leading, following and shared practice

Agree on roles before practising with someone. Keep the shared task simple enough that each person can maintain balance and notice the information being exchanged. If you explore the other role, start the section again as a learning task with its own pace.

Take the class at RoleRotation Academy

Explore the online Academy and membership options to study the full class. You can also visit the Academy homepage.

A beginner combination gives you a small sequence in which to practise your foundations. In Bachata Beginners Combo, Felipe y Tiago introduce a social-dance combination and encourage studying the class twice: once from each role.

What does this class focus on?

The lesson is presented as beginner bachata material for social dancing. Use the combination to connect the foundations you are learning, while keeping the basic available whenever you need to reset.

How can you practise with the recording?

Watch a short part of the lesson, pause and try it before continuing. Practise returning to the basic after the same section. A manageable sequence helps you notice timing and weight changes without having to remember a long routine.

Leading, following and shared practice

Study the leading and following perspectives in separate attempts. With a partner, agree which role each person is practising. You can learn both roles while taking the time each needs; the transition between roles can be a later, separate practice task.

Take the class at RoleRotation Academy

Explore the online Academy and membership options to study the full class. You can also visit the Academy homepage.

An intermediate combination can connect familiar techniques in a new sequence. Felipe y Tiago’s Intermediate Bachata Combo includes body waves, cambrés, arm styling and turns, with material intended for social dancing. The musical reference listed for the class is A Million Years Ago by Sasha X.

What does this class focus on?

The class brings several movement elements into one bachata combination. Give each section enough attention to understand its place in the sequence before trying the complete combination at the music’s tempo.

How can you practise with the recording?

Start with a short section and identify the movement that needs the most clarification. Replay its explanation, practise at a manageable pace and return to a familiar basic. Use a comfortable movement range and keep partnered practice within a task both people understand.

Leading, following and shared practice

Your level can differ between leading and following. Choose the version and pace appropriate to the role you are studying. If you exchange roles with a practice partner, repeat the same small section so you can notice the preparation and timing from both perspectives.

Take the class at RoleRotation Academy

Explore the online Academy and membership options to study the full class. You can also visit the Academy homepage.