Dance the night away at Bachata Exchange

As lockdown restrictions were being lifted in Spring 2021, a few dancing enthusiasts began gathering in outdoor spaces in London to dance bachata. Bachata is a partner dance that originated in the Dominican Republic, known for its accentuated hip movement and flamboyant nature.

These outdoor dances led to the founding of Bachata Exchange (BE) – one of the biggest and most renowned bachata events in the UK, that is completely free of charge, thanks to generous donations from the community.

“This is a group of people who live for physical touch and connection,” says Rebekah Holliday, 35, one of the original founders of BE.

“[London] is a hard city to crack when you don’t know anybody,” she adds. “During my first dance lesson I did feel at home. This is a way to connect with people and build relationships. It is a hub for a community.”

BE brings together hundreds of dancers from all over the capital and beyond every Sunday during the warmer months for an outdoor social near Liverpool Street station, in a covered location donated by Broadgate as part of a post-pandemic cultural rebuild plan.

The social event is also preceded by free dance lessons welcoming different levels from extreme beginner to intermediate.

“It’s like being in a very big community that looks more like a family,” says Bryan Herrera Valdez, 26, who teaches almost every week as a volunteer. “This is a social dance inclusive to everybody, not just for top dancers,” he adds. “It’s a perfect gateway to enter the world of dance… It’s a perfect stairway to heaven.”

“Bachata Exchange is a perfect stairway to heaven”

For those who are scared of not being able to jump on the dance floor, Rebekah stresses, “If you can walk on a straight line and count to eight, you can dance bachata.” And, if you are still unsure, BE organiser Catherine Tye, 38, will make sure to pull you in one of the classes.

After seeing some videos of a friend dancing bachata, James Labarr, 31, decided to give it a try at BE.

“At first, I was a bit apprehensive because I got two left feet, I don’t want to step on someone’s toes especially if they have got white trainers,” says James. “The teachers were super friendly; everyone was really nice and open. I think my favourite part is the social. As a beginner, I have had people come grab me and ask me for a dance.”

The social dancing, going on from 6pm to 11pm thanks to DJ Chino, invites everyone to keep practicing and just enjoying the bliss of dancing bachata.

Yur Kezham, 29, and Rohan Soni, 25, came by themselves to BE and met while taking the beginner class. “I love it, it’s a really relaxed atmosphere,” says Rohan. In the social time, you can dance with anyone. So, even if I am dancing with a girl who is extremely advanced and knows all these cool moves, she’s happy to dance just side to side with me.”

“The change of partners helps as well – it breaks the ice a little bit – so you don’t have to come as a couple. That was the presumption I had, that you need to come with someone to dance,” adds Yur.

Still, BE is not only a place for beginners, but rather a place where dancers have a chance to develop as well.

“There is a lot of space to dance and there’s a wide range of dancers so it’s great to test your skills,” says Rosie Bridges, 27, who has been dancing bachata for almost a year. “I think it’s a lovely place to meet new people because it’s free so many people join, both beginners and dancers with years of experience.”

Ricardo Iguasnia, 24, has been dancing bachata avidly for about eight months and, while he used to go dancing by himself, now he’s met so many people that he is never truly alone whenever he goes to BE solo. “It’s such a friendly environment for the classes and a good chance to meet people who would be up for practising,” he says.

“It’s people connecting in a nice spiderweb and all gathering around for the same thing, it’s beautiful”

Dancing bachata fosters a sense of community, where even if you don’t know the person you are dancing with, one is still able “to get that connection with someone where it’s almost intimate”, according to James.

He adds, “Everyone universally understands that you are here to dance and have a good time and they don’t mind lifting you up to get to that good time moment.

“I think you’ll find some life-long friendships here, and that’s what builds the community. It’s people connecting in a nice spiderweb and all gathering around for the same thing, it’s beautiful.”

Bachata Exchange is free to attend at 12 Primrose Street. Learn more about Bachata Exchange here.