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Bachata

Bachata in NYC is mostly in nightclubs and dance studios. It is Dominican culture with New York influences that has gone global. 🇩🇴

Bachata is tropical dance music that began as a folk tradition in the barrios of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. An urban form and the Bachata Moderna style of dance developed in New York City in the 1980s and 90s.

A further extension of the form, Sensual Bachata, sort of a mix of Bachata Moderna and Contact Improvisation, developed in Spain in the mid-2000s. There is even Bachata Flamenco. European New Yorkers seem to love Sensual Bachata.

Bachata NYC

May 5, 2022

Manny Cruz

Latin Grammy nominee Manny Cruz sings Dominican Bachata and Merengue at Lehman Center in Jerome Park, The Bronx on Sat, Jan 29 at 8pm. Rescheduled to Sat May 21, 2022 at 8pm. From $45. 🇩🇴

Salsa & Bachata Festival

The B.I.G. Salsa Festival New York is a Salsa and Bachata dance festival at the New York Hilton Midtown on Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-30, 2022. From $20. Passes from $150. bigsalsafestival.com

NYC Dance | Tropical Music

NYC Bachata Clubs (Alvaro/Adobe)
NYC Bachata Clubs (Alvaro/Adobe)

NYC Bachata Dance Venues

  • Bachateame Mama is at Club Cache in Greenwich Village on Fridays from 9:30pm – 4am. $10. latinparty.com 🇩🇴
  • Gonzalez y Gonzalez Mexican restaurant and Salsa nightclub in Greenwich Village.
  • La Boom nightclub in Woodside, Queens.

Just like in the Caribbean, many small bars in Washington Heights play Bachata on weekends.

NYC Bachata Dance Schools

There are many Bachata dance schools in NYC. These are some we know.


Bachata NYC (Aleksey Mnogosmyslov/Dreamstime)
Bachata NYC (Aleksey Mnogosmyslov/Dreamstime)

The Year in Bachata NYC

May Bachata NYC

Dominican Bachata

Previously

Los Toros Band plays Dominican Bachata and Merengue at Sabor Latino in Elmhurst, Queens on Sat, Mar 12 after midnight (10pm doors). $20. 🇩🇴

Sosa Y BachataFlo play Bachata for dancing at Gonzalez y Gonzalez in Greenwich Village on Sun, Mar 6 at 8:30 & 10:30pm. $10. 🇩🇴

James Sedano’s Brunchata, Bachata lunch is at Gonzalez y Gonzalez in Greenwich Village on Sun, Mar 6 from 1-6pm. $10. 🇩🇴

February 2022

Zacarias Ferreira and Kiko Rodriguez sing Dominican Bachata Para Enamorados for dancing at La Boom in Woodside, Queens on Fri, Feb 4 at 10pm. From $50. 🇩🇴

October 2021

Elvis Martínez plays Dominican Bachata at La Boom in Woodside, Queens on Fri, Oct 29 at 9pm. From $48. 🇩🇴

Afro-Dominicano plays Bachata for dancing at the “Brunchata” Bachata brunch at Gonzalez y Gonzalez in Greenwich Village on Sun, Oct 10 from 12 noon to 10pm. $10 cover after 5pm. 🇩🇴

Aventura with Romeo Santos brings their Inmortal Tour to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sat, Oct 9, 2021 at 8pm. From $49.50. 🇩🇴

Grupo Aurora plays Bachata for dancing at Gonzalez y Gonzalez in Greenwich Village for the “Brunchata” Bachata brunch on Sun, Oct 3 from 1-6pm. 🇩🇴

September 2021

Frank Reyes sings Dominican bachata for dancing at La Boom in Woodside, Queens on Fri, Sep 10 at 10pm. From $50 🇩🇴

Bachata Music

Merengue was originally played on a guitar, but is now usually played on accordions.

Traditional bachata is a blend of bolero and son sung by troubadours, sort of a Dominican blues. It’s guitar music that is very easy and fun to dance.

José Manuel Calderón and others brought the music to New York in the 1960s as the Dominican community was growing in Washington Heights.

Juan Luis Guerra updated the sound in the late 1980s and helped popularize bachata around the world.

Aventura (with Romeo Santos) in The Bronx and Monchy & Alexandra in the DR electrified, updated and romanticized urban bachata in the 1990s.

Merengue and bachata are part of the Latin dance trinity: Salsa + Merengue + Bachata.

Everybody plays bachata now, but the leaders of the music are Juan Luis Guerra (traditional), and Romeo Santos and Aventura (urban).

Bachata Dance

Most salsa dance parties are mixed salsa, merengue and bachata. Sensual bachata is a club form that is popular with Eastern Europeans in New York City.

Bachata Festivals in NYC

tropical Music

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