Throwback to one of the very first videos I got, with Silvia, who was literally the very first follow I ever danced with at a lesson (which was at Alberto's in Mountain View).

Filming this video was prompted by a local studio asking for a dance example video after I inquired about teaching for them. This was ~4 months after my very first bachata dance lesson, or any Latin dance lesson, or social dance lesson for that matter. After going to nearly every lesson & social I could find in the Bay Area over those four months (45 times per week), I felt confident enough in my understanding of bachata to start advertising for beginner lessons.

From that moment, I threw myself headlong into bachata, with every waking (and many sleeping) moment devoted to the learning and mastery of this beautiful language. Giving up my career as a chemical engineer, I considered myself a full time dance instructor. Two months later, I launched Red Bear Dance. One year later, I taught at my first festival. One year later, I threw the largest NYE Latin dance party in all of northern California. Somewhere in there, I started coaching new and existing instructors. This is the power of frequent intentional practice, specialization, and a willingness to listen to feedback from literally anyone.

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." Bruce Lee

Bachata is my one kick.

Location
Dance Boulevard, San Jose, CA

Dancers:
Rudy Namikis of Red Bear Dance (@RedBearDance)
Silvia (@silviavalencia)

Song:
Nick Jonas Ft. Tove Lo & Taylor Colson Close (DJ Soltrix Bachata Remix)
with live accompaniment by Antonio Bliss on the sax

Date Filmed:
10/24/21

For more info on Red Bear Dance, check out RedBearDance.com