For the Love of Bachata presents its 4th annual Fall Festival! This festival is focused on connection, movement, and musicality, and features Ramon and Divna of NYC and Araguacu of Toronto! We will have 8 hours of workshops and two nights of dancing!
FTLOB is an organization that believes in promoting true educational experiences which involves working with instructors to bring skill-building workshops, providing time and opportunities for community development among event attendees, DJing with quality music and variety in mind, and all around using the heart to build an event that makes people want to keep returning time after time.
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WORKSHOPS & SCHEDULE
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SATURDAY:
11:00-12:30 - Traditional Dominican Bachata Footwork (Ramon & Divna)
The traditional Dominican Bachata footwork class is Ramon and Divna’s signature shines class. You will get a chance to play with different rhythms and master different variations of your basics. You will also be learning/improving your technique (including proper weight transfer, feet position, hip movement and upper body coordination). Lastly and most importantly you will be guided as to how to make the movement truly your own!
12:30-1:00 - Lunch
Bring your own or purchase the lunch add-on with your ticket to have FTLOB provide you a lunchmeat (choice of turkey, ham, or roast beef) croissant sandwich + chips + granola bars and other snacks.
1:00-2:30 Back to the Roots: Bachata Musicality and Body Movement (Kim & Geo) - This workshop entails a complete breakdown of the weight transfer exercises we have created, and how to utilize the different weight transfers to add dynamic to your movement, and dancing. As well as how to connect the movement to the changes in rhythmic patterns found in Bachata music.
2:45-4:15 Bachata Partnerwork (Ramon & Divna)
This class will cover partner work in both closed and open position: students will learn bachata-specific turn patterns as well as footwork patterns that can be executed with a partner to ‘spice it up’ on the dance floor. Fundamentals of lead/follow technique will also be covered (e.g., maintaining a proper frame, changes in direction, timing of signals, etc.) along with basic social dancing etiquette.
SUNDAY
11:00-12:30 Back to the Roots: Bachata Flow and Footwork (BFF) (Kim & Geo) - This workshop encompasses how to develop bachata flow by discussing how changes in energy, movement, and intention can be used to add dynamic to a choreographed footwork sequence. The pattern is choreographed to a specific song, where the connection between the music, flow, and steps is broken down and discussed. The aim of this workshop is not to teach steps, but to teach how to create intention, and develop an understanding of how to create your own Bachata flow when dancing.
12:30-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:30 All-in-One: Connection, Musicality, & Body Movement (Ramon & Divna)
The footwork and partner work combo class will build up on the foundations of the prior two classes and allow you to experiment with different styling for movements. Musicality and body movement (in both shines and partner work) are truly the focus of this session - you will get to groove, play with different beats, vibe with your dance partner and work on ‘dancing more and thinking less’.
2:45-4:15 Back to the Roots: Bachata Shapes & Synergy (Kim & Geo)
Description coming ASAP.
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SOCIALS
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FRIDAY NIGHT - FTLOB Kick-Off Party
10pm-2am
Art & Style Ballroom
318 Butler St, Pittsburgh, PA 15223
BYOB
DJs Jeff Shirey & DJ Tay in a Salsa & Bachata social
More details TBA
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SATURDAY NIGHT - FTLOB Festival Party
10pm-3am
BMNECC
449 W. 8th Ave, Homestead, PA 15120
Cash Bar
DJ Tay will be playing predominantly a mix of bachata with a little bit of salsa, merengue & kizomba thrown in.
Performances by Araguacu, Ramon & Divna, & more TBA
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SUNDAY NIGHT - BMNECC 3rd Sunday Salsa Social
7pm-11pm
BMNECC
449 W. 8th Ave, Homestead, PA 15120
Cash Bar
$7 cover
(This is a regular monthly social that coincides with the festival. Though our artists will have to go home Sunday night, we highly recommend you stick around to get your salsa on!)
