RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Baila! Baila! Baila! The Latin dance scene is exploding and continues to grow in the Richmond area.
Salsa and Bachata Instructor, Boris Karabashev told 8News the dance community is accelerating. Karabashev is also a co-organizer for the RVA Salsa Bachata Congress.
The congress took place in Downtown Richmond September 4th – 6th. Talented dance instructors provided various workshops for dancers of all levels.
There were also choreographed dance performance shows and people did dance the night away with salsa and bachata.
8News Reporter Sierra Fox took a bachata class with Karabashev. He has 15 years of experience as a dance instructor in the Richmond area.
“Bachata is a very enjoyable dance, partner dance, coming from the Dominican Republic,” Karabashev said.
Karabashev says bachata is a great dance for beginners who want to learn a Latin dance. Also, the beat and rhythm of the music is irresistible.
“To me, the bachata music is very, very delicious music,” said Karabashev.
There are different styles of bachata and it’s a partner dance.
“If you try to dance it, you can keep it simple and very gentle and sensual or you can add more stuff and be more fancy,” said Karabashev.
Karabashev’s passion for dance and fun personality draws a diverse crowd to his dance studio.
One 19-year-old said he’s taking lessons to impress a girl.
“I kinda want to do the whole romantic, sweep her off her feet type thing,” Bachata student Elijah Darnell said.
Another student is part of the RVA Salsa Bachata dance ensemble and started taking lessons with Karabashev two years ago.
“Dancing is kind of like another language so even if you’re not Hispanic or you don’t speak the language, it’s a common language you have within the salsa community,” Bachata dancer Emily Johnson said.
If you’re interested in being part of Richmond’s dance community, check out here.
