Originally from Puerto Rico, and with multiple salsa and bachata world championships to his name, Jose Maldonado opened Atlanta’s first Latin dance studio in Sandy Springs in 2006.
Formerly an engineer who holds five U.S. patents, Maldonado now shows off his skills on the dance floor, teaching group classes and private lessons at his PASOFino Latin Dance Studio. “Latin dance is energetic and fun, and you do it with a partner,” Maldonado says. “It’s enjoyed across all races and social classes all over the world.”
Here, he instructs us on the basic beginning steps of the bachata, a partner dance that originated in the Dominican Republic:
1. Take a step left with your left foot, then step left with your right foot, closing your legs. Make sure to transfer your weight with every step.
2. Next, tap your right foot. Don’t transfer your weight when you tap.
3. Take a step right with your right foot, then right with your left foot, closing your legs.
4. Tap your left foot.
5. Repeat!
PasoFino Latin Dance Studio
678.895.6955
pasofinodance.com
@pasofinodance
