Figures

A check is a sudden stop-and-redirect that says 'not that way — THIS way' — the exclamation point of partner communication.

A wrapped embrace where the follower folds into the leader's arms — the figure that teaches you what connection actually feels like.

A turn where the follower rotates inward, toward the leader — the quieter, more intimate cousin of the outside turn.

A turn where the follower rotates outward, away from the leader — the bold, expansive turn that opens up space and possibilities.

The side pass is the clean exchange of positions — sending your partner past you to the other side, opening up a new world of possibilities.

A side-by-side hold with crossed arms in front — like walking hand-in-hand, but with structure and intention.

Both partners stand back-to-back with shoulder blade contact — a moment of separation that deepens trust.

A barrel turn is both partners rotating together in close embrace — two bodies, one axis, zero space between.

The basket is a wrapped embrace where both arms cross around the follower — a warm, nesting position that sets up dramatic exits.

A synchronized turning figure where both partners rotate together like gears in a Swiss watch — when it clicks, it's effortless.

A sharp, redirected turn where the follower reverses mid-rotation — the figure that teaches you both brakes and gas.

A figure where the arms cross over the follower's body creating a wrapped hold — the elegant cousin of the cuddle.

A controlled lean where you catch your partner in a moment of suspended trust — the exclamation mark at the end of a musical sentence.

Both partners swap places through a shared turning gate — a move so fundamental it appears in almost every Latin social dance.

An open-position figure where the follower sweeps outward like a fan unfolding — spacious, visual, and musically satisfying.

A sudden full-body stop mid-movement — the silence between notes that makes the music visible.

Fluid, led head movements borrowed from Brazilian zouk — the element that makes sensual bachata look like liquid poetry.

A circular arm lead that traces an arc over the follower's head — like drawing a halo with your hand connection.

A shared weight figure where both partners angle away from each other, held together by mutual counterbalance.

A traveling pattern borrowed from Brazilian zouk where partners move in a straight line with flowing body and head movement.

A figure where the leader's or follower's arm drapes across the partner's neck — intimate, dramatic, and requires absolute trust.

A swinging weight transfer where the follower swings side to side like a pendulum — rhythmic, hypnotic, and deceptively technical.

The pretzel is a complex arm-knot figure that looks impossible and feels magical — the Rubik's cube of bachata figures.

An overhead arm arc that traces a rainbow shape over the follower's head — a traveling lasso that changes position.

Shadow position is dancing in the same direction, one body behind the other — where trust becomes tangible and connection becomes invisible.

Using the shoulder as the initiation point for leading — a body-lead technique that upgrades your partnership from hands to torso.

A figure where both partners pass each other laterally, like two sliding doors moving in opposite directions.

A figure where the arm passes over both partners' heads like putting on a wide-brimmed hat — the move that makes beginners gasp.

A continuous turning figure where the follower winds tighter or unwinds outward in a corkscrew pattern.

The tunnel is the dramatic arm passage where the follower ducks or slides through a gateway of arms — simple mechanics, maximum visual impact.

A quick directional change borrowed from Brazilian zouk — a small, sharp turn that redirects the follower in close connection.

A sharp, accelerating lead that sends the follower outward or into a turn with a crack-the-whip energy transfer.

A figure where both partners create a frame between them with their arms — like looking at each other through a window.

An arm wrapping around your partner's body — creating closeness, changing grip, and setting up the next move all in one smooth motion.

A figure where the follower is sent out and snapped back like a yo-yo on a string — dynamic, playful, and all about timing.

A dramatic full-body rotation where the follower rolls around the leader's body — the figure that looks impossible until you learn it.

A ragdoll-like figure where the follower moves with intentional limpness — like a beautiful puppet coming to life.

A controlled back bend from standing that says 'I trust you enough to fall' — when done right, it stops time.

A controlled backward lean with spinal extension — borrowed from zouk and ballet, it's the backbend that trusts physics and your partner equally.

A rotating dip where the follower lowers while both partners spin — a moving snapshot that defies gravity and common sense.

A sharp zouk-derived head movement where the follower's hair whips in an arc — dramatic, percussive, and absolutely unforgiving of bad technique.

A controlled lowering of the follower toward or to the floor — where gravity becomes your dance partner.

A zouk-derived quality where the connection stretches and rebounds like elastic — the feeling that makes the dance look like taffy being pulled.

A drop that uses elastic rebound to bounce back up — the drop that defies gravity because physics says it should.

A dramatic figure where one partner spins while the other rotates around them in the opposite direction — two orbits, one axis.

A continuous figure-eight pattern traced by the follower's body or both partners together — the movement that never ends and always resolves.

The iconic forward lean where the follower extends forward with the leader supporting from behind — yes, like the movie, but harder.

A multi-rotation turn sequence where the follower spins rapidly multiple times — the figure that turns the follower into a human cyclone.

A controlled fall where the follower releases into the leader's support — the ultimate declaration that connection is more than hand-holding.

The waterfall is a cascading dip that flows downward like liquid — the most cinematic moment you can create on a dance floor.