Advanced
Chassé
Advanced Level
Full mastery — nuance, personal expression, and artistry
A quick side-together-side triple step that lets you cover ground while staying locked into the rhythm.
Tips
- •Practice against a wall: slide sideways with your back lightly touching the wall. If your head bobs up and down, you're bouncing.
- •Count it as 'and-a-one' instead of thinking three separate steps. The rhythm is what matters, not the geometry.
- •Film yourself from the front. Your shoulders should stay level the entire time.
Common mistakes
- •Bouncing up and down — the chassé is lateral, not vertical. Keep your head at the same height throughout.
- •Making the steps too wide, which throws off your center of gravity and makes it impossible to chain smoothly.
- •Losing the timing by rushing the 'together' step — all three steps need to fit precisely within two beats.
- •Forgetting to lead the chassé — your partner needs a clear signal through the frame, not just legs doing their own thing.
Practice drill
Put on a medium-tempo bachata track. Do four basics to the right, then replace the last basic with a chassé. Repeat to the left. Once comfortable, alternate: basic-chassé-basic-chassé. Then try double chassés. The goal is smooth transitions — your upper body shouldn't reveal when you switch patterns.