What is ladies styling?
Ladies styling, also called follower styling, is training in movement and expression for the follower role. Here is what we teach, and who it is for.
Updated · 3 min read
- For the follower role anyone who dances it or wants to explore it
- Mostly workshops priced separately from regular courses
- Experience any requirement is mentioned when it is announced
What do you teach?
Styling is much more than adding arm movements to bachata. We work on areas such as:
- body movement and isolations;
- hip movement and weight transfer;
- arm and hand styling;
- footwork;
- turns, balance and control;
- musicality;
- interpretation;
- movement quality;
- and developing your own expression within the dance.
We also look at when styling makes sense in partnerwork, so that expression adds to your dancing without interfering with timing, connection or your partner. The goal is not to make everyone move the same way. It is to give you tools that help you understand and develop your own movement.
Who is it for?
"Ladies styling" is the commonly recognised name for the format, but the training itself is for anyone who dances, or wants to explore, the follower role and wants to develop their movement, expression and styling. Styling is not determined by gender.
Is it taught separately, or inside the regular course?
Both can happen. Styling, body movement, musicality and individual expression are already part of our regular bachata training, particularly as dancers progress through the levels. We also run standalone ladies and follower styling workshops when we want to spend an entire session developing those skills, and occasionally a dedicated styling batch alongside our regular courses.
Do I need bachata experience?
It depends on the session. Many of our styling workshops are designed to be accessible to dancers with basic bachata foundations, while some sessions may focus on more advanced movement or technique. Any experience requirement is always mentioned when the workshop or batch is announced.
If you are very new, a basic understanding of bachata timing, weight transfer and the basic step will generally make the styling work much easier to absorb. How long that usually takes is covered in its own guide.
Is it priced separately?
Yes. Standalone styling workshops and dedicated styling batches are priced separately from our regular bachata courses. Most commonly we run styling as individual workshops rather than as a permanent weekly batch, although dedicated batches may occasionally be announced.
Dates, level and pricing are always mentioned with the specific workshop or batch. See what’s on for the current announcements.