Dancing to passionate rhythms: A look into Korea’s vibrant Latin dance scene
At Latin A Class, a Latin dance club in southern Seoul's Gangnam District, bachata music with lyrics as hot and romantic as summer flows across the dance floor. Some 50 people fill the main hall on the basement level, communicating with each other in a language of dance that is even hotter than summer itself. As a man extends his hand to a woman, asking her to dance, there is only the music and the quiet thrill of connection. Through bachata — a slower and more sensual Latin dance than the quick-spinning salsa — two strangers become partners and move as one. When the male lead gives a subtle cue with his fingertips, the female follow responds with a head roll, a body wave or sometimes a flashy and expansive turn. Throughout the dance, the partners may also fluidly separate slightly and then come back together, creating dynamic tension and connection. "I was shocked at how busy this club was even on a weekday. The energy is so fun and it’s wild to see how many people are out dancing, even on a weekday night," said Keri Schnabel, an English teacher from the U.S. who started learning
