pachanga classes in medellin
While Medellín has a long-standing love for salsa music and its local Colombian dance styles, the classic dance known as pachanga historically remained uncommon outside of specific performance groups. Today, interest in learning the history of and distinctions between different Latin dance styles has increased, alongside a greater curiosity to understand musical timing and how it connects to the instruments. As more dancers seek to diversify their footwork and body movement, pachanga classes provide a direct way to study the specific timing and energetic style of the dance.
What is Pachanga?
Pachanga is both a musical rhythm and a dance that originated in Cuba in the late 1950s before gaining widespread popularity in New York City during the early 1960s. Musically, it was a fast, jovial rhythm closely associated with the charanga orchestras of the era, heavily popularized by artists like Eduardo Davidson and Johnny Pacheco.
As a dance, pachanga is celebrated for its fast, bouncy footwork, playful nature, and distinct body weight shifts. Rather than a standalone linear partner dance, modern dancers primarily practice pachanga as a form of solo footwork (shines) or incorporate its steps directly into salsa routines to mirror specific energetic shifts in the music.
Pachanga's Relationship to the Salsa Genre and Colombia
While pachanga predates the 1970s "salsa" marketing boom, it is tightly woven into the modern salsa genre and the history of dance in Colombia:
The Music Shift: The original pachanga rhythm relies on a charanga band setup, which features violins and flutes rather than the heavy brass sections found in standard salsa. However, many classic and modern salsa tracks incorporate pachanga sections or use a fast groove that invites pachanga movement.
The Colombian Entry Points: When the rhythm first arrived in Colombia during the 1960s, it developed distinct roots. The Caribbean coast, particularly Barranquilla, became the initial landing point where the music was popularized through radio and street sound systems. Meanwhile, in Cali, dancers embraced the fast tempo, accelerating the vinyl records and absorbing the bouncy, heel-and-toe footwork of pachanga directly into what became classic Cali style salsa.
Modern Social Dancing in Medellín: Today, pachanga is rarely danced as a standalone partner style for an entire song. Instead, social dancers in Medellín switch into pachanga footwork during a song's instrumental breaks, percussion solos, or when the music explicitly adopts an uptempo feel, allowing them to bridge the gap between international linear styles and Colombian dance history.
Key Technical Information for Students
The Grounded Bounce: The defining technical characteristic of pachanga is the "pachanga bounce." This is achieved by a distinct weight transfer where the knees bend on the downbeat, keeping the movement low, bouncy, and deeply rooted in the floor.
The Continuous Footwork: Unlike styles that utilize a complete hold or pause on specific counts, pachanga footwork involves active weight changes or gestures across the musical counts, creating a rapid, rolling aesthetic.
The Swivel and Kick: Authentic pachanga relies heavily on internal and external rotation of the hips and ankles, creating the illusion that the feet are gliding, swiveling, or kicking smoothly across the floor.
Foundational Vocabulary: Basic movements taught include the fundamental pachanga basic (the basic step with the distinct heel/toe weight transfer), the Charleston variation, the Caballo (horse step), side taps, and syncopations that match the fast tempo.
Music and Instrumentation: Classes utilize classic charanga and early New York Latin tracks from artists like Johnny Pacheco, Charlie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, and Mongo Santamaría. Key instruments include the flute and violins, alongside traditional percussion like the timbales, congas, and the scraping sound of the güiro.
Advanced Coordination: Progression in pachanga focuses on foot speed, precise ankle flexibility, maintaining a continuous body bounce without losing the rhythm, and seamlessly transitioning between standard salsa steps and pachanga footwork during social dancing.
Medellín’s Historical Connection to Pachanga
In 2012, DANCEFREE began offering free group salsa and bachata classes, followed by social dancing, and became the first hub for the salsa and bachata community in Medellín. By combining a dance academy offering private and group classes with a bar/venue for socials, listening to music, and watching dance shows, it stood apart from local venues that typically focused on crossover music.
To help promote internationally recognized linear salsa, DANCEFREE introduced global dance styles alongside local Colombian ones, effectively merging the international and local communities. The academy introduced structured group classes focused on salsa on1, alongside private instruction covering salsa on1, salsa on2, and other styles. The socials attracted a diverse mix of dancers, including those practicing international styles (linear salsa on1, salsa on2, and Cuban) as well as local styles like Colombian and Cali style salsa. Through these classes, socials, and shows, the number of dancers in Medellín familiar with complementary footwork styles like pachanga grew steadily.
Class Schedule & Pricing in Medellín
DANCEFREE offers private pachanga classes, in person in Medellín, and online via Zoom and Google Meet. Our in-person classes are available 7 days a week, and our online classes are hosted on weekdays, subject to instructor availability.
If you would like to take private pachanga classes, click here to view the steps for beginning private lessons. If you would like to view our calendar for dance socials and events, click here.