Bachata
Basic Underarm Prep
Also known as: the prep, the wind-up, the halo
The half-second that makes a turn work. Before any turn comes the prep — the small wind-up that tells your partner "you're about to spin, here's where."
Coach's notes — the how & why
What This Move Is
The lead raises the connected hand to about the follow's eye level and traces a smooth little arc — a "halo" over the head — without turning her yet. It's the announcement: a turn is coming, here's the axis. Learn it on its own and every turn afterward stops surprising your partner.
Key Points
- Lead: Raise the hand on the tap (4 or 8), not mid-step. The halo sets her axis above her own spine — not pulled off to the side.
- Follow: Read the rise, gather your weight onto one foot, and wait. The prep is your "get ready," not your "go."
- Timing: Prep on the tap (4 or 8); the turn itself fires on the next 1.
- Common mistake: Leading the turn and the prep at once, so the follow has no warning. Separate them — prep, then send.
Style Notes
This is a teaching unit on its own because a clean prep is what makes Right Turn (B013), Lead's Turn (B015), and the outside turn leadable. It chains straight into any of them — think of it as the comma before the turn.
Quick notes, not instruction — always learn moves in person with a qualified teacher.
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