Join us for an introduction to Bachata, a genre of folk music and dance from the Dominican Republic. Bachata is an evolving genre of folk art and is quickly gaining international popularity as an alternative to salsa. Come ready to dance, listen and learn about Dominican musical history, culture, and techniques of an art form directly from master practitioners. The Bachata Academy is the first and only program teaching Bachata in the world. Started in 2013, the Bachata Academy aims to enrich the Dominican community through song and dance and to share barrio culture internationally. The head instructors Martires de Leon and Abel Martinez are Grammy-nominated musicians aiming to not only teach a new generation of Bachata musicians but to teach a new generation of Bachata instructors. Headline Sponsor: Smith College