“We are here because we want to support something that will go down in history. We are going to break the bachata record. We did it with merengue, now we are going to do it with bachata, for the country, for ourselves, to leave a legacy.” Maika Maldonado.
SANTO DOMINGO – The Dominican Republic hopes to break the Guinness World Record for bachata and dethrone the Polish nation, which has held the record since 2019. Six hundred couples are currently rehearsing to combine the rhythms of the catchy beat on Saturday, December 11, 2021, at 5:00 p.m.
Four real estate agents are part of the group of dancers hoping to have their names etched in the Guinness World Records for the largest bachata dance in the world. Since October, they have been practicing in various locations, preparing to dance in sync on the Malecón in the Dominican capital, the popular rhythm that stirs passions and has transcended national borders.
Maika Maldonado and Violeta Saint-Hilaire from Premium Real Estate, Magia Liz Ortíz from Time Homes and Wanda del Orbe from Kwcapital, along with their partners, will dance to the rhythm of the song "Pena", which placed Luis Segura in the top spots of preference in 1982, and which has been chosen as the official theme of the event.
“We are here because we want to support something that will go down in history. We are going to break the bachata record. We did it with merengue, now we are going to do it with bachata, for the country, for ourselves, to leave a legacy,” explains Maika Maldonado.
The murmur of the many couples characterizes the atmosphere of the Events Hall of the Sambil shopping center, where yesterday Sunday the rehearsal took place, which due to the proximity of the date is carried out every day for long hours to fine-tune the final rhythm; while a voice of the organizers reminds the crowd of the biosecurity protocols.
“I dance for the homeland, I dance for the women, I dance because merengue and bachata are our native rhythms and that record belongs to us,” says Magia Ortiz.
Wanda dances because being a real estate agent isn't just about selling a dream, but about being involved in everything that represents the country. She understands that every Dominican has a commitment to their nation.
The demands of their work haven't stopped the plans of the four real estate agents who organize their schedules with clients to make time for what, for them, represents therapy. “It has been a huge challenge that extends into the weekends. But we manage to disconnect and focus on dancing, because it requires discipline, patience, and a lot of sacrifice.”.
Alberto Sayas is the producer of the show “A Record for Bachata,” which will measure the largest number of participating couples, dance synchronization, and the requirement that everyone wear a uniform, among other technical elements. Kimbara is the school to which the four dancers belong.
In Maika's case, she would achieve her second Guinness World Record, having participated in the merengue competition where she lost 19.5 pounds. "Now I've lost eleven because with dancing you don't need to go to a gym; dancing is therapy, it helps you lose weight and makes you forget everything," says the leader of one of the Premium Real Estate teams.
The Guinness World Record for merengue remained in the land of the güira and the tambora in November 2019, when 422 Dominican couples danced simultaneously in Plaza España before thousands of people. The title had belonged to Russia since 2013 with 330 couples, surpassing them by 92 couples.
This Saturday, this group of empowered and courageous women invite their family, friends, clients, colleagues, and their entire network of support to join them at the massive gathering, where they will demonstrate that, in addition to helping families fulfill their dreams by selling properties, they also contribute to realizing the dreams of their country, joining the causes of their homeland and raising the Dominican flag to the rhythm of their music.
