Ataca y La Alemana, The YouTube Pioneers Who Brought Bachata Dance to the World

Who Are Ataca y La Alemana?

Ataca y La Alemana are one of the most famous bachata dance couples in the world. Ataca (real name Jorge Burgos) was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico and moved to Orlando, Florida at age 6. La Alemana (real name Tanja Kensinger) was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1996.

Their nickname "La Alemana" literally means "The German" in Spanish, a nod to Tanja's German heritage. "Ataca" is Jorge's stage name; he is also billed as "Ataca Jorgie".

Together, they became bachata YouTube superstars, uploading performance videos that accumulated more than 100 million views and introducing bachata dance to a huge new audience.

Origin Story

Jorge grew up playing baseball in Florida, developing a style that blends raw musicality with connection-driven movement. Tanja brought a different energy, known for her precise technique and fearless stage presence.

They began performing together in 2008. Jorge was born in Puerto Rico and Tanja in Germany. Check out the full history of bachata for more on this.

The YouTube Revolution

The timing was perfect. YouTube was still young. And Ataca y La Alemana had something nobody else had: magnetic chemistry on camera.

Their performance to Xtreme's "Te Extraño" became one of the most-watched bachata dance videos in YouTube history, accumulating more than 100 million views. For many viewers, it was their first look at bachata dance.

Island Touch Dance Academy

Beyond performing, Ataca y La Alemana built something lasting: Island Touch Dance Academy. The academy offers bachata classes, and runs a masterclass program for dancers who want to teach.

They also teach workshops at bachata congresses and festivals worldwide, from Europe to Latin America to Asia. Their teaching is known for clear explanations, infectious energy and humor.

• Location: Online (Island Touch Dance Academy)
• Styles taught: Bachata, Salsa
• Workshops: International congresses and festivals
• Legacy: Co-founded Island Touch, now an online bachata academy

Watch & Follow Ataca y La Alemana

From Baseball and Ballroom to Bachata

Jorge's first love was baseball. It earned him a scholarship to Saint Leo University in Florida, and it was while he was still in college, in 2006, that a night out at a Tampa club introduced him to New York style salsa. He started classes at Salsa Caliente Dance Studio that same year and was teaching within eight months. After graduating with a business management degree, he chose salsa over baseball.

Tanja, who is of German and African-American descent, grew up in Germany with her mother and began dance classes at age four in ballroom, jazz and tap. A Dominican newspaper names her hometown as Würzburg. After the move to the United States she stepped away from organized dance until 2005, when salsa pulled her back in. She was teaching by 2006 and was part owner of a salsa company in Fort Myers, Florida.

Why Their First Routine Was Bachata

The pair originally set out to make it as a professional salsa couple. According to a 2017 podcast episode featuring them, they could not get a slot as salsa performers, so they put together a bachata routine instead, and that routine became "Te Extraño." A Dominican newspaper later called them pioneers of bachata at dance festivals, recalling how, as salsa dancers, they asked organizers to let them add a bachata performance.

They have since danced in more than 40 countries, including Korea, China and Japan. In 2015 Euronews met them at the BachaTu festival in the Dominican Republic, where Ataca said the next step for dancers was to appreciate the music more: its history, its instruments and why its rhythms are played the way they are.

Island Touch Today

Jorge is a co-founder of Island Touch, which describes itself as a global bachata movement rooted in Dominican culture, with dance teams around the world. Their teaching also lives online through Island Touch Dance Academy, which offers a complete bachata school for social dancers, a nine-level masterclass for dancers who want to teach, and licensed performance choreographies.

The couple have even appeared on record: the 2020 bachata single "Volvió," featuring El Tiguere, is credited to Grupo Extra, Ataca and La Alemana. To follow them, look for the joint Instagram @atacaylaalemanaofficial, their personal accounts @ataca_official and @laalemana_official, and IslandTouchChannel on YouTube.