Seattle Salsa

Things to do if you can't dance. For the broke and the injured.

2010-09-05T23:46:00.000-07:00

Broke as a joke, I am sitting at home and desperately trying to remember what it was exactly that I used to fill my time with before I started dancing Salsa. I am also really feeling it for all the injured out there who can't go out. My phone is silent, but I don't blame my friends. It's labor day tomorrow, and they are all at See Sound Lounge having a marvelous time without the hindering burden of having to wake up early on Monday morning. So, here is a list of the things that I've came up with so far:

1. Attend a friend's wedding where no Salsa dancers are present. It will snap you back into reality and make you realize that there is other life out there. The experience will feel alien and uncomfortable, but it will shape you into a better, more understanding, more open-minded person.

2. Watch TV. (TV is that black box in your living room that has lots of dust on it. You can stick a silver disk into another box under your TV and it will play a movie!)

3. Speaking of dust... consider cleaning. It may not be as entertaining as dancing, but you will find that your cave is actually a house!

4. Reconnect with anyone left in your life who doesn't dance Salsa and is still willing to talk to you after you've ditched them for years.

5. Light the candles. Pour the wine. Take a bubble bath.

6. Take a walk. Rollerblade. Do yoga. Perform some other exercise that you used to do before you started dancing that is free or doesn't require you to move the part of the body that's injured.

7. Read.

8. Write.

9. Sing.

10. Pray

11. Play an instrument.

12. Cook. Then eat. Repeat as needed. (Warning: Since you can't dance right now, the amount of food you intake may change the shape of your body in an undesirable way. Use this alternative sparingly.)

13. Sleep. You have probably forgotten what this is. It's a magnificent experience that will turn you into a different person!

14. Remember you used to have a hobby? See if it's still a hobby.

15. Check your e-mail. Actually respond to people.

16. Listen to music. Look for music. Download music. Install i-tunes on your new (two year old) laptop.

17. Think. Right now is a good time in particular to think of how to make money or come up with ways to stay away from situations that lead to injuries.

Promoters on Facebook -- Helpful Suggestions

2010-07-19T16:08:00.000-07:00

If you are a dance company, a teacher, a writer, a venue, a performance team, an event, or anything else that might need to get announced and promoted, you might benefit from the following suggestions on Facebook etiquette. This is yet another post that was prompted by others talking to me. These are, as always, only suggestions. But if you don’t want the entire world to de-friend you due to high annoyance, I’d keep the suggestions in mind…

DO:

Set up a fan page, group, or a separate page.

Send requests and invites to people. ONCE.

Ask one or two of your CLOSEST friends to suggest your page to their friends.

Suggest the page to your own friends. ONCE.

Set up events and invite people to them.

Promote events on whatever is being promoted wall, as well as your own.

Promote the event on the walls of people directly involved in it, such as, but not limited to, birthday individuals, performers, DJ’s.

ASK one or two of your closest friends if you can promote events on their wall. Unless you are 100% assured of their affiliation to whatever you are promoting (I would NEVER assume affiliation if I were you…)

Include as much information as you can in your posts/events.

DON’T:

Keep sending invites/requests/suggestions to people who have declined. (Although from a promoters’ point of view: sometimes that's impossible to track.)

Promote events on the walls of individuals just because they have a lot of friends who will see.

Send event reminders in personal messages. This is common practice these days, but it really needs to stop! Shocking information: nobody looks at those messages anyways. And they make it really difficult to fish out important ones from REAL friends.

Set up events for things that are not events. “My dog died.” Is NOT an event. Unless you are planning an elaborate funeral.

Set up events that last from May of last year until September of 2059. If you’re too lazy to post events weekly, you’re more than welcome to hire someone to do it for you (how about me? ;). Otherwise you shouldn’t have a Facebook in general. More shocking information: because they’re always in the way of seeing what’s REALLY up tonight, the “ongoing” events usually get erased.

Post fliers up as pictures and tag people in them. Unless people are REALLY in them. But even then, fliers are NOT pictures, and often legs get chopped, faces elongates, etc… something people are not too excited for the world to see.

The Significance of the Last Song

2010-07-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

In the world of Seattle Salsa (and I bet everywhere else as well, but I wouldn’t know…), no five minutes can reveal more information than “the last song of the night.” This is when affiliations are established, loyalties confirmed, and relationships broken or mended. By carefully observing what goes on during the last song (which nobody ever does because they’re too preoccupied with the logistics of their own last song…) a person can find out who the hot shots’ latest dance partner is, who the hottie in the corner is currently seeing, and whether a relationship is doomed or can be salvaged.

The last song is like an end of a long game of chess, the very end, the one after the game actually ended and all the pieces are put back in order on the board to wait for the next game to begin. All night the pieces are scattered on the dance floor – light mixed with dark, pawns mixed with knights, rooks alongside kings and queens. But at the end, order prevails, and the kings end up with their queens on “their” side of the ballroom. It doesn’t matter if they came together or separately. It doesn’t matter if they will leave together. Immediately after the last dance a new game begins, and all the pieces scatter again.

Intuitively, leads grab the person they are most loyal to (for the moment) for the last song. It’s no wonder – after all, the last song is the impression of the night that you’ll go home with. For this very reason, follows (unless they are in a really “I don’t give a rat’s ass” mood) are more likely to refuse someone they don’t absolutely love to dance with or someone they don’t know during the last song than during any other one. Some of them would rather sit out than risk the last dance of the night being a bad one. But the loyalties are crystal clear – within moments after the announcement those who are paired up in any way (dance partners, dating, in love, smitten by each others’ skills, best friends) will be locked in each others’ gazes. Those left wandering or sitting for a little longer are probably unattached.

Let’s observe an evolution of a relationship from the perspective of a last dance. The very first last song lets you know that they really DO like you as much as they say. When the person becomes “automatic,” the loyalty is locked in – it won’t even cross anyone else’s mind to ask him/her to dance the last song. No matter how mad at each other the couple is, if they are still dancing the last song, everything will be ok, and they both know it. Trouble starts when in a fit of jealousy or revenge one person disrespects that loyalty. It causes some subconscious psychological split (that I can’t explain), and pretty much sets the partners up for failure. When a couple stands on opposite sides of the ballroom and doesn’t dance with anyone or each other, you can tell the love is gone, and a break-up is not long in coming – it’s only a formality at this point, and both of them have enough patience to wait it out. After all, they will soon be free to declare loyalty to whoever else they wish to. When you see them dancing with other people, you can be certain that they are now officially not together anymore.

There’s a lot more that can be revealed by the last song, but this post is getting too long. You get the point though. Last song = loyalty. At least for a moment, before the next game scatters all the chess pieces again.

Beginner Turned Amazing

2010-06-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

I have written many times about being humble and dancing with beginners because at one point we were all there and someone danced with us. I’ve heard people add to that a threat that one day they’ll become amazing and won’t want to dance with YOU. Well, my Good Samaritan efforts that flowed out of those admonitions paid off in full yesterday when I finally had my first “beginner turned amazing” moment on the dance floor. What was funny about it is that I swear the guy planned it for months! But memorable it was nevertheless.

I met the gentleman when he was first starting off – maybe a couple weeks into his lessons. For the next month or so we’ve crossed paths at various practices and events and I made it a point to say yes to at least one dance a night with him. Luckily he wasn’t completely devoid of an ability to pick up on social cues and rarely ever asked for a second one. Barely anyone else who was remotely good ever danced with him (suckeeeers! You’re gonna miss out now!) After the first month we haven’t seen much of each other. Or maybe he just didn’t want to intrude and never asked again. Until yesterday.

Baldly approaching me at the spot where I stationed myself for the night, he proceeded with a “Hi. I haven’t seen you in a while. How have you been? Would you like to dance?” The smirk on his face just screamed “planned” to me, but of course I accepted, although it took a few moments to place the familiar face since I haven’t seen him for about five months. Once placed, I expected the old version of robotic moves and steps anywhere but on beat. But much to my surprise (and his satisfaction about my surprised expression) I found myself dancing with a solid lead who was on time, possessed a wide variety of moves in his arsenal, and was very comfortable to dance with!

Since I’ve only been dancing for a little over a year, this has never happened to me before. But now that it has, I’ll just have to reiterate over and over again. Dance with the beginners! Because one day they will turn into an amazing dancer and will want to dance with you because you were nice enough to dance with them when they were first starting off.

You've Been Dancing Salsa in Seattle for a While if...

2010-06-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

1.“Century” in your mind is not associated with Century Square. CB doesn’t stand for “Call Back.”

2. You know that 13 Coins serves French Toast at 4:00a.m., even though it’s not on their menu.

3. Only a little while ago you couldn’t tell Spanish apart from any other foreign language. Now you’re fluent.

4. You eat breakfast on Saturdays at 3:00p.m. at the Cuban stand on Aurora and 90th and know every person that stops by to get theirs at the same time.

5. You know the significance of Jims.

6. You “regretfully decline” an invitation to your long-time friend’s wedding because it happens to fall on a Saturday of your birthday. You just spent your monthly salary on a perfect birthday dance dress.

7. You think nothing of it when the guy you were just sweetly talking to suddenly bolts in the opposite direction after a hot blond while screaming “Becka, Becka, Becka!”

8. You got to know a lot of your friends through someone named Anna.

9. You can tell which studio a person takes lessons from by dancing with them for only a couple minutes.

10. When they spin like a tornado you know exactly which team they’ve danced for.

11. Your “secret” getaway on a Tuesday is Waid’s for Blues Dancing.

12. One Friday while trying to “get away from the Salsa scene” you went out to a hip hop club and bumped into all your best friends from Salsa who had the same idea and all came there separately.

13. You constantly run out of Amante’s Pizza coupons, no matter how many they send you or how many you steal from your neighbors mailboxes.

14. You are likely to bump into a lot of familiar faces wherever you decide to eat at 2:00a.m. Fri-Sun.

15. You don’t start getting ready for a venue that starts at 8:00p.m.until 10:30.

16. “Beautiful Feet” is not a movie about penguins. Most likely you’ve been invited to church at least by one of the people from this dancer prayer group.

17. In real life you are either a consultant or an engineer.

18. You’ve been to or have been invited to an SSS Mixer. You know that SSS does not stand for “Seattle Secret Service.”

19. Memorial Day Weekend is one huge scheduling conflict.

20. You know that “Camp Gregory” does not involve tents.

21. You know which two DJ’s used to be married.

22. You know which DJ’s ARE married.

23. You know which DJ is trying to get married.

24. “Salsa around the world” is not just a random phrase for you.

25. Neither is “Are you kidding me?”

26. Halo is not a ring around the head of an angel.

27. You don’t think “El General” is a title for a military man.

28. “Let’s go grab some Dicks” is not a dirty innuendo (but rather a place to eat after Wednesday nights at Babalu).

29. “Milan” is not a city in Italy. “Israel” is not a country in the Middle East. “Asia” is not a continent. “September” is not a month.

30. When figuring out what day it is today you automatically associate it with where the Salsa is that night.

31. Abbreviations SSS, BF, CB, BBL, SSL, CH, DW, and BDS mean something to you.

32. In the summer you drive around town always on the lookout for recycle bins with huge cardboard boxes. And not because you don’t have anywhere to live.

33. Even though Friday is technically the day with the most venues available for dancing, in your mind it’s still a “Salsa off night” because there isn't just one "venue-to-be-at."

34. There’s on One. There’s on Two. And There’s on “Chow.” And they’re all equally good.

35. You know about the secret parking spot by Century Ballroom.

36. You know who writes this blog ;)

Drama, Drama, Drama

2010-05-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

It seems that drama is in the air. Mind you, not the kind of cat fight hissy fit drama we see in all sorts of chick flicks. In fact, this sort of drama doesn’t involve females at all! Seattle Salseras seem to have been getting along just fine for a very long time now. (At least for as long as I’ve been dancing.) But in a recent discussion amongst us sisters, we have discovered that the salsa scene in Seattle is full of Drama Kings! In the past couple weeks I’ve experienced scenarios where leads would confront me for not saying hello to them (not deliberately!) or refusing a dance (new dance shoes people! They’re hurting the crap out of my feet!) Finding out that it wasn’t just me who was dealing with such issues from the leads was comforting. Fellow follows have shared similar stories, when a lead would either snap at them for saying they’ve already promised a dance to someone else or accuse them of “acting distant” when no intention of such behavior was on her mind. And I wonder if it’s because of insecurities that this is happening out on the dance floor.

So for all the leads out there who’ve felt insecure on the dance floor and let it out by lashing out at a follow who fed that insecurity, please keep the following in mind and restrain from creating an uncomfortable situation on the dance floor next time:

1. Problem: She didn’t say hi to you.

Solution: Come up and say hello to her yourself! If she responds with an enthusiastic hug, chances are she simply didn’t see you amongst dozens of people she passed on her way to where she usually stands. Although we really do try to get to everyone we know as soon as we get into a venue, sometimes it’s either logistically impossible (after all, we came to dance, and saying hi to the 200 people we know individually might take up a little longer than we planned on staying at a venue), or uncomfortable (you are standing with another girl and we don’t want to intrude.) However, if she responds with a cold “hi” and turns right back around… Leave her alone. For good.

2. Problem: She refused to dance with you.

Solution: Was this the first time she did this? If you two are known for having amazing dances together, and she gave a legitimate explanation like her feet hurt or she promised this dance to someone else, believe her and let it go! And play it by ear for the next dance. If she said her feet hurt, the next one is most likely going to be a “no” as well, and it has nothing to do with you! But if she continuously keeps refusing you on different nights, get the hint and stop asking!

3. Problem: She asked you not to do a certain move.

Solution: Respect her wishes and DON’T DO IT! Oh how many embarrassing moments on the floor for both myself and the lead could’ve been prevented if only the leads I’ve danced with believed me when I said that I am not familiar with or capable of following certain moves… Of course that’s only one of the reasons she might not want to bend over backwards. Another one might be that she’s not comfortable enough to be at a particular level of closeness with you that the move requires. Certain moves are NOT just dancing and ARE reserved only for those leads who are close friends. So if you’ve just seen her dance a steamy bachata, don’t assume she’ll be up for the same kind of dancing with you. The third reason might actually be medical. You don’t know if she has a huge bruise on her ankle, a disorientation disorder or a knot in her back. Don’t spin or dip if she’s asked you not to.

I’d also like to address the semi-tipsy eager-to-help onlookers who find themselves ready to jump into the already uncomfortable conversation and take a side. Please DON’T. This is already uncomfortable as is. And chances are that at least one of the people involved has all the social skills necessary to de-escalate. What you are doing is simply annoying them and adding another factor for them to deal with. You’re also feeding the disdain that the offended party already feels. To sum up: you’re just adding to the drama, not helping. Do everyone a favor and stay out of it! Please.

Disclaimer: this post is based on more than one scenario involving more than one follow! If you recognize yourself, it might be a coincidence. Please don’t assume that I wrote this because I was mad/annoyed with you in particular. I actually had a couple requests for this post, and that’s the only reason it has now been written.

Happy Dancing!

Habana Sodo E-Mayimbe Opening Night

2010-05-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

After being out four nights in a row, I had every intention of staying in on Saturday night. Until my roommate cheerfully asked if I'm going to E-Mayimbe's opening night party at Habana Sodo. At which point curiosity got the best of me and I decided that even shelling out $10 for cover might be worth it to find out how it's gonna go. After all, the hype around it on facebook projected that every self-respecting salsa dancer in Seattle will end up being there.

Habana Sodo didn't disappoint. Even though we got there relatively early for Salsa (10:30), the place was already going strong. Within the next hour and a half a solid injection of people created a crowd the size of Century at it's busiest point on a Saturday. It was curious to see how familiar faces tried to orient themselves and figure out where to dance. Like ants whose house has been destroyed, people moved around more than usual, just because "their" spot to stand hasn't quite been established yet. (By the end of the night the "corners" have become more or less apparent though.)

Hearing before hand that the floor is cement, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it's cement with lacquer over it that was relatively easy to spin on. The live music was incredible. (Unfortunately the sound system didn't stand a chance in comparison... But the DJ's were fine.)
Entertaining performances in the middle of the night gave tired feet a much welcomed break. But perhaps the best part about the night was the atmosphere.

It felt like a very good New Years eve party. As if on cue, dancers came more dressed up than usual. The lighting was amazing and the vibe was exhilaratingly friendly. That, combined with a crowd that drew out literally every single studio in town, made the party an epitome of the fact that it's possible to make something grand happen when all combine forces instead of feeding unhealthy competition.

Kudos to Ana and Eduardo for creating a night which Seattle will not forget for a while. Hopefully many more Saturdays like this in Habana Sodo will follow!

Babalu

2010-04-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I've never written about this place. And since I'm not really being productive in terms of creative ideas for funny posts lately, might at least get some useful information out there. If you've never been to Babalu, and you're a Salsa dancer, make sure you go visit. There is no reason you shouldn't -- it's free on Wednesday nights (make sure you support them though, Salsa nights almost closed down once already! Don't let it happen again).

The atmosphere at the small lounge is warm, cool, mysterious and exotic all at the same time -- whatever you make of it. That's the best thing about Babalu -- on Salsa nights pretty much anything goes. You won't feel out of place whether you're mega dressed up for a night out or stopping by after walking around Greenlake in your sweats. Whether it will be crowded or not can be somewhat predicted based on whether or not it's a special day -- like St. Patricks, Valentines or April Fool's. Otherwise there's no telling whether the place will be packed, empty or right at perfect balance.

The dance floor is pretty much stone tile, and although dance shoes are still your best bet, don't get too excited about pulling off multiple spins easily. And this is actually the one place where your favorite comfy Puma's won't work. (But Converse WILL.) Don't bother showing up anytime before 10:30, which is when things kinda start to get going. One warning I will give out is that if you don't know any favorite leads who are going, there is some serious risk you might end up sitting out and watching the entire night (unless it's the crowded night and everyone is out.) It is the hub of the Bravo dance team, and they generally tend to like to dance with each other and the people they know. As a result, at times those leads who are not part of the team might be reluctant to join them on the dance floor. But that's your worst case scenario.

Usually Babalu has at least a couple good leads who come for the entire night and dance with everyone. It's also a perfect place to meet up with friends if you need to talk -- it's never too loud. Or to bring a date after coffee or dinner and spend the night dancing with only them at a place where crowds of people don't generally show up to observe. It's located on 45th Street across from QFC and right next to Selena's. Technically 21+, I've never actually seen anyone check ID's at the door. But bring one anyways, just in case.

How to Kill Your Cool in 2 Minutes Or Less

2010-04-26T17:21:00.001-07:00

Within the past couple days I’ve had a chance to witness several (unsuccessful) attempts to take me home or get my number. Not that I’m that stingy with my number. It just doesn’t go out to random strangers I’ve just met. That said, some of those attempts were totally legit, despite the fact that the attempters walked away with no new digits in their devices. Others, on the other hand, provided some wonderful material for a new post! Surprisingly, the amount of cuteness the attempters possessed did not directly correlate with the amount of suave. One hot face who had potential to work the room in any way he wanted managed to kill his cool in under 30 seconds! If you’re tired of girls throwing themselves at you and need advice on how to appear like a total idiot, read on!

1. To prepare for the ultimate kill, previously to talking to the girl turn a normally/potentially unobtrusive dance (like a Salsa) into a grinding fest.

2. Come up to the girl, look her up and down while biting half your lip, and tell her how fine/hot/sexy she is, embellishing it with ample cussing.

3. Say it as dramatically as you can. Use all of your theatrical experience learned to date!

4. After you notice a disgusted look on the girls face, keep talking! Mumble your words (either because you’re too drunk or because you’re too lazy to learn English) so she can’t understand half the things you’re saying.

5. Don’t leave her alone even after she’s physically tried to position herself away from you.

6. When the girl responds to your invitation/phone number request with a solid “No,” attempt to change her mind.

7. Tell her that you are a great guy. As if she can’t tell by now on her own.

8. If that fails, tell her that she will be sorry and might miss out.

9. If she says that she has a boyfriend, claim that she is lying. Clearly you are the only man on earth who finds her attractive.

10. If, in an attempt to get you away, her friend tells you that she’s married (gracias amigo ;), use the opportunity to prove to the world that you’re an ultimate creep: look into her eyes deeply, unnaturally and aggressively and dramatically tell her in front of everyone that they’re the most gorgeous eyes you’ve ever seen. Bite your lip, look her up and down once again and show the biggest look of sorrow on your face that you can manage.

11. Walk away not realizing that you’ve just made a complete fool of yourself.

12. Repeat as needed.

Selena's

2010-04-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

A few of you might have wondered where the heck I disappeared to on Saturday nights. And the answer to that is “Selena’s” – the hotspot of Seattle’s rapidly expanding Cuban Salsa scene. (Is it just me, or did it go from just a handful of happy individuals doing Casino Rueda by Gasworks on Sundays to a packed weekly schedule of activities and events in just under a year?! But then again, I might have been oblivious while dealing with the drama on the L.A. side of things… I wish I stuck with that Rueda last summer!)

The first time I stepped into Selena’s it felt like being in another city. Heck. Another country! I knew almost no one except the girl that I came with, and everything felt different. The people were different. The music was different. The atmosphere was different. And of course, the dance itself was different as well. Knowing that it’s best to observe before you conquer, I proceeded to try and figure out who keeps the rhythm well. But smiling at my carefully selected victims didn’t help – Cuban salseros turned out to be a tight community in which you have to KNOW people. (Working on it!) So I ended up dancing with a couple of the familiar leads who have migrated over from Century for most of the night. Then the girl I came with got bored, so I felt it was my duty to find us both suitable leads to dance with. What ensued was an evening of giving the randomest people a chance and introducing them to one another if they happened to be decent dancers. Not too bad for a first time in an unfamiliar city. Oh wait. This was still Seattle.

Why do I keep going back? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s a challenge of adjusting to an unfamiliar situation. Maybe it’s the fact that I get to meet new people every time, which I love. It’s probably also the fact that I fell in love with Cuban style of Salsa. I know that most people who started dancing L.A. style don’t like Cuban. But at this point I’d have to say that I love both about the same! There’s something playful about the dance that this style brings out. It’s the way the movement flows with both dancers going off of each other’s inertia vs. a lead just spinning a follow around. It seems more natural somehow. Less formal. Easygoing. Rhythmical. Relaxed.

If I made you at least a little curious, feel free to join the fun on Saturday nights. Selena’s will be my spot for a while…

An Update on When I'll Be Back to Writing

2010-04-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

I can’t get back to consistent writing because the thoughts occupying my mind have been all about love, heartbreak, etc. Actually let me rephrase that. I can’t get back to blogging. Because I’ve been writing consistently – every day there is a page or even two created that helps me sort through feelings and emotions. Through confusion and clarity. Through guilty happiness and liberating heartbreak. Through letting go and getting attached. But the contents of those pages just aren’t for everyone to see – I wish they were. Maybe one day they will. When all the events will pass and nobody will care anymore about those feelings and emotions. Or at least when I won’t care if people find out. I’m sure we’ve all been there… So hang in there my wonderful faithful blog-reading Salseras and Salseros patiently awaiting another post – I’m sure I’ll soon come up with an entertaining topic and relate all the hilarious details of it to the world.

(Please keep in mind that the dramatic elements added to this paragraph are solely for literary enhancement and I am not actually THAT heartbroken or in love. :)

What Does SSS Stand for?

2010-01-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

If you're reading this blog, it is likely that you have recently received invitations from some entity called the SSS for mixers, game nights, and dinners. And you've probably wondered what the heck IS the SSS? Seattle's Secret Service? Super Smart Solutions?

The SSS is Seattle's Salsera's Sisterhood (often referred to as simply "The Sisterhood"). It exists to bring unity to the follows of Seattle's Salsa scene, and is therefore open to any follow dancing in Seattle. Since there is normally no reason for any of us follows to talk to each other off the dance floor, it's often difficult to connect. But we all know that friendship between women is as important as men's attention. After all, a guy will never readily hand you over some double sided tape when your top is unexpectedly falling off the places on your body where it hypothetically was supposed to stay through the night.

Although I haven't been able to make any of the events yet, the wall of the group is covered with positive responses, and the people I've talked to about this say nothing but good things about the Sisterhood. Being able to mingle in an open environment off the dance floor makes dancing so much more enjoyable on it. The Sisterhood will also periodically sponsor Mixers -- events where both follows AND leads are welcome. That, of course, leaves much room for confusion, so leads, beware! Make sure you read the descriptions for the open-for-everyone events carefully and don't show up to find yourself in a house full of girls! (Not that you wouldn't love that... :)

Salsa and Soccer

2009-12-04T16:28:00.001-08:00

So the answer to a question posed to me on several occasions now, that I couldn't quite procure before, came to me suddenly today while I was browsing some Salsa videos on google. The question was "Why don't you like it when guys use their feet/legs to lead a girl into a move?" Many a time while sharing the most miscellaneous thoughts about leads with leads I had to bring up this dislike. But I could never really figure out a reason why. Well today it came screaming at me loud and clear!

One of the comments under a Salsa video with lots of foot leading read "The guy was playing soccer wit her!" Which is exactly how some of us girls feel when we are "lead" in such a way!!! We feel like a soccer ball. And it's not a good feeling. A soccer ball is kicked, passed around, and rolled on the ground. No girl EVER wants to feel like that! Granted my opinion might change as I learn how to do more advanced moves or simply get used to the idea that it's appropriate to lead this way on the floor. But for now, I would like to never be lead like this, and the answer to WHY i feel this way feels extremely good to finally find!

Good Old Halo

2009-12-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

After taking a week long break from dancing and narrowly escaping the temptation of the Seattle Salsa Congress, I stepped into good old Halo, where I was planning on staying for a couple of hours to get my exercise. I was shocked to see numerous leads who attended the congress back on Monday to dance with us, mere mortals, who did not participate in the magnificent ritual. I, myself, was hoping to catch the end of congress on Sunday night, after coming back from a weekend visit to Portland. But it was not to be. Delayed by holiday traffic, I arrived home to find that I am sick with something. Whether it was a flu, a cold, or plain old allergies, I do not know. What I do know is that I had zero energy for anything but getting into bed and passing out. Luckily, that did the trick, and on Monday morning I was miraculously back to good health. But unfortunately Salsa Congress was no more...

But good old Halo was still there. So there I went, determined to dance with all the beginners who came to practice. I don't know why or how, but there were no beginners there. From the beginning to the end (two hours my butt... I ended up staying until 10:30) every single lead that asked me was awesome. I did not have a SINGLE bad dance and I danced every song except one. So here's a well-kept secret that needs to come out: if you want to partake in some good dancing without being influenced by the drama of the scene, come to Halo! Distracted by the many newly discovered places to dance at, I've put Halo on the back burner for a while. But coming back to it after getting a taste for all other venues made it just so much sweeter. I'm never leaving again!

How Salsa Sucks You In

2009-11-18T15:32:00.000-08:00

It seems that as soon as I made a Facebook page for my blog some sort of a commitment became required from me. This instantly shut off any natural desires to write that might have been harbored by my freedom-loving self. So now I face a dilemma: discontinue the page and thus eliminate any possibility of spreading the word about this blog other than word-of-mouth? Or keep the page and figure out a way to deal with this paralyzing fear? The first solution seems easy enough... but the second one would be way more beneficial for the long-term.

Now about the topic. In a few moments that I could steal all to myself in the past couple days it suddenly hit me that my promise to be objective when starting this blog has miserably failed. Objectivity is too far beyond my reach at this point to even try and get back to it. I now have a pretty complete set of favorites in the Seattle Salsa Scene -- from DJ's, to songs, to nights out to dance, to performance groups, to leads to dance with. But that list of opinions is just that: opinion. Because although I've lost my objectivity, I have not yet gained expert knowledge about Salsa to be able to suggest that others agree with what I think.

The question is, how the heck did this happen? How did I turn from being an objective outsider to being an opinionated insider in the matter of just a few months? (Or should I say from a nice follow to a snob (and back)). And how can people who don't wish to find themselves in my shoes protect themselves from this happening? Below, I've outlined several stages of this evolution. BEWARE. And have a laugh about it too.

1. Oblivious Unawareness

If you are like me, you weren't invited to dance Salsa. Rather, one of your acquaintances ranted and raved about the experience until you gave in to the powers of curiosity and signed up for lessons to check it out yourself. During lessons you tried your best to memorize everyone's name, learn the steps, and be nice and courteous.

2. Excitement of Discovery

At the beginning of your second class series you finally worked up the courage to go to Halo to "practice" with one of your newly developed acquaintances from class. He/she decided to leave after a few songs but it didn't matter, because you soon discovered that making eye contact and smiling at a person has an 100% success rate of scoring a dance with them. You couldn't believe that real dancers were asking you to dance/agreeing to dance with you, timidly let them know that you just started, and smiled every time a turn actually worked.

3. Happy Oblivion

After a while you progressed to memorizing just the names of interesting leads in your class, as well as coming to Thursday night dances at Century Ballroom. At first you could only stay for a couple hours at a time because your entire body, not used to this amount of activity, hurt the next day, as if from learning how to snowboard. You could not feel your feet (which did not stop you from wishing there was a place where you could dance every night of the week. You were not yet aware that there WERE places like that.) But the more exciting part of dancing for you was the realization that a bunch of very diverse people are doing the same thing in one place and getting along marvelously with each other. Everyone was friendly and respectful. Finally you've found a social circle with no drama!

4. Intermediate Disappointment

You've whirled through your Salsa 1's and 2's and have started the six month long series of Salsa 3. Suddenly an awareness dawned on you that you are not as great a dancer as you thought yourself to be when you first started. You learned that a spin doesn't just happen -- it's actually preceded by a prep. You realized that if you try to put that hand up just any random way that's comfortable for you, you'll end up smacking the lead in the face. You stopped memorizing any names in your class, and dreaded dancing with the leads who clearly needed to repeat Salsa 1. You also began to hear stories from familiar leads about there supposedly being a lot of drama in the salsa scene. But you didn't believe them.

5. Commitment Token

After completing one of the classes from Salsa 3 series you decided that Salsa IS something you will stick with for a while (based on the overwhelming pull you felt towards Century and Halo every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.) To make it official you decided to finally invest in your very first and special pair of dance shoes. If a follow, this was preceded by a long observation of fellow follows feet, hours of fruitless trying on of pairs at local shops and finally narrowing down to and possessing the exact style, color and fit that you wanted. The first couple months of ownership were accompanied by a significant unplanned expense: band-aids. Now that you had shoes that were actually made for dancing you found yourself staying until the very end of an event one day, and to your amazement discovered that a small group of people you were somewhat familiar with stayed as well, and either kept dancing or went out to eat after the event. Not quite being in on it yet though you skipped the polite invitation to join.

6. Wishful Dancing

After watching several birthday dances and performances you have identified people that you wished you could dance like/with. Part of your time on the dance floor was now spent observing them and dreaming about how one day they would say hello to you and maybe even ask you for a dance. You have now realized that you officially suck at dancing and started taking all classes available to improve. The rumors you heard about there being a lot of drama in the scene started seeming more probable now, but you happily assured all who told you about them that you will NEVER have anything to do with any of it.

7. Social Discovery

Perhaps by chance. Perhaps by getting to know certain people more. Perhaps by a force of fate that will get everyone sooner or later, you got discovered by one of the many socialites of the scene. That socialite and you connected on facebook and they introduced you to all their closest friends in the ballroom. Suddenly you saw your friends list go from 27 to 270 in a matter of a week and your bedtime from 6pm to 6am. Work started becoming second priority. You now happily accepted all invitations to eating out and after parties.

8. Expansion of Social Comfort Zone

You got to know more and more people. And your new salsa best friend opened your eyes to the wonders of other venues to dance salsa at that you had no idea about before. To your utter amazement, some of these venues were free! Why people didn't go out to dance every single night remained a mystery to you. Your friends list on face book grew from 270 to 450.

9. Social Comfort Zone

The people you've only admired from afar before have now became your friends. The leads/follows that you only dreamed of dancing with were now the comfortable ones you grabbed at any moment you wished. You've traveled for Salsa, maybe even on more than one occasion, and became tightly acquainted with the map of who belongs to which studio and performance team. You enjoyed knowing a lot of people and got along great with everyone. The dance shoes were now worn in enough to wear without the band-aids, but the money you saved immediately went towards cover for attending the multitude of events in abundance available via facebook invitations every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

10. The Drama

As you got closer and closer to certain people you began to realize that the rumors you've heard about there being a lot of drama in the salsa scene were, in fact, true. Heart-to-heart conversations with now close friends revealed beef that went back decades and a variety of ghost characters that were nevertheless on everyone's mind. Too late to fix anything, it dawned on you that a lot of that drama involves conflict between two or more people that you are very close with. Thus, your determination to stay out of it didn't seem to be enough to truly stay out and you were suddenly smack in the middle of it all. You also found yourself not wanting to dance with half the room because you've danced with the best -- a disgusting habit you used to judge in others but now reluctantly admitted to having yourself.

11. The Resolve to Stay Away

Tired, in danger of losing your job because of long nights out, devoid of any social contact other than with the people from salsa, and determined to stay away from the drama draining you emotionally, you decided to back off and stop going out so much. This was immediately followed by a wave of peer pressure to go out, which felt good, but overwhelming. You didn't give in, and limited your going out to social events that couldn't be missed, such as performances and birthdays of your friends. You started missing Halo and Century and the times when salsa was nothing but a dance in which everyone was nice and respectful and where there was no drama... You got invited into Salsa 4.

12. The Come Back

Now balanced in your work life, salsa life, and life outside of salsa, you settled into a happy existence with Salsa being just one of the many parts of your life instead of it being your life. You are still close, but not co-dependent on your friends from the scene. You go out enough to keep up the skill but not enough to get sucked in again. Your job became much more pleasant because you now get to participate in a marvelous activity called "sleep." As part of your settled life one day you decided to visit the good old "Halo." It worked. The friendliness and laid-back atmosphere of the place made you wonder why the heck you didn't come back faster. You smiled and accepted every lead that asked because you realized that you are now the one who will make Salsa that magical place where everyone is nice and accepting and where there is no drama...

Dance For A Cause

2009-11-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in my living room, soaking up everything that is being said around me. The conversation taking place is inspiring, if nothing less. The person in the center of it is a role model of a young professional woman doing good smack in the middle of a harsh business world. Myra is sharing the hopes and fears for the fundraiser that she's organizing for the non-profit, Adelante, on Saturday, November 21, 2009. The numbers that she's throwing out shock me to the core. "We're hoping to raise $10,000, does that seem like a lot?" No, it doesn't. "But there's SO much you can do with that money in Nicaragua!" She continues to share just how much can be done with so little money. $50 will provide a notebook, pencil, and pen for up to 100 students. $1000 sponsors a teacher for six months to a year. $5,000 raised last year fixed a roof, built a security fence around a school building that was robbed of its food and school supplies, fixed 3 outhouses with doors and new paint, and provided 480 students with all the school supplies they needed, including text books.

I tell her that her determination and business knowledge is impressive. Her response shows passionate humility. "You would do it too, if you went there. You can't come back and do nothing once you've seen the conditions that people live in." Still, the Herculean efforts the woman is putting into the fundraiser are noteworthy. Adelante is a non-profit that concentrates on building sustainable community programs in Nicaragua. Myra volunteers her time for it OUTSIDE a regular marketing job AND running Adelante's sister non-profit, Vecinos, with another friend. When she sleeps is a mystery to me.

Yes, there IS a reason why this story is on my Salsa blog. The aforementioned fundraiser is a Latin dance night, featuring performances of local talent, a silent auction, and an update from Nicaragua. It will take place on November 21, 2009 at the Sole Repair Shop at 1001 East Pike St., Seattle. Door open at 7:30 and the event is 21+. There is a suggested donation of $20.00.

We all love to dance. Many of us are known for spending a lot more money than $20.00 for tickets/hotels to various Salsa events around the country and even the world. But this time the money you spend will actually be used for something meaningful, so doesn't that make it so much more appealing? (Besides the fact that you don't even have to fly anywhere...) Come out and dance for a good cause. I rarely come out these days (hence the silence on the blog...) and even rarer do I COMMIT to attending an event. But I'm committed to attending this one. No mind-changing. I'm there :)

Fixing the Roof

Outhouses Vecinos repaired

Classroom before it was repaired

Passing out Supplies to Students

Kids playing soccer. With an orange. Because They cannot find a soccer ball.

Do her eyes really need a description?

Myra with some of the students

The Magic of Teatro Zinzanni

2009-10-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

It's so nice to be back. Back and writing (I was backed up at work -- couldn't take any breaks to write.) But more than anything, back in Seattle -- where more than one person knows me, loves me, and wants to dance with me. Over the weekend I have almost forgotten what it is like to be asked to dance... As you may guess, "Part II" of Vancouver B.C. travels isn't coming. All I can say is that the most note worthy event of the second day was the aforementioned awesome lead taking us out to dinner at a nice place on the waterfront and showing us around town. He really went out of his way to make the city more inviting... It's only because of him that we'd ever go back there for another visit.

Seattle, on the other hand, had the luck of welcoming us back with my favorite event. Perhaps that's what made coming home so much more exciting. The monthly latin dance night at Teatro Zinzanni is an event that every Seattle Salsa dancer should attend at least once. It's truly breathtaking -- at least for individuals with a creative streak and an imagination that runs for miles and miles. There is nothing similar to it in town -- the setup has a vibe that is entirely its own.

I distinctly remember the first time I walked into Teatro. The vintage circus, with it's bright velvet decorations, the lights sparkling on the dance floor, and the live music coming from a lit up stage, made me feel like I stepped out of reality and into a 1920's classic film. I stayed in awe for the entire night. Perhaps the fact that Teatro only happens once a month makes this event a little extra special. The atmosphere calls for dressing up -- preferably in red or in sparkly (or both!)

But yesterday I realized the most important thing about Teatro: it makes me relive those first few times ever that I went dancing. Unfortunately, even after as little as six months of Salsa, there is a rut that a person can get stuck in. The excitement and exhilaration of the dancing itself is replaced with the comfort of familiar leads, mixed with anxiety of not being good enough to execute an "x" amount of turns. But Teatro brings out the "first time" smile in me every time I go. Not that I don't smile anywhere else. I actually do. A lot. But this is a different kind of smile. It's the one that just naturally comes on because you're having so much fun. It's the one that you're not aware of, and are not trying to force. It's the real one.

Perhaps Teatro is also special because of the several milestones in my dance life that took place there. Like being asked to dance by one of the best leads in town for the first time. But most importantly, meeting one of my now closest Salsa friends. Who is hopefully there to stay for life. And WILL work on our friendship once the "honeymoon" phase is over ;) A combination of all these things makes Teatro almost a magic place for me. A place where a lot of good things happen in a completely different time...

Life Outside Seattle -- Vancouver BC. Part I

2009-10-17T02:30:00.000-07:00

It's 2:00a.m. and the concierge at the hotel asks us "Will you be parking with us overnight?" I am stupified, and for a good minute and a half can't think of how to answer the question. All sorts of things are running through my mind: When does he consider "night" to begin and end? Why is he asking me this? Does he know what time it is? Does he think that we'll only park for an hour and leave again at 3:00a.m.? Luckily for me, my "twin" jumps in with a ready "Yes." I start cracking up. What would the guy say if we actually answered "No?" I ask him if he's supposed to say this every time. He replies affirmatively and specifies that he DOES realize how stupid of a question this is considering the time.

We are in Vancouver, BC returning from a night of dancing at the Polish Hall -- THE venue to be at on a Friday night in Vancouver. The night was full of the unexpected: everyone's gushing about the city promised much more than Vancouver delivered. The Salsa scene was just the opposite. I definitely expected nothing good out of my night, having never stepped foot in Vancouver before and knowing absolutely no dancers there. But Vancouver salseros were quick to envelop their guests in warm hospitality.

Of course it did take a little while to figure out exactly by whose hospitality one SHOULD be enveloped. Two new follows walking into an unfamiliar venue naturally invited all the creeps to fluster to their victims like vultures to their prey. Thus, our first few dances left us wondering if there's another secret place in Vancouver where all the decent leads go. The "welcoming" was especially persistent during bachatas, for which continuous offers to "teach" us this easy dance kept coming in, even after a polite decline and assurance that we don't, in fact, dance it. (On principle.) The only way out was to dance it with each other, which is exactly what we did.

After a little while I desperately started wishing for a Vancouver blog that has the "map" of Polish Hall. But there being none to the best of my knowledge, I decided to indulge myself in the art of observation (much to the dismay of a few rejected welcomers), and try and figure out the "map" on my own. Although the corners were somewhat unclear due to the fact that many people were, in fact, at a special event (as we found out later,) I was able to identify two or three good leads. That's all it took. After that, as if magically, they asked us both to dance on their own.... Ok that's a lie :) I did ask the DJ, and practically stared down the amazing one who clearly stood out from the crowd until he finally approached. That literally saved our night. His impeccable skill and consideration showcased our following in a much better light than warranted by reality. Other good leads took note. From then on Vancouver Salsa rendered nothing but smiles.

I'm just hoping it'll stay this way for tonight as well. But of course, it should be easier because of the thirty people from Seattle also coming up for the Salsa Showcase. And as fun as it is to explore the unknown of new venues and new leads, Seattle remains a home sweet home -- cozy, warm, and familiar.

10 Things Found in a Salsera's Shoe bag

2009-10-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

We all know that a woman's purse can hold all sorts of unexpected things. A lead has recently referred to mine as "Bartell Drugs" as he happened to glance in while I was searching through a myriad of very loosely organized and very miscellaneous items for some eye drops. Granted, there is barely ever a need for a Salsera to bring in her pharmacy to dance events. For one, she expects to get sweaty after a couple songs anyways, so there is no need for make-up or hair styling products. In addition, she expects to be occupied enough to be able to survive without all the wonderful entertaining items in her purse for a couple of hours. Also, her trunk presents a safer place for "valuables" than a random chair under which the purse is most likely to end up at an event. This said, there are several essentials that she absolutely cannot part with, even for a short amount of time. These she puts in her dance shoe bag (which conveniently will hold a pretty large amount of random crap.) So here are the "essentials" that you will most likely find in a shoe bag of a woman who left her purse in the trunk of the car.

1. ID
This is her passport for getting into venues of choice. Without ID the woman is pretty much helpless, or at least extremely dependent on charm and connections with owners/door guardians of the venue.

2. Money
Please do not go through Salsera's bags laying around in search of this valuable item, as the bag only serves as shelter for it until Salsera abandons Money at the door of the venue. More likely than not she brought exactly the amount required to get in, and most likely it's cash since that's the only currency a lot of venues accept.

3. Dance Shoes
Duh. That's what the shoe bag was designed for in the first place. They are Salsera's most prized possession.

4. Lip Gloss
Yes, she'll be sweaty in a second anyways, but her eye make up is most likely waterproof. Unfortunately, barely any lip gloss that is wearable comes in long lasting or waterproof options, so Salsera will come back to her "jar of vaseline" over and over throughout the night to moisturize her luscious lips so that she can charm the leads with a smile and make the dance more enjoyable for both.

5. Cell Phone
This is the item that no Salsera ever parts with, or should part with. If anything happens to friends/car/self it's her only gateway to the outside world, as well as a good source of entertainment should she get bored after all.

6. Car Keys
To be able to get to her pharmacy upon return from dance venue. More often than not Salsera locks this prized possession in the trunk along with "Bartell Drugs." That's when Cell Phone comes in handy.

7. Band Aids
Dance Shoes aren't always as nice and caring about Salsera's feet as she'd hope. Band Aids to the rescue. If it's not for her, Salsera will always be willing to share with friends who are hurting either from shoes or accidents on the floor.

8. Magic Eight Ball
To be able to quickly come up with a good line when asked if she would like to dance. Just kidding :)

9. Gum
Stacks and stacks of it that make Salsera smell like strawberries. The excessive amount is for her to share with all her friend Salsera's. Luckily Salseros don't ask for it since it's fruity and girly.

10. Eye Drops
Although Salsera is not sure why exactly that's the case, she has been asked for them twice in this past week, so now she keeps Eye Drops on her at all times to be able to come to the rescue of friends whose eyes bother them because of too little sleep/too much sweating/irritating contacts/other unknown reasons.

I'm amazed that this list does actually contain 10 items in it. I hope everyone's curiosity is now satisfied. I dare you to pick up a random shoe bag at the next venue you're at and count out how many of these items you can locate inside. Just don't take anything. Especially the magic eight ball. :)

10 Signs You Have a Salsa Crush

2009-10-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

In case you don't read my other blog (and you should. It's at kluelessinseattle.blogspot.com), I will warn you that the number "10" in the title serves just as an attention grabber and I rarely ever actually do 10 anything. It's always either less or more. So don't be surprised.

A salsa crush is different from a regular, romantic crush in the sense that you have a strong inclination to want to brush it off, and you know way too well that it can't lead to anything serious (except maybe a serious heartbreak when things go too far.) But here are some signs that you might, perhaps, have one:

1. Your first instinct upon entry into a venue is to look around and locate that person.

2. Once you locate your crush, you walk past the spot where they are and give them a little longer than normal "hello" hug.

3. You can't seem to stop smiling while you're dancing with your crush. Even if all they can do is a basic cross-body-lead, you think their dancing is the best thing that's ever happened to you!

4. If you spot them dancing a close bachata with someone else, a cloud suddenly envelops your otherwise perfectly good night. You feel an insatiable urge to cut in and break the madness off.

5. Your kiss good bye "accidentally" ends up on the lips instead of a cheek.

6. Your favorite moves with your crush are all the ones that require close contact. If anyone else tried it on you, they'd be officially dubbed creepy.

7. You consider your greatest achievement on the floor to be that time you were successful at making them smile.

8. You think about them outside of Salsa.

9. You're not that close, but you have their biography memorized down to the dot. Girlfriends, siblings and grandparents names, pets, venues they usually attend, favorite food, cell phone number... etc.

10. You constantly check if there's anything new on their social networking site, and stay signed in on skype/icq/fb/aol/msn chat all day, hoping that they will contact you first.

11. When you see them at a place where they weren't expected, your happiness is translated into jumping them at the door and hugging until they're too out of breath to try and get you off.

12. You check your phone every couple of seconds to see if there's a text message from them.
When you do get a text message from them, you wait a half an hour before responding so they won't think that you're checking your phone every couple of seconds to see if there's a text message from them.

13. Their beer belly looks good to you. You haven't noticed yet that they're missing a couple of teeth.

14. You want to dance all your favorite songs with only that person. They have the last dance pretty much reserved.

A special thanks to Anna and Frances for their contributions that made this post happen!

Things That Make Follows Cry

2009-10-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

One week of 5 hours of sleep/night + one day of 4 hours of sleep + 22 hours up + 2 bad dances = DISASTER. This I learned when a recent incident on the floor made me storm out of Century in tears, scaring the heck out of all my friends and making one very considerate lead (thank you!) run after me worried that I will hurt myself driving in that condition. (Note to all: I calm down within seconds of a tantrum and never really lose the clarity of mind, no matter how much it appears not to be so.) I blame lack of sleep, of course, but my behavior made me quite embarrassed the next day. Until a heart-to-heart with some more follows revealed that I am not the first person to shed a few because of something seemingly insignificant. So what kinds of things make showers of salty water come out of our eyes? Here are a few examples, starting with my own:

During a wonderful night spent twirling around with guys who are "professional social dancers," (coined by: Andre) nothing foretold the unthinkable. One of the so many time mentioned creeps found me one dance before last. Why did I say "yes?" Because I feel bad. The man was kind enough to dance with me when I was a beginner. And I am suspecting that his creepiness doesn't come out of perversion, but rather out of severe lack of social skill and self-confidence. That, however, doesn't make dancing with him any more pleasant. So after enduring the awkwardness for an entire song, I was looking forward to completing the night with a good last dance. But it was not to be.

My venting to a friend apparently took a little longer than it should have, because the next thing I knew, all the wonderful familiar leads were partnered up with equally wonderful familiar follows, which left me sitting on stage, wallowing in the thought that my last dance of the night was with the aforementioned creepster. Of course my isolation, unprotected by any friendly bodies to serve as a barrier between me and disaster (as I already mentioned, they were all on the floor by then), immediately attracted more predators. My state of mind, of course, welcomed a chance to remedy the previous shock, so I took a bargain, and accepted a dance from a decent-looking lead that I've never seen before, hoping that the last song wouldn't be as disastrous as the one before. But once again, it was not to be.

Unfortunately, out on the floor, decent looks do nothing for a man that doesn't know how to count till 8. Even worse is a man who THINKS he knows how to count. And I'm not trying to be rude here. It's just that if a lead switches the beat once in a while we can catch on. If he switches consistently we don't really know what to do, because we are not mind-readers. We've been taught that our only job in a dance is to move our feet in the rhythm of quick-quick-slow, and wait for directions about where exactly to move them. If you take the quick-quick-slow from us, there's pretty much nothing left. This guy took it all. Not only was I unable to pick up ANY rhythmical pattern in his dance, but he was also not considerate enough to look around. Thus, I was embarrassingly thrown into a happy couple dancing behind us. Three times. Even more mortifying was the fact that they actually moved from their signature spot (unthinkable!) to avoid any further trauma from happening. Additionally, I was stepped on, bruised with thumbs of iron clinging to my wrists with a force of a bulldozer, and twisted in unthinkable ways not found in any recorded moves of the dance of salsa.

One of my girls had a similar situation when she first started dancing in Seattle. Apparently, a creep not found on the floor any longer (and I hope he is banned from Salsa for life!) proceeded to lick her in the ear during a dance. F.Y.I.: in case you've ever been tempted to do so, it's considered inappropriate behavior on the floor. In her own words of what she did after: "I probably went somewhere to cry." Another follow had a breakdown when after a night of unfortunate events a lead who agreed to dance the "next song" with her magically ended up on the floor with other follows for the rest of the night. The stories are probably endless, and my examples too few... But at least I know that I'm not a complete idiot for overreacting to some things after a week of no sleep.

Now, what can be done to make sure that no follow ever leaves the dance floor unhappy or with tears in her eyes? Nothing. Hehe. Unfortunately a teary explosion doesn't really depend on leads, (or follows for that matter). It depends on her emotional state of mind at that moment and just how much she can take with a laugh. But a few important steps from both sides can help tremendously! Follows: eat your food and get your sleep. A balanced state of mind will prevent you from getting emotional in situations outside your control. Leads: Learn how to count. And if you happen to notice that your friend follow just had a horrible dance/rejection, seriously consider rescuing her for the next song. Make sure she NEVER ends up alone on stage! Friends: Watch out for each other. It's easy to get carried away in the rush of a good night. (I, myself, am guilty as charged!) But it's not worth it if a friend is in tears at the end of it.

Once again, I'd like to thank all my wonderful friends who called, left messages, and ran after me that night. Moreover, I'd like to recognize those who consistently protect me from being invited for a "dance of a lifetime:" Carlette, Julia, Anna, Alex, and Joshua -- thanks for being so perceptive and caring!

A Life Out Of A Movie -- For All My Friends!

2009-09-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

Being part of a Salsa world often feels like being in a movie. You've seen it a million times -- some main character walks into a lounge, kisses the host, says hi to the DJ, then hugs everyone they see on the way to a favorite couch, which is, of course, magically sitting empty in a full room because people know it's the characters' couch to occupy. I've always admired scenes like that, and now I feel like I'm living them pretty much on a daily basis. And it's awesome! It's being connected to people that's awesome. It's knowing enough of them to have someone comfortable to dance with no matter where you go. And it's those friends that I'd like to address in my "warmhearted" post today. Especially the leads.

Guys, once you are friends with a follow, the rest of the rules just don't apply. So whatever I said in any of my sarcastic posts, (although you should take SOME of it seriously,) most likely doesn't apply to you. Friends are the best thing about social dancing. And for anyone who forgets that in the name of extra-difficult moves and extra-many turns, life on the floor must be pretty darn sucky. Most likely they only have a couple follows/leads who they like dancing with, and most likely those people aren't out at all the same places they're at. Which would naturally make any person frustrated.

When you value friendships over moves though, the dance scene becomes an entirely different ball game! Walking into any venue has the most exhilarating vibe, because of all the warm fuzzy feelings that seeing friends evokes. Instead of being disappointed that there's "nobody to dance with" (in a room with at least a hundred people in it...), you are now just happy to see the people you love and value! And when the friendship bond is there, it really and truly doesn't matter how good or bad of a dancer a person is! Every dance is just a chance to bond more, and if something doesn't work out, it's amusing more than annoying. I'm definitely grateful for people like that in my life, because without them I'd not be out on the floor! We all make mistakes. Friends just cover them with good styling :)

So all my friends: thanks for being there to chat with, sit with, and dance with! You guys are the best, and I'm lucky enough to have too many of you to fit into a paragraph if I started listing! Much love!!!

A Life Without Century Ballroom

2009-09-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

It's a great day in the life of all the dancers in Seattle, because if it didn't happen some years ago, none of us would be where we are today. Although I've only been dancing for about six months, it's difficult for me to imagine a life without the magic of Century Ballroom. And Century Ballroom wouldn't have existed was it not for its owner -- Hallie. But let me try, and paint the picture for you...

You wake up in the morning, well rested from a good night of sleep. For the past several months you've had no trouble getting in 10+ hours every night. What else have you to do? You weigh 300 pounds and the weight has only been increasing since you've moved to this new town. The highlight of your week will be coffee with mom on a Saturday afternoon. Saturday night will be spent doing the same thing you've done every single night since you got here. Watching TV, eating, and browsing facebook, on which you are proud to be friends with 53 acquaintances, 52 of which you know from high school and college.

Your new, painstakingly made friend, is a barista from Starbucks that is located on the first level of your work building. She gave you her information because she regularly posts updates on facebook about her blog called "eco-friendly recycling." You love that blog. She is very knowledgeable about the subject, although sometimes you wish there was more humor and life in her writing (shameless self-promotion. hehe) You've been looking into taking dance lessons, but are afraid of making a fool of yourself. After all, the classes offered locally bring in no more than 10 people per session and are mostly geared towards professionals and children. And there aren't many around anyways. Seattle's not that big on dancing, other than maybe in dorm-rooms and privately held parties. But you are not a student anymore, and technically have no access to all the dancers and their social circles. Which leaves you nothing else but your couch, and food...

The picture is grim and probably over-exaggerated a bit. But seriously, if there was no Century Ballroom, Seattle social dance scene would've been muuuch smaller, if existent at all. None of us would have 400 of our closest friends available to hug, listen, and take the mind off things at a moments notice. Nights would be passed painstakingly trying to think of what to do that's at least somewhat meaningful. The ones out would feel idly wasted anyways. Our friends would be all alike, and we'd have no social skills that are so helpful in other venues of life!

So Hallie, Happy Birthday, and thank you for making Century Ballroom happen. We appreciate your efforts, love the classes, and savor the dances. But most of all, we cherish the lifelong friendships made on the floor of Century, that would not have happened, if it wasn't for you.

THANK YOU!!!

Things to Do Before You Dance

2009-09-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

If you are an absolute beginner, or a completely clueless intermediate who can't put two-and-two together, read this, to make your dancing experience... more balanced. It didn't take that long for me to figure all this out, but some trial and error that you can eliminate, was still required. To have a good Salsa night you need a good combination of five factors: Food, Water, Rest, Clothes and Music.

Food

As basic as this is, the wrong state of hunger can ruin the best night. You gotta eat before you go dancing! Make sure you have a nice dinner about 3 hours prior to going out, and snack on something right before. (And not the other way around!) This was tricky for me, because I've had nights when I just wasn't aware of how hungry I was until stepping on the dance floor and feeling faint from disorientation. (And as of yesterday, still do apparently..) Want a good dance night? Remember to eat. But make sure you don't overstuff yourself. For various reasons that I'm not going to go into detail about here, you just shouldn't do that. One of them is feeling like you're carrying a "food baby." You want to feel light and graceful on the dance floor, right? Not gonna happen after a hefty dinner out. So don't do it.

Water

There's always a place to get free water around the dancefloor. You just gotta find it. But DO find it. Without it you're gonna suffer.

Rest

Don't even think about tryin to dance half-awake. You're just not gonna be on top of your game, which will spoil your night and dancing experience, and you don't want that, right? Don't hope for leads to have a nice, relaxing, dance with either. Most likely instead you will get the "keep her on her toes" kind that will spin, twist, and otherwise lead you in an utterly un-relaxing way.

Clothes

Let's see... I'm a girl, so this is for girls. The best thing to wear is something sleeveless. And I do feel bad for guys, cuz ultimately that would be the best thing for them too. Except there's nothing sleeveless they can wear that won't make them look stupid. Luckily, that's not the case for the ladies! MUAHHAHAHAHA. (jk) So we've determined that what you're wearing is sleeveless. But make sure it's not strapless. Make sure EVERYTHING you're wearing is not strapless. Because strapless things tend to... betray its owners once in a while. Trust me, no matter how sure you are that it's staying on at home, the risk is just not worth it. I have seen it all, and unfortunately I HAVE had a small incident myself as well. But I don't want to mention it.

Unless your underwear is the best thing that has ever happened to everyone (I highly doubt it), please also spin-proof what you're wearing on the bottom. Some longer dresses and skirts actually spin out all the way, showing the world way more than it wants to see. Shorter ones are actually ideal -- as long as they stay on. And i'd wear dance shorts underneath to incident-proof your experience. Short stuff is dangerous when you get dipped, especially in the beginning before you know how to get dipped the right way.

After making sure that your dignity is covered, it's pretty much up to you. Some places just ask for dressing up. In Seattle, that's Teatro Zinzanni and Saturday night Century dances. Practicas are definitely usually more laid back. The rest of the places you can show up however you'd like. You won't feel out of place either way. Make sure what you're wearing is comfortable though. You don't want to even think about the tag irritaing your skin or the material being scratchy when you're dancing.

Music

Figure out what you like and what you dont. Don't go to places with the music you don't like. You're guaranteed to have a horrible time. I'm not gonna say what's good music and what's bad music, just because I know that there are SO many different opinions on that out there! Some people like live. Some people hate it. Some people like specific DJ's. Some can't stand them. Pay attention and remember. Century Ballroom actually lists the DJ's on it's calendar. http://www.centuryballroom.com/ Look before you go and prevent yourself from wasting money and time on a night that's not gonna go well because of what's playing.

This is all basic stuff, but if you're aware of it, it can make your experience a million times better, and practically guarantee you a good night! (This, and actually being able to dance well. But follows have it easy. Just having a good smile will due in most cases. And least for a little while.)

A Map of Century Ballroom

2009-09-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

If you are brand new and haven't been out yet, for goodness sake don't read this post just yet! Enjoy, for as long as you can, the blissful unawareness of any kind of division going on in the room. Once you catch on by yourself... Stop by here again and get clued in on what exactly is going on. Below, is a map of century ballroom, along with an explanation of what each section means, who dances in it, and how to behave while passing through/picking a spot to settle in. I would like to thank the contributors to this post. Adrian and Anna, without you, I wouldn't have quite been able to navigate.

Ok, so let's get right to the explanations. Of course, the map is not drawn to scale, and I have zero graphic design skill, but for its purpose, the map will do fine. Each area corresponds to the color of its letter. The light blue round things are fans. Think of them as landmarks. The areas, of course, are not exclusive to their "owners." So watch out for the creeps lurking all around the ballroom and wandering into ALL areas -- claimed or not.

A
This area runs in front of the DJ booth and up to the beginning of the stairs leading on stage. We call it the "Somos-El-Son Headquarters." It's where the performing wonders of Seattle and their friends reside. Venture in if you are a really good follow, or if you are brave out of your mind. Both instructors from the group also double as DJ's. When the stars align just right, the "mighty," perched up on his pedestal, might come down and dance with the mere mortals below. But the chosen ones will most likely be their dance partner, spouse, or student. So don't hold your breath on getting a random dance with them. Of course there's a natural explanation for the location. The team members, studio followers, friends, and family are all there to support the DJ. When neither is DJ'ing, it's out of habit. It's a tight group to get through to, but has the most awesome people in it, once you get to know them. If you stick around for long enough, the SomosElSomers will start "practicing" their routine. Watch the show while it lasts! They're magnificent! And if you ARE lucky enough to get a dance with anyone sitting and standing in a straight row from the fan to the stage stairs, consider yourself blessed.

B
This is the "Pro's Performance Corner." As the title suggests, this is where the many different Pro's abide and show off their skill. It's the home of teachers, performers, and serious Salsa addicts. If you are a visiting Pro, this is where you belong (and will most likely be taken by your hosting Pro friends). If you are not a visiting Pro, keep walking until you hit a neutral space a little further off. Because if you don't have the skills to dance with the leads in that corner, you'll walk away from their dances mortified and embarrassed. It's true that they teach that a good lead adjusts to his follows' level. But the thing is that Century is not the place where they want to adjust. It's a place where they show the world what they've got. I'd suggest practicing with them at another venue first (not SeeSound...) before accepting a dance from a Pro at Century. Otherwise you might fall on your face right in front of a heavy crowd, readily stationed in that corner to observe the Pros.

This corner also hosts "Becka Line" -- the space in which you may be lucky enough to spot a firey vixen styling with out-of-this-world energy and joy. You can't miss Becka, if she's there. Some follows are good. Becka is another level. She's the one who'll grab your attention and keep it all the while she's on the floor, making you forget why you came there. And I should probably dedicate an entire post to her, since I am having real trouble narrowing down all the good things I have to say about this amazing lady.

C
Never quite stationary, and always lurking on the lookout for prey, the Creeps tend to navigate towards this space a little more heavily than anywhere else in the room. They know that this is where the good follows wait for the Pro's to ask them. Not only that, but they've figured out that the person they are stalking WILL have to come here at some point of the night to get water. The difference between a Creep and a Pro is easily detectable. If you didn't just see this guy do seventeen spins right in front of you, and he all of a sudden grew out of nowhere in front of your face, beware! He's NOT a Pro! This area is generally safe to be in if you are there with friends who are readily available to stage a "serious conversation" as soon as they see a Creep approach. Stay away if you have a weak nervous system or trouble saying "no" to people.

D
This is a pretty large space dedicated entirely to beginners. It's unclear exactly why the beginners chose this space. But my guess is that it's because they are afraid to venture deeper into the ballroom after checking their coat and descending from the stairs. This is probably the friendliest space in the ballroom. It has no barriers or expectations. And no, not everyone there is a beginner. Some people are quite good, especially considering that a lot of students don't even find out about social dancing until after they've finished their first set of class. And most class-takers don't get the guts to go to Century until the end of their second class session. But most importantly, it's a section very dear to each and every Seattle Salsero/a's heart. Because that's where all of us started. That's where the Social part of Social Dancing plays out the most. And that's the reason that once in a while you'll see a Pro get lost in the sea of beginners. He or She is out here to reminisce about the time when it all was simple, uncomplicated, new, exciting and innocent. And to give the timid beginners a chance, because someone was kind enough to give it to them when they were just starting.

E
This is the tiny space of the Lost Cuban Dancers who are unaware that they are in a ballroom. Young and Old, (and not necessarily from Cuba -- I am talking about the style of dance, not the nationality!) they stand in front of the window and watch for passing victims. If you are aware that the dance is different than ballroom, and know how it works, definitely dance with them! But if you aren't too much into arm-twisting and repetitiveness... pass the space with your head down, avoiding all eye contact. Just look straight ahead into the next section. That's a safe one.

F
This section is safe because no one has been quite able to identify who the "owner" of it is. This is a grey area. There isn't one face that's permanently associated with the space. It hosts new people every time. I want to say that this is where the ones who came to watch the dancing, plop themselves down. Because the tables are abundant, and far enough away from the dance floor to be able to "hide-out." But it also safely hosts people who are really good, but unwilling or unable to associate themselves with any other "crowd." Pro's occasionally venture in as well, either because they need more space, or because they need a different audience. Or because they came with a girlfriend who's not as good, and don't want to embarrass her in front of the expectant crowd at their regular base, which is very nice of them. Basically, this is a very neutral space to be in. Go here if you're trying to preserve yourself as an individual. Don't go here if you're trying to get "noticed."

G
And last, but not least, welcome to the area of happy intermediates & good follows. All these people are sitting on stage or on the stairs and taking a break while chatting to each other about class and the weekend. But they are ready to get down and dance at a moments' notice. They have more skill than the beginners, but aren't quite at the level of the Pro's just yet. Some people stay in this area for life, simply because they're out to have fun, and not to perform. It's extremely non-threatening, and carries a very joyous energy. The area extends into the beginner section for a very practical reason: there's a fan over there. And everyone wants some of it.

I hope that this map helps you get a little more acquainted with the space that's central to Seattle Salsa scene. I have to say though, that this was intended to be more of an entertainment piece than rules to live by. As always, views presented in the post are solely my opinion, and don't have to be shared by anyone else. And if you read this before you became aware of it yourself, I'm sorry that I spoiled your stage of innocence. But don't worry. It only gets better from here ;)

Where Did I Get My Dance Shoes?

2009-09-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

Falling apart in more than one place, making me think that $60.00 was a price way too high for them, my dance shoes lately have been drawing unparalleled attention. Not even nearly as cute at this point as they were when they were brand new, they have generated five "where'd you get your shoes?" questions in the past week alone. My answer is usually a look of loss, since not only do I not remember for sure where exactly online I got them, but the websites I browsed have names that only Mary Poppins can beat with her long word. To avoid that lost feeling, I figured I'll once and for all look up the websites and post the links to them on here. Get people some shoes as well as laughs (hopefully.)

What you gotta do is go to http://www.latindancefashions.com/, a website full of pretty pictures of pretty goodies. It's organized so well, that you can spend hours browsing it, just for fun. The shoes are sorted by color, heel height, and style. It's probably the easiest place to find the style you're looking for and fall in love with it. But before you click "checkout," stop yourself. $89.00 for a pair of dance shoes is just not frugal when you can get the same pair for a WAY smaller price. So write down the number of the style of shoe that you like, and do the following: Check e-bay first. Although they don't carry as wide a selection of styles, if you're lucky, and they have the color and size you want, you'll be golden and snatch them up for as low as $35.00! No luck there? Go to http://www.exoticsalsashoes.com/. Their website is next to impossible to navigate, but luckily you already know exactly what you want. Type the style number in the "quick find" box on the left. They have almost everything, and their price is usually around $50.00-$60.00.

One piece of advise I'll give you though: do take the time to try on some styles in dance stores, at least to figure out your size. Remember the brands that felt most comfortable. If you can, stop by Experience Dance Shoes (912 Alaskan Way) in Seattle. The owner, Jim Hadley, is the sweetest guy ever, who will be able to analyze your feet and tell you what looks good and what doesn't. He's the one who figured out that I have an extra-long toe and can't wear shoes that have too big of an opening because it sticks out like a soar spot. But do know what you want. The shoes that he brands are extra-comfortable and an extra-good fit, so if you know you'll be doing Salsa for life, they're a very good investment. Unfortunately Jim and Mine sense of "cute" didn't quite match up, and I wasn't able to fall in love with anything in his store. But he's pretty much the reason I now own shoes that are comfortable, look good, and fit my foot structure. His website is http://www.experiencedanceshoe.com/.

This said, I would like to address you, person who likes my shoes. Although I'm flattered that you like my style and color choice, it took me forever to find it. I went to about six dance shoe stores before and took hours trying on different styles and looking for something "cute." Stylish is practically nonexistent in dance shoe world for some reason. At least "stylish" in the mind of a fashion conscious 23 year old vs. a glitter-happy first grader. Needless to say, I am a little protective of them (although I don't want to claim exclusive ownership because they ARE mass produced...) But if you are set on the style, please at least consider getting them in another color and vice versa. And getting a different size doesn't count! But o.k., I'll be nice. If your heart is absolutely set on exactly the same color and style, it's 2707 in Brown Satin (pic below). Enjoy your shopping!

What She Says vs. What She Means: A guide to being "politely" turned down.

2009-09-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

First, I would like to assure my readers that opinions and sarcastic things said in this or any other post I may write are by no means meant to offend! They are meant to entertain. Any similarity to this really going on in anyone's head (including mine) is pure coincidence! And social dancing is meant to be exactly that -- social. We should all be nice to each other, first and foremost, and I'm the biggest believer in that in real life! That said, I'll still proceed with my sarcastic tale...

Salseros... by the time it's been six months on the floor, we, follows, have turning you down, down to an art. (Wow, never thought I'd be using the word "down" twice in a row...). Of course, continuous rejection sometimes leaves you with some questions -- I'll answer those at the end. For now, let's see what we mean when we say 'no' in the many different ways:

1. No Thank You -- I don't even care enough about you to come up with a good excuse. Get away, and never ask me again.

2. No, but thanks for asking -- You seem like a good guy. But your dancing sucks. And unfortunately, I'm here to dance.

3. My feet hurt -- I feel bad turning you down for any number of reasons: I've danced with you before, you evoke a strong sense of pity, you're very old and respectable looking, I don't mind dancing with you at practice but tonight I just want to have fun, you're not good enough YET but you will be and then I don't want to miss out.... Here's the secret: feet start hurting the moment we walk off the floor. They never hurt ON it. Unless someone has severely injured us. And I mean like broke our ankle, the bone is showing, and there's blood all over the place kind of "severely".

4. I'm sorry, I'm talking to my friends -- I'm sorry, I'm talking to my friends, who've been strategically placed there to start a "serious" conversation the moment they see you approach. They've been warned that you won't go away and stalk me all around the floor until you finally find a the moment I'm not paying attention. Please stop asking!

5. I'm sorry, I'm with my girls -- I'm with my girls here waiting for someone good to ask me to dance. I've been trying to make eye contact with him the whole night, and you just messed it up by catching me off guard. Now he'll see me reject you and get scared. But I have to reject you because I don't want to dance with anyone but him and he needs to know that.

6. I'm leaving -- I'm leaving because it looks like there aren't any more good leads left on the floor, so there's no point of staying. Trust me, if someone I was dying to dance with asked me, I'd dance in flip-flops!

7. I don't dance bachata. Please ask me for a Salsa. -- I don't dance bachata with strangers because they might want to grind me like a piece of meat. I dance it with close friends who know to stay a little further away. But hey, it's like you got an automatic "yes" for next song! Come up and ask again, and I bet ya anything you won't get rejected.

8. I don't dance Salsa, please ask me for a Tango. -- I'm in a sarcastic mood and my friends will get a kick out of this.

9. Let's ask the magic eight ball -- Let's ask the magic eight ball and hope it says "don't bet on it." (Or, if I actually have a magic eight ball in my hands... I'm the biggest dork ever and am trying to make you laugh).

10. I need to use the restroom -- Luck had it that I was moving in the direction where the restrooms are located. Then you asked me, so now I have to actually walk in there. I'm hoping in the meantime you'll find someone else to dance with. And if you don't, I'll have to stay in there until the song is very close to its end, so that I won't have to dance an entire one with you.

11. I have to put a band-aid on. -- I have to take off my shoes really slowly, take my time putting the band-aid on, and hope that you get tired of waiting.

12. I have to put a band-aid on, I'll be right back! -- Wait for me so that I don't look like an idiot standing up and looking around once I'm done.

13. I need a break -- Unless I'm taking out my inhaler... I NEVER need a break! However, I do need a break from you.

14. I need a drink -- I need a drink and the opportunity to get lost in the crowd around the water the moment you take your watchful eyes off me.

Questions that seem to get asked over and over again after rejection and answers to them, once and for all.

1. Would you like to dance? (next song. and the next one. and the next one...)
Dude. If I've rejected you for more than three songs, especially in a row... I NEVER want to dance with you!

2. Why do you hate me?
Well, there could be a number of reasons... Just kidding. I wouldn't really call it hate, since you've technically done nothing bad except make me feel extremely uncomfortable dancing with you. And you keep making me feel more and more uncomfortable by asking this stupid, immature, question, thus killing any chances for pity that you had left.

3. Why not?
Um, do you really want to know why I don't wanna dance with you? Ok. Here's a list of potential reasons:
My intuition is telling me not to. You smell bad. You can't dance. You can't dance with me. You are too touchy. You are off beat. You are creeping me out. You stare at me in a weird way. You stare at me in the wrong place. You are too tall. You are too short. You (apparently) can't count till 8. You announced that in a week I will be your girlfriend (fat chance.) You announced that in a week I will be your wife (ask me again and in a week I'll be your first lawsuit for a restraining order.) You spin me too much. You don't believe me when I say I don't know how to do this move. You don't believe me when I say I've been dancing for under a year and bend me over backwards, hurting my back. You hurt my arms (and no, it's NOT my frame! I have the same frame with the rest of the floor and noone else has twisted them out like that.) You look like a retard when you dance and I don't wanna laugh in your face. You only care about yourself when you dance and I feel... left out. You try advanced moves on me that I can't POSSIBLY do yet, which makes me feel like a complete retard. You dipped me and I fell. You look completely disinterested in our dance. You aren't looking in my eyes. Those aren't my eyes.

The Characters of Salsa: Transported and Improved

2009-08-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

I wrote this post on my personal blog (if you're so interested... kluelessinseattle.blogspot.com), along with a bunch of other Salsa-related articles that can be located at http://kluelessinseattle.blogspot.com/search/label/Salsa. Since then, I've thought of a couple more groups to add to the list of characters, and also got two great responses from leads, both of which you should check out immediately upon finishing this article. They are at http://projectprime.blogspot.com/2009/07/characters-of-salsa-reversed.html and http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/note.php?note_id=105698189124 Enjoy!

The Characters of Salsa

Ok, so by now probably all of you know that I take Salsa. I didn't start that long ago, and therefore didn't consider myself expert enough to write about it. Then I noticed how my perception of Salsa changed over time and decided that it'd be fun to read what I used to think. So here's a break down of all the characters I've spotted on the dance floor so far. Of course, this is from the perception of a follow. All characters have been made up, so any similarity you might see with your own self is pure coincidence. Ok, that was a little white lie. But honestly, all of these are based on more than one person, (yes, even the teachers - I've had the pleasure of dancing with at least six by now!) so if you see yourself, know at least that you're not the only one! Conversely.. some leads might exhibit more than one character at once. Don't ask me later which one is you. If I'm still dashing to dance with you, you probably aren't any of the bad ones :) And follows... I'm sure you'll enjoy and agree! Let me know if I missed some characters.

Mr. Twistie: the lead who uses enough force to get you flying to the other coast of the pacific! This one will hurt you. He can’t lead, and compensates for that with sheer force. You will feel like you’ve just been taken in by fifty cops who are all trying to handcuff you in the back.

Mr. U-turn: As in YOU turn, and not him. This one thinks that his skill as a lead is measured by the amount of turns he can fit in one song. You’ll come out lightheaded at the least.

The Spinnster: even worse than Mr. U-turn. His only skill is turning you multiple times followed by a dip. By multiple I mean ten-fifteen times. That’s all he’ll do the entire song. Prep, spin, dip. Prep, spin, dip. If you can make it to the window after the dance without falling on your face, you’re good. Never dance with him again.

The Grandpa Who Can Barely Move: that’s pretty self-explanatory. He can barely walk, much less can he dance. For the first 20 seconds you will admire that Salsa is addicting enough for people to want to still go out at this age. You will soon start worrying that the grandpa will fall over if you make too large a step. Then you’ll just be bored. Barely moving grandpas are an excellent way to learn to keep your steps small though. As in microscopic.

The Older Creep: He wants to dance with you all the time. More than one song a night. He’s counting on you feeling bad to turn him down. But you can tell that his eyes are imagining what’s underneath your dress. The dance with this one will consist mostly of you trying to keep his hands as far away from your body as physically possible while still dancing Salsa. You will avoid all future eye contact.

The Younger Creep: His first question to you will be “are you single?” Next, he will proclaim that in a week he will be your boyfriend/husband/lover. This dancer will amaze you with his blatant audacity to stare at your chest. He will then stalk you and wonder why the heck you don’t want to dance with him again. He will claim that you were such good friends and then something happened. This is a good time to mention that he never bothered to ask your name. There’s a slight chance that at this point he’ll abandon all future references to your “good” friendship.

The Scary Teacher: He is the one who has some special style that’s impossible to follow, but you really, really want to, because you want him to think that you are good enough. It will take forever to adjust to him. Leave trying to dance with this one until you are at least in Salsa 4.

The Secret Teacher: He is the lead that you can’t get enough of. He mentions something about a totally different area of work that he does, and tries to never mention his true profession: teaching Salsa. Once you find out from somebody else, he blushes and acts all bashful. But trust me, on the inside he likes the praises, so bring out some more! This is the person whose tips you want to listen to.

Too Much of a Good Thing: This guy is good. At first you couldn’t wait to dance with him, but now… it just got old. Because he asked you every other song ever since he discovered that you go out dancing to the same place as him. He couldn’t keep the mystery.

The Mysterious Pro: He is part of a dance team and barely travels around the floor. He waits until the lady’s flock to him. Then he chooses. Or not. After all, he doesn’t have to be dancing every song. He’s too good for that. If you are a mere mortal, you will NOT get to dance with this guy.

The Mysterious Loner: He travels the side of the floor and once in a while you might even catch his eye. He might even smile at you and come up. Then he’ll stand nearby, but never ask you. You will wonder what the heck is going on and keep thinking about him for the entire duration of the night. He will be the one for whom you’ll break your promise to yourself to never ask a guy to dance. Then he’ll get you thinking that he’s just… shy. But maybe it’s just part of his game.

The Guy From Your Class: He’s not that good yet, but you know exactly what he’s trying to do, because he’s from your class! So somehow it works. This is the guy you’ll love dancing with just because you two can laugh at each others’ mistakes and still have a good time. Unless you are the snobby follow who thinks she’s too good for three fourths of the dance floor. Then it’s your loss honey. Because you’re missing out on the “social” part of social dancing!

The Know-It-All: He will constantly comment on how your feet are not moving the right way. That’s because in his head, the counting somehow missed the connection to the music. He moves at his own rhythm, and is very much possible to dance with, if you catch the rhythm and ignore the beat of what’s playing at the time. Since what’s playing is probably blasting, this will be hard. It will be even harder not to laugh in his face or want to make a sarcastic comment back at him when he says that you are not moving to the beat. But resist the urge. He has no clue that he’s not moving the right way. All your comment will do is create resentment, and possibly even badmouthing to other leads.

The Want-To-Learn: Be careful to distinguish between this guy and a know-it-all. The way you’ll know is probably because he won’t comment that you are moving the wrong way. He doesn’t really catch the rhythm either, but he knows about it and wants to learn! If you are gentle, he can very much be reminded that he needs to pause on three. And he needs to be reminded that, otherwise he won’t be a good lead! Ever. And he wants to!

The Beginner: You’ll know this one because he’s either 1. Too afraid to step out on the dance floor because he knows he sucks. 2. Is blissfully unaware that he sucks yet, and asks everyone to dance. This guy knows one turn. And if he’s stepping to the right beat he’s actually completely still possible to have fun with! Unless you are the aforementioned snobby follow who’s too good for three fourths of the dance floor. Give them a chance people and stop treating beginners like leprechauns! At one point you were a beginner as well.

The Hip-Hop Invasion: He thinks that Salsa is not really Salsa. And Quick-Quick-Slow, Quick-Quick-Slow, can be totally substituted with Slow-Slow-Slow-Slow. This is actually not a bad example of a lead, as many of you might think. They are a lot of fun and very inspiring, at least for me. But I can see how faithful Salseras might be offended by their shameless hip-hop invasion.

Mr. Lookin-Good: a.k.a. Mr. Selfish. His only goal in the dance is to look good. Not as a couple. Just him. He has style. He’ll do weird turns, weird hand movements and be overall smooth and fly. He doesn’t give jack if you can’t follow him or feel uncomfortable with his moves. He doesn’t care if you just stand there as well. All he cares about is looking good. He’s fun to dance with the first time, but then it just gets a little funny and ridiculous. After all, it takes two to Tango. Well it takes two to Salsa as well. This guy just forgot.

Mr. Puppet: He THINKS he’s fly. At least Mr. Lookin-Good really WAS. This guy is doing something with his body that reminds you either of pre-mortal convulsions or the devil doing his dance around you. He looks ridiculous. In fact, he looks so ridiculous that you are having a difficult time not laughing at him. He looks like a cross between a puppet on a string and a Billy goat. He might not be a bad lead, but he’s embarrassing to dance with, even for the follow who’s not too good for three fourths of the dance floor. If one of these got a hold of you, enjoy the show. Just try to pass your laughter for having a good time.

The Lost Cuban Dancer: He should ideally be at a Latin club somewhere by the docks. How the heck he wandered into a ballroom is a mystery both to him and to everyone else there. Technically he's dancing Salsa, but there really should be another name for it. The right grip is a concept never discovered by him -- it's grab and go. There's no pausing in his mind (or feet). Most likely he doesn't speak English either, so no point inquiring if he's dancing on one or on two. (He's dancing on both/neither by the way, so even if you did ask, you'd get nowhere.) Just try to pretend you are on a beach in the Caribbean, and are having an exotic experience. At the end of the song, tell him about the Latin club by the docks. Make sure he understands your kindness is not an offer to join him there later in the night.

The Perfect Lead: Luckily, the characters above do not compile the majority of the dance floor. This character is based on WAY more than one, two or even five leads. He’s considerate. He’s smooth. He doesn’t make you feel stupid. He moves on time. He's feeling the music. He’s not pretentious and invokes no feelings of inferiority, suspense, embarrassment, or fear (for your safety or your ligaments’ health). He is himself. And you can be yourself with him. While dancing Salsa. That’s social dancing to me!

P.S.:
Mr. Extra Perfect: Unlike all the characters above, this one's only based on one real person. He's The Perfect Lead. And if he ever messes up, he gives you chocolate. You know who you are. :) :) :)

Favorite Music

2009-08-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Granted I'm slightly more into Hip-Hop than Salsa... So finding Salsa music that I love is quite a challange. But here's a list of my current "on repeat" Salsa/Bachata/Merengue-ish tracks. (DJ's take note... )

Aventura Ft Ludacris & Wyclef Jean - "SPANISH FLY" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj6o1U3naLs -- This could be a perfect bachata!!!

Ricky Martin -- "Tu Recuerdo" Salsa version http://www.imeem.com/ruthmart/music/909zkcqQ/ricky-martin-tu-recuerdo-salsa-version/

Fuego ft Pitbull & Omega --"Mi Alma Se Muere" http://www.imeem.com/people/dHDiOvq/music/-kig9RVi/fuego-ft-pitbull-omega-mi-alma-se-muere-chosen-few-remix/ (ok, this one I actually fell in love with on the dancefloor so thanks for spinnin it Nick :)

"La Soledad" --Yowell Y Randy http://www.imeem.com/elmaestrodelflow/music/jyamDDlf/jowell-y-randy-la-soledad/

"Quizas" Salsa Version --Tony Dize
http://www.imeem.com/sinna/music/zfrHMi6H/tony-dize-quizas-salsa-version/

Where To Dance?

2009-08-13T14:23:00.001-07:00

First things first. Seattle needs a current list of venues, times, and prices. There are a couple that I haven't been to yet that I'll need to double check on. But this will give you a pretty good start. This calendar is meant to be permanent, so I'm not including special events. I'm also not including places that are straight up meatfest club kinds. So if you're into Salsa and not bump-and-grinding... no fear of ending up at one of those at these locations:

MONDAYS:

Halo
500 E. Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122
7:30pm-11:00pm
All Ages Practica
$6.00 at the door, $4.00 with Century Discount Card (You get one if you sign up for lessons with Century Ballroom.)

TUESDAYS:

Cellars
2132 1st Ave., Seattle, 98121
10:00pm-1:30am
21+ ID very much required
No cover

Belletown Dance Studio
2521 4th Ave., Seattle, WA 98121
9:35pm-12:00am
All Ages
$3.00 cash only

WEDNESDAYS:

Babalu
1723 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103-6801
9:00pm-1:30am
21+ but they don't usually ID you
No Cover

Danceworks
16641 Redmond Way, Redmond, WA 98052
8:30pm-10:30pm
All Ages
$7.00

THURSDAYS:

Century Ballroom
915 E Pine,2nd floor, Seattle WA 98122
9:30pm-1:15a.m.
21+ ID required
$7.00

FRIDAYS:

Halo
500 E. Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122
9:30pm-12:30am
All Ages Dance
$7.00

El Malecon
1122 Post Ave., Seattle, WA 98101-2915 (Post and Seneca, in alley.)
9:30pm-2:00am
21+
$5.00/Ladies no cover before 11:00pm

SATURDAYS:

Century Ballroom
915 E Pine,2nd floor, Seattle WA 98122
9:30pm-1:30am
21+ ID required
$10.00

Selena's
1715 N. 45th St., Seattle, WA 98103
11:00pm-2:00am (lesson at 10:00pm)
21+ ID required
No Cover unless there's a live band, in which case usually $8.00 cash only

SUNDAYS:

Century Ballroom
915 E Pine, 2nd floor, Seattle, WA 98122
1:00pm-3:30pm First Sunday of Every Month
All Ages Afternoon Dance
$5.00

Belltown Dance Studio
2521 4th Ave., Seattle, WA 98121
6:35pm - 11:00pm
All Ages Practica
$5.00 cash only

See Sound Lounge
115 Blanchard St., Seattle, WA 98121
10:30?-2:00am (not sure when they start. I've always come late... Packed around midnight.)
21+ ID required and OH they check!
$5.00 cash only

Another Salsa Blog?

2009-08-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, there aren't many more out there, at least that I know of, and definitely not for the Emerald City. I was shocked to find that "Seattle Salsa" has not been taken by anyone yet. (SalsaSeattle.blogspot.com has, but I didn't find much on there...) Once I figured this out, I had no reason not to jump at the opportunity. Besides, I've been getting complaints from the people reading my personal blog that there's too much Salsa talk on there. From my Salsa friends, on the other hand, I've heard numerous requests to write more about this infectious activity.

After browsing through several dance studio and venue websites, I've been able to find three or four calendars listing Salsa venues and Events. All of them were last updated around 2007 and listed wrong prices, wrong nights, or venues that no longer exist. All of them were also naturally slightly biased towards one place or another. Since I own no venues or studios, have no part in any performance groups, and haven't developed worship-like admiration for any teachers, I can safely say that I can stay relatively objective. I know that as a hundreths attempt to do this, my arguments probably doesnt sound too convincing. But as a recent beginner in Seattle (I started dancing in February), I remember the hard time I was having finding up-to-date information on where to dance, what to wear, how to act, and whom to meet. So I'll try to make this process smoother for newcomers. And maybe add a couple laughs while I'm at it.

Happy Dancing!