January 27, 2009

Tonight I went to Hush bar at 1004 Gervais Street. I had read about it through an online dance site and lots of posts said it was a lot of fun and good practice for dancers. I showed up a little before 9 PM and there were only six people there including the bartender and DJ. The bar is very modern and aesthetically pleasing. I loved the color scheme: gray, pea green and an interesting shade of orange. On one side is the bar and the other a variety of tables, plush couches, and chairs. I watched for the first half hour and observed how different everyone’s versions of salsa were. I was really nervous and uncomfortable because I went by myself. One interesting thing I noticed was that the bartender, who is also a great dancer, wore gym shoes, as did a few other girls. I finally sat with two older women and tried to strike up a conversation. However, they didn’t seem interested and kept to themselves. Finally, after looking at all the guys expectedly, the best dancer asked me to dance. He introduced himself as Ramon and he is an instructor at Rust Bar and Grill. I did pretty well overall except I need to work on a few things:
· Always look at your partner and maintain eye contact, especially when turning. Don’t forget to spot!
· Don’t use your own momentum to turn like in ballet. Your partner turns you and stops you so it is one continuous movement.
· Keep your upper body loose; lose the ballet!
· Look out for your partner when turning so they don’t run into other dancers.

I also danced with another partner, but he seemed frustrated with my lack of expertise. His partner whom he came in with is very experienced and I’m sure he was annoyed. I love having partners who know how to teach and are willing to be patient with me. Ramon asked me to come to Rust the next day, Thursday, for a free lesson and improve dancing afterwards. Next time I will be prepared for things to be a little slow at first and try to bring friends or a partner. I also will not show up until after 9:30 when things get going. Although the night was awkward, I’m very proud of myself for going solo and being brave. I’m also proud that I put myself out there. Yay for salsa!