It's Nice to be a Pretty Girl who can Dance.
Salsa last night was so awesome. Incredibly awesome. It was a very slow night at KingKing 'cause usually they have a live band and it was just a DJ last night. But that was all the better, it gave me a chance to actually get to know a few people and sit down to watch the LA and Cuban style dancing.
It's funny. I'm a dancer, and when I go social dancing, people can tell that I can assign myself that descriptor. But they can also tell that I'm not "that" type of dancer. I'm not any type of dancer- I trained in ballroom, but never got particularly good at that, I've taken just enough ballet and jazz classes to teach me to turn and point my feet, I've social danced quite a bit (salsa, west coast, hustle, merengue, etc.), and now I hoop a lot. I think off all those, the only one I've been able to really excel at is hoop, but even still. I'm no "type" of dancer, and when I go dancing, people can tell. They guide me through patterns I don't know, they reassure me that I did a good job, they ask what dance background I have. I'm often embarrassed to say, I don't want them to know I started dancing six years ago and never mastered any certain type.
Still, last night, on my own in Hollywood (which apparently is not a common thing for a woman to do?) I felt so welcomed by the salsa cliques. I'm grateful for the older Hispanic or Afro-Cuban men who flirt with me and tell me I "bailo como pura Havana" (dance like a girl from Havana. Oh, they lie so much!) and insist I come back to other parties and meet certain people and learn to dance in "true Cuban style." I'm amused by the dark Israeli man who was a complete snobby show off who would only dance with me and another girl 'cause we were the experienced ones, (all the while constantly criticizing me "STOP THINKING! WHY ARE YOU LEADING! OPEN BREAK! BE MORE SEXY!"). I was flattered by all the men who laughed at my unique (read: strange) style and told me how much fun I was to dance with. I felt a little self-conscious from all the beginner girls staring at me and trying to learn (oh honey, my style is strange, you don't wanna learn from me!). And I was so happy I just got up off my ass and went. My first experience of Salsa in LA. Man, so many different styles. So much fun.
It's funny. I'm a dancer, and when I go social dancing, people can tell that I can assign myself that descriptor. But they can also tell that I'm not "that" type of dancer. I'm not any type of dancer- I trained in ballroom, but never got particularly good at that, I've taken just enough ballet and jazz classes to teach me to turn and point my feet, I've social danced quite a bit (salsa, west coast, hustle, merengue, etc.), and now I hoop a lot. I think off all those, the only one I've been able to really excel at is hoop, but even still. I'm no "type" of dancer, and when I go dancing, people can tell. They guide me through patterns I don't know, they reassure me that I did a good job, they ask what dance background I have. I'm often embarrassed to say, I don't want them to know I started dancing six years ago and never mastered any certain type.
Still, last night, on my own in Hollywood (which apparently is not a common thing for a woman to do?) I felt so welcomed by the salsa cliques. I'm grateful for the older Hispanic or Afro-Cuban men who flirt with me and tell me I "bailo como pura Havana" (dance like a girl from Havana. Oh, they lie so much!) and insist I come back to other parties and meet certain people and learn to dance in "true Cuban style." I'm amused by the dark Israeli man who was a complete snobby show off who would only dance with me and another girl 'cause we were the experienced ones, (all the while constantly criticizing me "STOP THINKING! WHY ARE YOU LEADING! OPEN BREAK! BE MORE SEXY!"). I was flattered by all the men who laughed at my unique (read: strange) style and told me how much fun I was to dance with. I felt a little self-conscious from all the beginner girls staring at me and trying to learn (oh honey, my style is strange, you don't wanna learn from me!). And I was so happy I just got up off my ass and went. My first experience of Salsa in LA. Man, so many different styles. So much fun.