The Schooling
My wife and I started taking Salsa lessons back in 2006. One of our friends had been taking lessons and told us we should check it out. We were intrigued and looking for an activity we could do together, so we signed up for a beginner’s class through a continuing education center. It was a little awkward at first but my “natural” rhythm started to come out. I put the word natural in quotes because I have been dancing and listening to different types of music for over 25 years. I started by listening to my dad and grand pa’s Haitian music collection and moved on to hip-hop, R&B and reggae. I was no stranger to moving my hips to a beat. It only took 30 years for it to appear “natural.” There is hope for us all.
The Experience
With my beginner’s class in progress, I went to a social put on by my favorite dance studio, Salsa Storm, and quickly realized that my moves were severely limited. At that point I had a couple of turns here and a couple of turns there (one for him and two for her) and a couple of hand moves (comb the hair), but that was about it. I found it difficult during a 5 minute song to only have 5 moves. Anyhow, I pressed on and made it through the social. I kept going and learned a few more moves, building my repertoire and confidence along the way. At that point I think I’m pretty cool until I head into Boston where the crowd was on another level. Talk about frustration. It felt like I was standing still compared to all the other Salseros. Sure, they may have been dancing for years, but that did not matter. It only mattered that I felt like I was standing still while these folks were tearing up the dance floor. “Did you just see that move?” I was caught between the frustration of not knowing more moves and just being in awe of all the different styles that were being displayed around me.
The cycle begins again; I take more lessons and pick up more moves and fine tune some others. I’m feeling a bit more confident to head into Boston and at least hold my own and have a good time with my wife. Next, we are in NYC and a friend invites us to a club in SOHO that was having a Salsa night. With the live band on hand (tougher for me to catch the 1,2,3…5,6,7) once again I was frustrated and felt like everyone else was dancing circles around me. I did appreciate the different styles to be seen but it just wasn’t fun for me because I wasn’t as good.
Words of Wisdom
The same friend who got me into Salsa shared some wisdom with me. He shared his experience which seemed to be a common one. It went like this: When you start learning Salsa you will be excited with all the new things you are learning. You will go out in public and you will realize how far you have to go. This will lead to frustration, but hang in there. You will continue to grow and learn different moves. Those words were comforting if only to say, “I know what you are going through, we all go through it and you will get past it.”
The Lessons from Salsa
Sometimes you have to close your eyes, listen to the music and do your own thing. Looking around at what everyone else is doing can be a distraction and take you off of your game.
Humility is important. Check out the moves you see out there and ask how it was done. Imitation is the highest form of flattery.
Enjoy the experience – It might just be me, but I don’t speak a lick of Spanish, but the music seems to be portraying a powerful emotion. Learn to appreciate the music , which should help you to have a good time no matter what stage you are in your Salsa development.
Take your learning/growth into your own hands. There are tons of resources out there. Many are free or low cost. Don’t give up, look it up
Oh, yeah, Have Fun! That is the spirit of Salsa.
My wife and I started taking Salsa lessons back in 2006. One of our friends had been taking lessons and told us we should check it out. We were intrigued and looking for an activity we could do together, so we signed up for a beginner’s class through a continuing education center
The Experience
With my beginner’s class in progress, I went to a social put on by my favorite dance studio, Salsa Storm, and quickly realized that my moves were severely limited. At that point I had a couple of turns here and a couple of turns there (one for him and two for her) and a couple of hand moves (comb the hair), but that was about it. I found it difficult during a 5 minute song to only have 5 moves. Anyhow, I pressed on and made it through the social. I kept going and learned a few more moves, building my repertoire and confidence along the way. At that point I think I’m pretty cool until I head into Boston where the crowd was on another level. Talk about frustration. It felt like I was standing still compared to all the other Salseros. Sure, they may have been dancing for years, but that did not matter. It only mattered that I felt like I was standing still while these folks were tearing up the dance floor. “Did you just see that move?” I was caught between the frustration of not knowing more moves and just being in awe of all the different styles that were being displayed around me.
The cycle begins again; I take more lessons and pick up more moves and fine tune some others. I’m feeling a bit more confident to head into Boston and at least hold my own and have a good time with my wife. Next, we are in NYC and a friend invites us to a club in SOHO that was having a Salsa night. With the live band on hand (tougher for me to catch the 1,2,3…5,6,7) once again I was frustrated and felt like everyone else was dancing circles around me. I did appreciate the different styles to be seen but it just wasn’t fun for me because I wasn’t as good.
Words of Wisdom
The same friend who got me into Salsa shared some wisdom with me. He shared his experience which seemed to be a common one. It went like this: When you start learning Salsa you will be excited with all the new things you are learning. You will go out in public and you will realize how far you have to go. This will lead to frustration, but hang in there. You will continue to grow and learn different moves. Those words were comforting if only to say, “I know what you are going through, we all go through it and you will get past it.”
The Lessons from Salsa
Sometimes you have to close your eyes, listen to the music and do your own thing. Looking around at what everyone else is doing can be a distraction and take you off of your game.
Humility is important. Check out the moves you see out there and ask how it was done. Imitation is the highest form of flattery.
Enjoy the experience – It might just be me, but I don’t speak a lick of Spanish, but the music seems to be portraying a powerful emotion. Learn to appreciate the music , which should help you to have a good time no matter what stage you are in your Salsa development.
Take your learning/growth into your own hands. There are tons of resources out there. Many are free or low cost. Don’t give up, look it up
Oh, yeah, Have Fun! That is the spirit of Salsa.
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