I didn’t know the difference between Salsa, Merengue, Cha-Cha-Cha, or Bachata, but that was all going to change. I went to the mall the next day, and purchased a video that taught “Salsa, Merengue, and the Macarena”, in 43 minutes of instruction. I attempted to watch the whole video to figure things out, and quickly realized that in order to do partner dance…you kinda need a partner. As I had none, I did the next best thing. I rented “Dance With Me” and “Salsa” and watched them both in the same night. I had no interest in story line, I only wanted to watch the dance scenes and try to figure out some of the moves, so that I would be able to dance with my Green-eyed waitress. I practiced with friends, and figured that I pretty much had it down and was ready to go back to the club.
Gordos had a weekly latin night, and I headed over there with my arsenal, my friends, and didn’t really know what to expect. As I went to the dance floor to watch people, I knew that I wasn’t quite ready. Someone asked me to dance and I turned them down. Slowly I found a place on the wall that looked like it needed support and I lent my back to it. Afterwards I headed home and watched the instructional video again. “Maybe this is something you have to grow up doing” I thought to myself. Was 22 years old too late to start growing up dancing Salsa? The next week I went with a friend again who liked to dance, and actually managed to shuffle through a Merengue. I was starting to feel it…kinda. I mean, the songs felt like they lasted an eternity, and I didn’t know how to do anything but a right turn. Or maybe it was a left turn. I eventually started to be more comfortable dancing…Merengue, and each time one came on my friend and I would dance. She asked me to dance Salsa with her when it came on, but there were just too many steps, and I hadn’t gotten through enough of the video, so that wasn’t going to happen.