I'm Good at Some Things Too!

Yesterday I went to a salsa social after much prodding from my teacher.  I reassured myself I would refuse each dance offered to me.  Because that's the way to start a night of dancing!  But my teacher doesn't let up so easily.  I had so many valid excuses too, "I don't have dance shoes, I'm drinking Sangria, I'm highly contagious" but like I said, she doesn't let up.

I was out on the floor 15 minutes later.  I make a far bigger deal than it is, really.  It's never THAT bad.  And it's over before you know it.  I had a nice dance with a few mistakes.  Whenever I'm lead into something that I just don't get, I keep the feet moving and turn myself to avoid the deer in headlights "omg I screwed up" buggy eyed stare.  It works for now.

I also had one slightly awkward dance.  I told the guy I was a newbie.  That always swells the guy up with confidence everytime!  I need to stop!  I see how my insecurity brings about a sudden chest puff and Fred Astaire quality in a guy.  Glad I can contribute.  He says he's a dance instructor and starts giving me the history of salsa.  "NY dances on 2, Eddie Torres is... and then there's Salsa on 1..."  I know everything he mentions but I pretend it's the first time I'm hearing it.  I don't know why I do this.  We start to dance and I don't know what he's doing.  We stop.  We try again. Listen, it's not me, I swear!  To be out on the dance floor, stuck for the next 5 minutes in an awkward situation is not what I want.  So I break away a little and I start to dance by myself waiting for him to join.  And then he dances with me.  Apparently he was trying to dance on 1, which he told me later.  Mid dance he kept trying to get me to do something.  I don't know the name so I'll say it looked like cumbia.  Since I didn't get it the first time, he would try again.  And then again.  Persistent fella.  It should be a rule: if a girl doesn't get the step, don't try to teach it to her on the dance floor.  Funny thing is he danced with my instructor and tried to do the same step and she didn't get it either!  Show off ;p

In the end I'm glad I went.  I got some feedback on how good my timing is and how they could see the instructor I danced with constantly going off on timing.  Not that I enjoy other people's faults, but I'm so hard on myself that hearing a teacher isn't naturally great makes me put things in perspective.  I'm good at some things too!