OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE!!

As someone once said, a Salsa Congress is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you gonna get…well you do, but at one and the same time, you don’t. If you see what I mean. Let me explain:

You get used to going to your regular classes, seeing your friends, being taught by your teachers. You get comfortable, you get confident; you get used to the teaching style. Sometimes new people come in, which is nice, and you dance with them. You know the rooms, the sticky bits on dance floor, and where to park.

But when you go to a new class with new teachers in a new venue, you feel like a beginner again. The knot in the stomach as you drive there, the racing heart as you walk through the door, the mild panic as you move from partner to partner in the class – hope they’re nice, hope I’m not rubbish. Then the standing awkwardly on the edge of the dance floor during free dancing hoping you get asked to dance, but hoping you don’t, thinking you should ask someone, but not sure who. You are back to the beginning, even for one night. You are the new kid in school. You are back in touch with your inner Salsa Child.

Imagine, then, the congresses – hundreds of people, sometimes thousands…..all new kids on the first day of a very short term.. Its exciting, its fun, its mildly disorientating and it’s a bit exhilarating, really.

However, during classes, beginners anxiety returns – is the next partner going to be better than me, can I do this, can they do this. (and, of course, standing on the toes of someone you know is bad enough, but accidentally crippling a complete stranger…) – I usually cover up nerves by laughing like a drain, but some people don’t think this is funny at all…the nagging worry that you may encounter the very rare but deadly Salsa Arse.

(How to deal with a salsa arse: firstly, detection – they could just be nervous like you, and not bad at all – so do not react after the first negative comment. However, three, and you’ve found one. Secondly, show no weakness – smile like Pollyanna throughout, giggle insanely at your own mistakes just to annoy them, and tell them they are doing very well all things considering. Thirdly, talk about the new shines you’ve learnt – the KerPlunk, the DooDah and Shagwells Theorum. Fourthly, tell your friends)

Never mind; by the second day you’ve settled in nicely. Then its time to go home. Exhausted. And not walking very elegantly at all as your feet are burning up to Hell after all that dancing.