Salsa dancing is good for your heart in so many ways.
Last weekend, David and I got to go dancing with our dear friends, Jennie and Edson. We went to the Twisted Cuban Café in Woodinville, Washington for dinner and mojitos first. Then we stepped out onto the tiny dance floor that was packed with people from across Latin America: Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Cuba. While the DJ’s music boomed, and my heart rate rose, I thought back over my own history of dance.
I started dancing when I was 3 or 4 years old and took dance class most of the time I was growing up, everything from jazz to tap to ballet. My friends and I loved to go to school dances and clubs when I was a teenager. Flamenco and Irish dance challenged me as an adult, but I continued to think of myself as a good dancer.
For our first date, David took me dancing. (Swoon!) We went to a popular dance club and I discovered David was a good dancer. It was fun and I was happy.
Some time later, we met friends for dancing at a Latin dance club. Honestly, it was a humbling experience.
After a lifetime of dancing solo, partner dancing was HARD. (Plus, I’m kind of bossy, so it’s hard for me to let someone else take the lead.) David was very nice about my terrible salsa dancing, but I was definitely disappointed in myself. Then I watched him dance with his friend Mara–and they were spectacular. I was determined to be able to dance with David like that.
At home, we spent evenings listening to salsa music while David taught me the basic steps. On my own, I could do the moves just fine. In his arms, though, I was still jerky and awkward. One impromptu dance lesson, I decided to close my eyes and trust David. I already knew how my feet should move, so I concentrated on feeling where his arms were guiding me. And that, my friends, was the recipe for salsa success!
In the years since, we have loved dancing together. I may get sweaty and my feet may hurt, but my heart swells with joy and I often laugh out loud with delight. Again, I was starting to think of myself as a good dancer.
Back on the dance floor last weekend, as I danced and laughed (and sweat and got blisters on my feet), I watched the other dancers. And it was easy to see I still have much to learn, starting with plain old loosening up–because apparently, salsa dance is as much about swinging hips as moving feet.
Do you enjoy dancing? Do you have a favorite dance spot in your town? Share it here.
