Saaa laaa laaa SALSA!

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I have experienced the closest thing I have ever seen to the movie Dirty Dancing. Last night me and two girls went salsa dancing! Now let me just set the scene though.

First of all, I have to say that when you don’t speak/understand a language thoroughly it can make life (in one way) interesting, and (in another way) real difficult. I can not count the amount of times that I have “thought” I understood what someone was saying to me, or guessed at what they were saying (so that I don’t look completely retarded). Sometimes it turns out alright and other times not so much. Well last night salsa dancing would be a pretty decent example of the latter.

Becky, one of my six new friends that I had made yesterday invited me and Lilia to go to salsa lessons with her. Before this invite, we had been talking (in german) about Uni-Sports, which are the same as our University recreation teams…..which led me to believe that these salsa lessons would be in some dance room (the kind with hardwood floors and mirrors all around), where everyone wears sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, so I threw my hair up in a bun and left the house in the standard baggy jeans and a polo, brown flats with mismatched black and white socks, gym clothes in my bag and a “just in case” nicer tank-top at the bottom of my bag….ya know “just in case” I misunderstood and we were going to a salsa club.

Well when we met up with Becky I realized, yes, I had once again guessed wrong. She was wearing stilettos, leggings with little jean shorts overtop (yes here people where leggings with shorts…can’t say I really like it) and a cute tanktop. Hhhmmmm, well definitely wished I had clarified the evenings details, but there was no turning back now.
So at the beginning of the night they had a dance instructor teach the basic salsa, cha-cha etc. steps…(most of which I’ve learned before in school or on vacations), but it was fun because they were easy to pick up. I really just wanted to blend in among the short, dark haired, nicely dressed Latino men and women…..not so easy for a 5 10” blonde girl dressed like she’s going to the country bar ☺(ps-miss the RANCH!)….oh and I might add that they had black lights come so my mismatched socks shone nice and bright when me and my partner were looking down trying to get our feet coordinated. Oh boy.

After the dance lessons ended, the place came alive! I’ve never seen anything like it except on a movie screen…these people could dance! I mostly stayed along the sidelines and watched arms fly, foot work flash and women spin till their bodies become a blurr. I really think some of these people should be on “So you think you can Dance!”
It was really cool to see so many really talented people, who obviously love what they are doing, dancing at the same time. I have to watch the movie again and learn how to dance!