Thursday 21 June 2007

It's been a while (sorry)

So, what’s happening? It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I’m a bit disappointed with myself about this. When I first opened the blog it was my intention to write something every week, or every couple of weeks, at least. But it’s been nearly a month since my last entry. Shame on me.
As I teach salsa, I did wonder for a while about publishing a description of what I’ve taught this week, but;
A) Any description of a move is subject to a lot of descriptions that no one but me is likely to understand, and
B) Readers would soon realise I just teach the same stuff over and over!
So I decided against it. Come to my classes instead, if you want to see what I’m teaching currently.
You can catch me away from my own clubnights too, as we do guest quite often for other promoters, as regular readers will know. We were up in Newcastle again last month and back there again next week (Friday 29th June), which reminds me, we must think of something to teach.
David and Margaret, who run Salsa Amor at the Black Swan in Newcastle each Friday, told us when they invited us up last time that we were welcome to bring our own club members with us and I’m pleased to say that a good few of them braved the bank holiday weekend traffic on the A1 and made the journey. One couple were so enthusiastic they arranged a hotel so they could stop over. Thanks to Laura too, who came in the car with Trisha and I, and kept me awake on the drive home whilst Trisha was snoring in the back seat.
Laura joined me again the following week when we, along with Phil from the Strictly Salsa team, made a trip over the Pennines to dance at Horwich RMI at Gillian Heaton’s “Salsa Fix” event (www.salsafix.co.uk). I’d only conversed with Gillian (or Jambo) via the internet (www.salsaforums.com) previously but she’d raved about her Salsa Fix parties with such enthusiasm that we decided we had to check it out for ourselves. Passports in order, we crossed the hills and weren’t disappointed. We received a very warm welcome and had a brilliant night’s dancing to some top music, with some lovely partners. Nice dance floor too. Best fun of the night for me had to be when Phil and I took turns swapping Gillian between us for a dance. At one point I was leading her through a multiple, circular travelling turn when Phil took over the lead and seamlessly switched leaders mid turn. Nice (how did he do that?!). There were lots of other nice dancers there too – including teachers Paris, Brigitte and Franklyn.
I didn’t recognise Brigitte at first; I saw a girl across the dancefloor with lots of hair and pink flowery dress, dancing with Paris and decided to ask her for a dance. Having asked her a little while later, it wasn’t until we’d been together a few seconds that I realised I knew who she was.
Later on I got a scare for a minute when a couple approached me and the guy started shouting at me and waving his arms around frantically! Resisting the urge to turn and run away, I eventually heard him over the music (he was standing in front of a speaker, so this wasn’t easy) and learnt that the couple are in fact readers of this very blog. Not only that, but the only people who, to date at least) have left a comment for me.
Hiya Gary and Jan – how’re ya doing?
It was good to meet you again and encouraging for me that could remember the lesson Trisha and I taught at the Bradford All-Dayer. Incidentally, I learnt yesterday that the next Bradford All-Dayer is to be held on Saturday 22nd September. We’ve been asked to teach again and we’re looking forward to it already.
Trisha and I managed to get out dancing together last weekend! It doesn’t happen often as we already call on our baby sitter twice every week so we can teach together, and then once or twice a month when we do guest teaching spots we have to draft in the parents to cover for us so we have to be careful not to overuse the goodwill of those concerned. My mum and dad are joining us in Pakefield in October for the whole weekend, bless ‘em, and Trisha’s mum seems for ever to be traipsing back and forth on the A64 from Scarby.
However we managed to get out on sunday evening and had a good night at Encuentro Latino’s “Montuno Lounge” event, held at the Gallery night club in York. Taking a cue from the salsa scene in New York, these events are early evening, 6-10pm, giving dancers a chance to get a good few hours dancing and still get to bed at a reasonable hour to get up for work on Monday morning. As Encuentro Latino teach exclusively On2 (ET2) most there were On2 dancers, giving Trisha and I an opportunity to hone our own On2 skills (which in my case, need honing). We can dance On2 ok, but we’re nowhere near as familiar and as comfortable as we are On1 so it was nice to get the opportunity with some seasoned "On2-ers". I danced with a few ladies who offered me the On1 option but until the end of the night, when Trisha and I finally rebelled and went Cuban, it was pretty much On2 all the way. I even had another dance following Steve Carter – what a guy! Though we were both wearing white shirts and were described afterwards as “Two Polar bears in a wrestling match” !!! Thanks to Lossie and Gareth of www.encuentrolatino.co.uk and well done to Sue, Sally and Rita who all made the plunge from our own Strictly Salsa.

I did have the intention of posting some pics this time. Sorry – I’ve failed again, however if you can see some from own clubnights at www.strictlysalsa.co.uk/pics or from Gillian’s Salsa Fix party, go to the www.salsafix.co.uk site and click on the “To view all the photos from the night” link.Last time we went to Newcastle, I took my camera but was so absorbed in the dancing I forgot to use it. Maybe next time…

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are not alone. :o)

Gary and Jan

Unknown said...

Hiya Deej, enjoyed reading and thanks for the Salsa Fix links :-)

See you very soon - tonight in fact. Yippee!!!