Life Lessons from Latin Dance
Who knew going to a free salsa class on a Thursday night would have the power to shift my life so drastically?
Taking up Latin dancing has taught me more about myself that I could have imagined. It beamed a light on default tendencies, insecurities, weaknesses, strengths, the way I relate to others, the way I relate to myself…and so much more.
Salsa insights
It’s the morning after
My head is spinning - in a good way
Reverberations from my first time
dancing salsa, bachata, y merengue
since that night in Puerto Rico
when the man told me I was doing it wrong
Scarred so bad, I took a Latin dance hiatus
a decade long
Now I lay in bed
my hair smells like cologne
- owner unknown
I mentally replay favorite moments
from the night before
Stepping and spinning
‘round that mojito bar floor
10 years later
and I’m still doing it wrong
but here my offbeat steps
are made to feel they still belong
Now don’t get me wrong!
I am trying really hard
It just….gets so confusing
And honestly, I find it bemusing
when they say
“Relax your arms,
but elbows lift.
Give more pressure.
Don’t be so stiff!
Take smaller steps.
Why didn’t you spin?
That’s not the move,
don’t’ listen to him
Roll your neck,
but not your chest
Just…do your basics,
I’ll handle the rest.”
I get so overwhelmed!
You see, I never played sports
nor took ballet
Physical coordination
is simply not my forte
And that thing called rhythm?
I’m learning as I go…
But how does one keep the beat
while staying in the flow?
I don’t want to count,
I just wanna move and groove and dance!
How analogous to life
and my present circumstance…
On a quest to find
A solid structure
while retaining flexibility
Allowing inspiration to flow
without sacrificing stability
These constant contradictions
may in fact give way
to that idyllic balance
of the yin and the yang:
the mystic intersection
where grace meets strength
You can't truly have one without the other
- just ask any competent mother
I used to study each partner
thinking this balance was with them
but now I see connection’s precedent
is equilibrium within
I will follow
but I must first learn to stand
on my own
Note the cues in his hands
while staying in the zone
Because when my mind starts to wander
I get myself in trouble
when I'm expecting one turn
and he cues me for a double
My false anticipation halts a seamless sequence
I must stay keen to subtle shifts in his movements
which elicit reactions from
my hands
my feet
my spine
But
I can't rely on him
to keep my own time
Which is often what I do
Leads, thank goodness for you
and your patience while I'm learning
to keep my balance as I'm turning
I’ve also come to find that with the right flowy skirt
technique seems to matter less
my confidence is a direct correlate
to the manner of my dress
So while I can't keep time to save my life
the sweet leads don't seem to mind
and I've only fallen down one time
so I guess I'm doing just fine
Plus, we derive so much more pleasure
upon releasing the pressure
of perfection
Right technique
I will never achieve
but dance has become a most welcome reprieve
from my cerebral confinement
life in the head
because no matter how many books I have read
ideas can't offer movement
contact
community
temporary unity
with a stranger or a friend
as we step in unison
Joint escape from daily drama
faint release of pent up trauma
Turns out there's more to Latin dancing
than twirls by Latin man
Seems with every song
comes an insight or life lesson
But if tonight I glean
not a single thing
I'll still let my hips swing
because, I know, it's all in good fun
I just can't help my introspection
So there you have it, amigos:
My salsa dance
reflection
POWER MOVE: Try a new hobby! Try to notice not only the way the activity feels, but what it reveals about yourself in the process.
How do you react to trying something new?
How do you interact with other people in the same space?
Are these tendencies a pattern in your life, or is this the first time you’re noticing them?