Despite leaning quite heavily in the direction of I-absolutely-need-to-move-back, I am still not sure Seattle was a mistake. I learned a lot of things by moving there, including what I was taking for granted. One thing I am sure of: its not any kind of fear of travel or new places that keeps me from living all over the world. I say this because before flying home I slept in an airport. The reason I slept in an airport is that my flight east on Christmas Eve was at the unholy hour of 7am. That makes boarding time 6:30, and if you add two hours of walking between security theatres trying to figure which one will be least likely to involve getting sexually assaulted by a male TSA agent, that takes you back to 4:30am. No trains were running at that time. I did not want to pay to keep my car in a lot for 10 days. That exhausts my travel options, because the bus tunnel doesn't go all the way to the airport, and since I think surface street buses are a waste of space, money, and raw materials, and the scum of tranist, I would only take them if I had no other choice. Picture the way Gandalf looked in the snowstorm saying "I would not take the road to Moria unless I had no other choice." That's me and [surface street] buses. They're gay.
Anyway. So I took the train and got there at like 2 am and then discovered that all of the ticket counters were closed. There was no way for me to print my boarding pass. I had been planning to sleep at the gate, wake up, and shuffle on to the flight. Instead, I slept in baggage claim for 2 hours, woke up, got through security without being fondled, and then slept for like half and hour at the gate.
The point of all that was, I was not put off by having to sleep overnight at an airport. It is definitely something I would have never tried unless I had to, (or unless I was under the intoxicating spell of some girl) but now that I've done it, it seems like no big deal. I think I could handle travel.
I think the real barrier to moving away is all of the people I know here. Wherever I go, I am always going to want to find my way back eventually. Maybe its not Seattle; maybe I've just spent a lifetime on the East Coast separating out all the cool people from the losers and I am just being impatient that I can't replace the friends I made in 9 years of high school and college.
So, I want to both: travel, and move back home. A rough plan is forming in my mind...something about staying in Seattle until next december, traveling (Europe/Russia) for a month, and then coming back home. I don't know where exactly I will live, but I needs to be close enough to the Philly area to have frequent and awesome parties.
I was planning to take a cooking class. Tonight I got the bright idea that cooking awesome food would be a great way to get people over and build up enough friends/acquaintances to have good parties.
Also, I want to be in a band. I watched Scott Pilgrim vs the World, and while I was a little disappointed that the main character ended up with the girl of his dreams, it did make me want to be in a band. I don't know what I have to do...but I love music and I want to make some, and I can't write any on my own. The best I can do is rewrite the lyrics of songs that other people have written. Whatever. I want to be in a band. It looks like so much fun.
So...I need to learn to cook, join a band, find a job on the east coast and plan a trip to europe which preferably includes learning a foreign language. Cool.
[Part 1.5]
The salsa combo from wednesday night:
Cross body lead, guy does left turn under her arm, lands facing away from her, her hand in your left
on 1,2,3, step across her to your left, pass her hand to your right behind your back.
lead an inside turn into a hug check (your left to her left shoulder, your right to both her right and her right shoulder)
hug check goes into a right turn, you're leading it with just your right
pick up left-to-left on top
then the hard part:
on 1,2,3, you to a half turn to the left, and swing your RIGHT arm over your head to your left shoulder. you should end up with your left arm going over your right shoulder to her arm and your right arm on top connecting over your left shouulder
you are going to the left--maybe its a cross body lead, Idk. Pull her around with your left hand / right shoulder.
then...right somes off somehow, and you go under the left, then you turn to your right, breaking the connection with your right hand over your waist and picking it up again, then you go to her left and pull her into closed position (her left arm goes over your head). Yeah, I wish I remembered this better.
Showing posts with label salsa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salsa. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Cellars
I paid $60 for yet another five weeks of salsa lessons at the same studio I'm still not sure about, because last week my keen James Bond skills--well--ok I was staring at Red Shirt girl while she signed up for another week of classes. Red Shirt girl is one of those girls that just started salsa (about two weeks ago, literally) but is an exceptional dancer. I assumed that, since she was taking the beginner class before my "intermediate" class, that after having become an awesome dancer in two weeks she would progress to the intermediate class. I was wrong. However, our teacher demoed the little "pattern" he's going to teach us, and I think I saw a move somewhere in there that I want to learn. So it wasn't a total waste.
Anyway, none of that is important. What is important, is I sort of told my whole class about my failed attempt to go dancing at Sea Sound lounge, and my Dance Fail at triple door. They laughed, but this one one hot girl also expressed a genuine "awwwwww." I think I accidentally went too pathetic with the joking again. I gotta stop doing that. First I tell the hot girl in the apartment office all about stalling out my new, expensive sporty-looking car, and now I'm telling the hottest girl in my class all about the time I had to duck out of Triple Door because I didn't want anyone to remember my face. I should really stop joking about this stuff but I'm such an easy target.
[the real reason for this post]
There is a bar called Cellars on like 1st and Blanchard. They have Salsa/latin dancing on Tuesday nights. Live band. I passed it while I was looking for Sea Sound lounge, which I'm told is on Sundays. Cellars is a cool little bar. Tiny dance floor. The gender ratio was about...20 to 4? That reduces to 5:1. no.....it was way worse than that. I can't give it a number. Here's the skinny:
$9 Captain and cokes.
Terrible place to go alone: won't have anyone to dance with.
Great place to take a girl you want to see naked someday if she knows a little latin (or you feel like doing the awkard pretend-to-dance-with-a-total-beginner thing) . You can get a bite to eat and then dance. Not so good for girls that you are casually hanging out with--unless maybe you go as a group? I don't know. The place is small, intimate. I could be wrong though. I didn't do any dancing.
[/the real reason for this post]
That reminds me, I can't decide if sitting at the bar by yourself sort of labels you as a loser (making it less productive than sitting at home) or if there is some way that you can still be cool and meet people. Maybe it was the live band, but I wasn't that uncomfortable just sitting there all by myself with no one to talk to (there were guys on either side of me that were equally uninterested in being friends). Well, this girl two bar stools away did glance at me but I wasn't into her and the only thing I hate more than starting conversations with girls in bars is hearing other guys tell me how to start conversations with girls in bars. Kind of weird though. I never would have gone to a bar by myself a few years ago. Maybe a shy person can become an extrovert. Well, maybe not. I wasn't actually alone; there were people from the studio--why I was there in the first place. But I didn't see them at first and by the time I got comfortable at the bar I didn't want to talk to them anyway.
Anyway, none of that is important. What is important, is I sort of told my whole class about my failed attempt to go dancing at Sea Sound lounge, and my Dance Fail at triple door. They laughed, but this one one hot girl also expressed a genuine "awwwwww." I think I accidentally went too pathetic with the joking again. I gotta stop doing that. First I tell the hot girl in the apartment office all about stalling out my new, expensive sporty-looking car, and now I'm telling the hottest girl in my class all about the time I had to duck out of Triple Door because I didn't want anyone to remember my face. I should really stop joking about this stuff but I'm such an easy target.
[the real reason for this post]
There is a bar called Cellars on like 1st and Blanchard. They have Salsa/latin dancing on Tuesday nights. Live band. I passed it while I was looking for Sea Sound lounge, which I'm told is on Sundays. Cellars is a cool little bar. Tiny dance floor. The gender ratio was about...20 to 4? That reduces to 5:1. no.....it was way worse than that. I can't give it a number. Here's the skinny:
$9 Captain and cokes.
Terrible place to go alone: won't have anyone to dance with.
Great place to take a girl you want to see naked someday if she knows a little latin (or you feel like doing the awkard pretend-to-dance-with-a-total-beginner thing) . You can get a bite to eat and then dance. Not so good for girls that you are casually hanging out with--unless maybe you go as a group? I don't know. The place is small, intimate. I could be wrong though. I didn't do any dancing.
[/the real reason for this post]
That reminds me, I can't decide if sitting at the bar by yourself sort of labels you as a loser (making it less productive than sitting at home) or if there is some way that you can still be cool and meet people. Maybe it was the live band, but I wasn't that uncomfortable just sitting there all by myself with no one to talk to (there were guys on either side of me that were equally uninterested in being friends). Well, this girl two bar stools away did glance at me but I wasn't into her and the only thing I hate more than starting conversations with girls in bars is hearing other guys tell me how to start conversations with girls in bars. Kind of weird though. I never would have gone to a bar by myself a few years ago. Maybe a shy person can become an extrovert. Well, maybe not. I wasn't actually alone; there were people from the studio--why I was there in the first place. But I didn't see them at first and by the time I got comfortable at the bar I didn't want to talk to them anyway.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Yummy
Tonight I went to...well, salsa practice. I realize that saying it that way makes it sound kind of gay, and at the same time makes me picture little kids in soccer uniforms piling out of minivans, but it was actually pretty chill, and super helpful. I got to work on my moves a lot, and many that I had forgotten came back via muscle memory. Finding these moves is like diving under water in pitch black darkness to find your keys. Actually, its not. I have no other use for that simile, though.
Despite accidentally sending the text "Andrea hot bar girl" to Meryl last week, I have continued my habit of texting girls' names to myself. Tonights notes:
-End philly favorite with hook turn
-right turn behind the back but instead of switching hands, duck at the end
-2 (double) hair caresses from right2right over left2left -- one involves girl right turn first
-russian = marena
-candy
Yeah. She said her name was Candy. I'm not even going to bother coming up with a silly nickname, because she's already named Candy. That is awesome by the way. Although it reminds me of how I met Krist--never mind. Maybe I'll call her Twizzler in my head. Or gummy bear. Yeah. You're welcome for that. Sexy Skittle. Hot Tamale. Hot Chocolate--although she's not black. White Chocolate? Vanilla chocolate. Vanilla is so much better than chocolate. Man...I can't think of--well fruit rollups, tootstie pops. Blow pops...Blowpop. I would have to very sure about who I texted that one to. Anyway. She is hot. While we were dancing I thought there was a ring on her finger. Then I later realized that my left is her right. You'd think I'd figure that out after three years of actually trying to dance, but I've made this mistake before. I think I'm gonna have to suspend all calls to isEngaged() in my head until I'm off the dance floor.
Oh man, that reminds me of the time Gina told some guy at a club that the ring on her right finger was her engagement ring from her Egyptian boyfriend to make him leave her alone...which is how I found out she wasn't giving up med school to move to Italy to live in a Castle with some guy whose Dad owned a famous banking chain. That was also the same night two girls deliberately bumped into me and...lets just say that belongs of my list of Oblivious Fails. Damnit that is a long list. Oh and this girl Erin from Manayunk Brew pub also goes on that list. But I digress.
My attempts to run into Red Shirt girl have so far...well I haven't run into her. All this effort recently and what I have to show for it includes...knowing the names of some girls I barely know, and a few salsa moves. I guess thats good. Not enough to make my mom stop telling me about these dating sites she hears about. I mean, I'd love to join them, except my experience with cragislist and okcupid has been terrible, and all those pay sites play horrible commercials during my favorite tv shows, and those horrible commercials always show these models hooking up that I bet don't look anything like the people on the dating sites. Plus, I'm still a little skeptical about there being any girls on the internet at all. I mean, do we really know? Plus, Kate Beckinsale is already married. Ok I'm not actually sure how thats related.
[random things that have been bouncing around in my head]
You know...just in case anyone missed hearing me say weird stuff at random intervals. So I'm thinking about getting slightly more serious about visiting Russia. I bought a tiny book about Russia. Apparently Kiev is in Ukraine, not Russia. Who knew? I'm a gummy bear. Yes I'm a gummy. I'm yummy chummy funny lucky--sorry. I'm still listening to that song. Anyway, I also want to start having parties here. Oh man I had so much more to say--like about how I just read The Gunslinger by Stephen King, and this thing at work that I'm not allowed to talk about--but I am so bored writing this. Well, whatever. I'm thinking about writing romance novels. I have no interest in them, because they appear to be composed of all of the elements of a book or movie that I always ignore, such as people's feelings, and superfluous sex scenes (yeah, I said it. I don't like sex scenes that serve no purpose--they should stay on the internet where they belong). However...I was pacing around in my office (its shared) trying to avoid work, and realized that of all the various genres, romantic novels probably have the best kind of fan base. As in, mostly girls. This is partly inspired by a Questionable Content subplot. I was thinking I would put like a code in the book, like that xkcd geohashing function, so that the smartest of my fans would figure out the code and somehow get a chance to date me. So maybe next time I'm in a book store I'll pick up a romance novel and try to get through a whole paragraph. Thats actually the problem with this idea--if I can't stand reading the genre, how could I write it?
Maybe it could be a super geeky romance novel. "The freckled redhead slid the memory card in, further, futher into the robot. The round sets of LEDs in hits head switched to a dull red--the LED color of passion." And then Jane said "thats why I never kiss 'em on the mouth."
Ok. Maybe not. It was just an idea. If you, like me, still have the gummy bear song in your head this may help. Oh NIN...makes me want to make out with a girl wearing a hoodie with thumbholes in the sleeves. And makes me want to learn the piano better.
I'm tired of looking in the past and seeing what went wrong--but whats the alternative? Keep gazing off into the future? I did too much of that too--missed out on a lot. I don't really know how to live in the moment either. I mean, right now I'm sitting cross-legged on the ikea chair that I hoped would force me to learn to sit up straight (fat chance) banging my knee against the desk in rythm to the super depressing song I'm playing because it reminds me of someone that I know I'm better off trying to forget, all while I type in a retarded journal whose most faithful reader is me, trying to ignore the pain in my right wrist because I don't want to go to bed yet because I know in final moment before I go to sleep I will want to think about someone I like and there is no one left to think about. This isn't exactly the kind of moment I want to treasure. Except for how long that sentence was. Last night I may have dreamed about a swimming pool. Hmmmmm. That girl on House said life is a serious of rooms. I don't know. Maybe I'll come up with an answer tomorrow during my lunch break.
Seriously I can't believe her name is Candy. Who names their kid Candy?
Despite accidentally sending the text "Andrea hot bar girl" to Meryl last week, I have continued my habit of texting girls' names to myself. Tonights notes:
-End philly favorite with hook turn
-right turn behind the back but instead of switching hands, duck at the end
-2 (double) hair caresses from right2right over left2left -- one involves girl right turn first
-russian = marena
-candy
Yeah. She said her name was Candy. I'm not even going to bother coming up with a silly nickname, because she's already named Candy. That is awesome by the way. Although it reminds me of how I met Krist--never mind. Maybe I'll call her Twizzler in my head. Or gummy bear. Yeah. You're welcome for that. Sexy Skittle. Hot Tamale. Hot Chocolate--although she's not black. White Chocolate? Vanilla chocolate. Vanilla is so much better than chocolate. Man...I can't think of--well fruit rollups, tootstie pops. Blow pops...Blowpop. I would have to very sure about who I texted that one to. Anyway. She is hot. While we were dancing I thought there was a ring on her finger. Then I later realized that my left is her right. You'd think I'd figure that out after three years of actually trying to dance, but I've made this mistake before. I think I'm gonna have to suspend all calls to isEngaged() in my head until I'm off the dance floor.
Oh man, that reminds me of the time Gina told some guy at a club that the ring on her right finger was her engagement ring from her Egyptian boyfriend to make him leave her alone...which is how I found out she wasn't giving up med school to move to Italy to live in a Castle with some guy whose Dad owned a famous banking chain. That was also the same night two girls deliberately bumped into me and...lets just say that belongs of my list of Oblivious Fails. Damnit that is a long list. Oh and this girl Erin from Manayunk Brew pub also goes on that list. But I digress.
My attempts to run into Red Shirt girl have so far...well I haven't run into her. All this effort recently and what I have to show for it includes...knowing the names of some girls I barely know, and a few salsa moves. I guess thats good. Not enough to make my mom stop telling me about these dating sites she hears about. I mean, I'd love to join them, except my experience with cragislist and okcupid has been terrible, and all those pay sites play horrible commercials during my favorite tv shows, and those horrible commercials always show these models hooking up that I bet don't look anything like the people on the dating sites. Plus, I'm still a little skeptical about there being any girls on the internet at all. I mean, do we really know? Plus, Kate Beckinsale is already married. Ok I'm not actually sure how thats related.
[random things that have been bouncing around in my head]
You know...just in case anyone missed hearing me say weird stuff at random intervals. So I'm thinking about getting slightly more serious about visiting Russia. I bought a tiny book about Russia. Apparently Kiev is in Ukraine, not Russia. Who knew? I'm a gummy bear. Yes I'm a gummy. I'm yummy chummy funny lucky--sorry. I'm still listening to that song. Anyway, I also want to start having parties here. Oh man I had so much more to say--like about how I just read The Gunslinger by Stephen King, and this thing at work that I'm not allowed to talk about--but I am so bored writing this. Well, whatever. I'm thinking about writing romance novels. I have no interest in them, because they appear to be composed of all of the elements of a book or movie that I always ignore, such as people's feelings, and superfluous sex scenes (yeah, I said it. I don't like sex scenes that serve no purpose--they should stay on the internet where they belong). However...I was pacing around in my office (its shared) trying to avoid work, and realized that of all the various genres, romantic novels probably have the best kind of fan base. As in, mostly girls. This is partly inspired by a Questionable Content subplot. I was thinking I would put like a code in the book, like that xkcd geohashing function, so that the smartest of my fans would figure out the code and somehow get a chance to date me. So maybe next time I'm in a book store I'll pick up a romance novel and try to get through a whole paragraph. Thats actually the problem with this idea--if I can't stand reading the genre, how could I write it?
Maybe it could be a super geeky romance novel. "The freckled redhead slid the memory card in, further, futher into the robot. The round sets of LEDs in hits head switched to a dull red--the LED color of passion." And then Jane said "thats why I never kiss 'em on the mouth."
Ok. Maybe not. It was just an idea. If you, like me, still have the gummy bear song in your head this may help. Oh NIN...makes me want to make out with a girl wearing a hoodie with thumbholes in the sleeves. And makes me want to learn the piano better.
What have I become...my sweetest friend...everyone I know goes away
In the end
In the end
I'm tired of looking in the past and seeing what went wrong--but whats the alternative? Keep gazing off into the future? I did too much of that too--missed out on a lot. I don't really know how to live in the moment either. I mean, right now I'm sitting cross-legged on the ikea chair that I hoped would force me to learn to sit up straight (fat chance) banging my knee against the desk in rythm to the super depressing song I'm playing because it reminds me of someone that I know I'm better off trying to forget, all while I type in a retarded journal whose most faithful reader is me, trying to ignore the pain in my right wrist because I don't want to go to bed yet because I know in final moment before I go to sleep I will want to think about someone I like and there is no one left to think about. This isn't exactly the kind of moment I want to treasure. Except for how long that sentence was. Last night I may have dreamed about a swimming pool. Hmmmmm. That girl on House said life is a serious of rooms. I don't know. Maybe I'll come up with an answer tomorrow during my lunch break.
Seriously I can't believe her name is Candy. Who names their kid Candy?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
My Hands Smell Like Girls [Salsa]
This is more for me, but if you dance a little salsa, you'll like it to. Learned multiple good moves at class today--possibly enough to make it worth taking. We have another week too.
A new place
Some place called "Sellers" on 1st and Blanchard. Apparently they do salsa on Tuesday nights. Some people at my class said they were going there tonight. That means people there would know me, people that can dance well enough for me to try my old moves. If last weeks sinus infection wasn't coming back for a re-match, I'd probably be going there tonight.
[Weird belly rape move]
I'm probably not going to do this move the way I just learned it. All those shy girls that don't like my turning them from the hip are definitely not going to want me rubbing my thumb across their stomach, and doing so doesn't transmit a strong direction change. But the move appears to be the same move as the sweetheart, which I've been meaning to start doing again.
Footwork--back break, like an enchufla, but she doesnt spin around. You go around behind her. 1,2,3 is your back break, push your feet extra forward on 2 and 3. On 5, cross your right foot behind you (you're now behind her, facing her, she facing away from you). On 6, left foot way forward. On 7, do something with your right foot. I guess you can cross it.
Hands--start with...your left to her right. Enchufla pull thing on 1. On 2, pull and toss her arm above and to the right of your head. Sort of over your right shoulder. On 3, right hand starts going across her belly, and allegedly if you turn your hand and mostly only grope her with your thumb, its better. (I'd prefer to make a V with my hand and push back gently and firmly, but thats a different move that I can't remember.) Around 5 or 6 you take your right hand away.
This move relies on the girl both A) knowing to do her basic, since you're not really pushing back with your thumb and B) knowing not to turn around and follow you. Why did I write this down? Oh, cause its like the sweetheart move.
[Sweetheart move]
You start this in open position. She will be facing the same way the whole time, while you scurry around behind her.
1,2,3, back break to start an enchufla, but she's not turning. Your right hand will be wrapping her slightly lower, and your left hand has to cross her, wrapping that arm to your right/her left before you pass her, wrapping that arm above the other one. When you get behind her, she is like hugging herself.
On 5, you do the right foot crossing behind, I think, and I think you also pull on the arms for the direction change. 6,7 you come back around on the other side.
I'm not sure about this move; I didn't get to try it tonight. Now that I'm more confident about the footwork, I'll probably do it.
["hacky sack" -- men's styling for cross body lead start]
I learned some men's styling I actually liked. It was great. My instructor called it a hacky sack, because it looks like you're playing that for a second. Anyway, imagine you are starting a cross body lead, but you are already on the side of the dance track (where you get to on count 3). Instead of stepping in and out again on 1,2,3, you can stay in place and wave your left foot around to show on.
Count 1: best way to describe this: keep your left toe where it is, turn your knee inward, heel outward.
Count 2: reverse the direction of your left foot. Swing it to the right, so your heel is in front of your right leg, just above your right knee.
Count 3: swing your left foot back out to the left, pointing to the left. That whole look-im-sexy-cause-i-moved-my-leg-to-the-left pose.
Count 5: proceed with the cross body lead. Could probably do an inside turn.
[side-switching move that seemed cool in class]
This move seemed awesome 30 minutes ago. Now that I'm about to write it down, I can't describe what the point is.
You start on the right side of the dance track, your left to her left, as if you are halfway through a pepsi cola. He had us not use our right hand at all, but I probably would use it to help lead the inside turn.
Do an inside turn. Right foot in place on 5 like usuall. On 6, cross as much of the dance track behind her as you can with your left foot. On 7, take your left hand and place her left behind your head for closed position. Also on 7, right hand to shoulder blade ("dance button"). You should end up on the side of the dance track, as if you've just done the 1,2,3 of a cross body lead.
This isn't much different then a normal inside turn, but I think the point is you end it sooner, and you are then already on the side of the dance track, ready to do that hacky sack move.
This move reminds me of what you do to do a 360 after an inside turn.
I need to go dancing this weekend. I want to get the Sweatheart and that foot waving thing into my head. If I added one or two moves every week, I would probably be great in a few months. Well...3 months would be twelve new moves. I'll need more than that to dance to the music.
A new place
Some place called "Sellers" on 1st and Blanchard. Apparently they do salsa on Tuesday nights. Some people at my class said they were going there tonight. That means people there would know me, people that can dance well enough for me to try my old moves. If last weeks sinus infection wasn't coming back for a re-match, I'd probably be going there tonight.
[Weird belly rape move]
I'm probably not going to do this move the way I just learned it. All those shy girls that don't like my turning them from the hip are definitely not going to want me rubbing my thumb across their stomach, and doing so doesn't transmit a strong direction change. But the move appears to be the same move as the sweetheart, which I've been meaning to start doing again.
Footwork--back break, like an enchufla, but she doesnt spin around. You go around behind her. 1,2,3 is your back break, push your feet extra forward on 2 and 3. On 5, cross your right foot behind you (you're now behind her, facing her, she facing away from you). On 6, left foot way forward. On 7, do something with your right foot. I guess you can cross it.
Hands--start with...your left to her right. Enchufla pull thing on 1. On 2, pull and toss her arm above and to the right of your head. Sort of over your right shoulder. On 3, right hand starts going across her belly, and allegedly if you turn your hand and mostly only grope her with your thumb, its better. (I'd prefer to make a V with my hand and push back gently and firmly, but thats a different move that I can't remember.) Around 5 or 6 you take your right hand away.
This move relies on the girl both A) knowing to do her basic, since you're not really pushing back with your thumb and B) knowing not to turn around and follow you. Why did I write this down? Oh, cause its like the sweetheart move.
[Sweetheart move]
You start this in open position. She will be facing the same way the whole time, while you scurry around behind her.
1,2,3, back break to start an enchufla, but she's not turning. Your right hand will be wrapping her slightly lower, and your left hand has to cross her, wrapping that arm to your right/her left before you pass her, wrapping that arm above the other one. When you get behind her, she is like hugging herself.
On 5, you do the right foot crossing behind, I think, and I think you also pull on the arms for the direction change. 6,7 you come back around on the other side.
I'm not sure about this move; I didn't get to try it tonight. Now that I'm more confident about the footwork, I'll probably do it.
["hacky sack" -- men's styling for cross body lead start]
I learned some men's styling I actually liked. It was great. My instructor called it a hacky sack, because it looks like you're playing that for a second. Anyway, imagine you are starting a cross body lead, but you are already on the side of the dance track (where you get to on count 3). Instead of stepping in and out again on 1,2,3, you can stay in place and wave your left foot around to show on.
Count 1: best way to describe this: keep your left toe where it is, turn your knee inward, heel outward.
Count 2: reverse the direction of your left foot. Swing it to the right, so your heel is in front of your right leg, just above your right knee.
Count 3: swing your left foot back out to the left, pointing to the left. That whole look-im-sexy-cause-i-moved-my-leg-to-the-left pose.
Count 5: proceed with the cross body lead. Could probably do an inside turn.
[side-switching move that seemed cool in class]
This move seemed awesome 30 minutes ago. Now that I'm about to write it down, I can't describe what the point is.
You start on the right side of the dance track, your left to her left, as if you are halfway through a pepsi cola. He had us not use our right hand at all, but I probably would use it to help lead the inside turn.
Do an inside turn. Right foot in place on 5 like usuall. On 6, cross as much of the dance track behind her as you can with your left foot. On 7, take your left hand and place her left behind your head for closed position. Also on 7, right hand to shoulder blade ("dance button"). You should end up on the side of the dance track, as if you've just done the 1,2,3 of a cross body lead.
This isn't much different then a normal inside turn, but I think the point is you end it sooner, and you are then already on the side of the dance track, ready to do that hacky sack move.
This move reminds me of what you do to do a 360 after an inside turn.
I need to go dancing this weekend. I want to get the Sweatheart and that foot waving thing into my head. If I added one or two moves every week, I would probably be great in a few months. Well...3 months would be twelve new moves. I'll need more than that to dance to the music.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Jailbait
Halo
My first weekend when I'm not on call or sick or detained by some other dumb reason. Tonight I elected to check out a new Salsa place called Halo. Strangely enough there was no bouncer at the door. Almost did that awkward thing where you think someone is the bouncer and then they're not.
Up the stairs, and there's not much signage. Bonus points for being pseudo-hidden: great place to take a girl. Up top, I pay my $7. They don't bother stamping my hand. Still no one has checked my I.D. I look around and see no bar. I sit down and put my dance shoes on. The shoes I walk in have too much traction for dancing, and the shoes I dance in get all torn up if I wear them outside. Before leaving for Halo I actually sat down and debated how to get my shoes to the dance club, and in the absence of bags that wouldn't look ridiculous, I elected to just carry them all 10 blocks or whatever. I need to figure out how dancer guys do it. Maybe a tiny duffel bag? Could throw in there an extra shirt too.
To my left I see some kids dancing--like high school age. They look cute. I like it when someone brings some kids--start 'em early. Then I stand up, mindful of trying to look cool and I survey the room looking for an open girl. The girls here are more attractive than the ones at the other club I've been to, Century Ballroom. Suspiciously more attractive. It took about 1 or 2 dances for me to realize that almost everyone was in high school. Being alarmingly close to the elderly age of 30, I not only had to worry about dancing good and figuring how which girls are good dancers, but also somehow not be a creepy old guy. And there's a bunch of high school guys that dance better than me. And I had no real motivation to meet anyone.
Most of the kids aren't good dancers. I spotted one or two. This isn't a bad thing, since I need to work on my beginner moves, but a lot of the girls were too unstable to really dance with. Bonus points for trying. Too bad all that extra kid shyness makes it even less likely that girls will save me some effort and ask me to dance.
On the bright side, there is a lot of room there, and the guy to girl ratio wasn't terrible. And, again, the girls, while illegal, were at least better looking than the ones at century ballroom. If I brought my own girls, like at least two good ones (a Seattle version of Nicole and Cassie), it could be an awesome place to go dancing. The music was decent, and there was plenty of room, and no creepy guys. And I need to go dancing...all my skills have atrophied. Most of my good moves have faded, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do the awesome cross body lead again (it only worked with Nicole anyway).
I miss Brasils.
Salsa Move of the Week
This is really more for my reference than anyone else's. In three week's worth of material at the salsa class I'm taking I've learned one move that I can use when I'm out dancing socially. It's really just a cross body lead, but looks fancy cause its one where the guy turns to the right. You can do it from closed position. On count 5, instead of stepping in place with your right foot, you actually step back towards your left (I don't know why this works) and turn to the right...stepping forward with your left on 6, turning more on 7. Around count 5ish put the girls hand on your shoulder, and she should let it slide around you as you spin, coming down your front and you can catch it with your left hand again.
Not impressive, but the girl is just doing a cross body lead, so its a move you can throw in there with beginners, and also with advanced girls if you spin one too much and need to give them a break.
My first weekend when I'm not on call or sick or detained by some other dumb reason. Tonight I elected to check out a new Salsa place called Halo. Strangely enough there was no bouncer at the door. Almost did that awkward thing where you think someone is the bouncer and then they're not.
Up the stairs, and there's not much signage. Bonus points for being pseudo-hidden: great place to take a girl. Up top, I pay my $7. They don't bother stamping my hand. Still no one has checked my I.D. I look around and see no bar. I sit down and put my dance shoes on. The shoes I walk in have too much traction for dancing, and the shoes I dance in get all torn up if I wear them outside. Before leaving for Halo I actually sat down and debated how to get my shoes to the dance club, and in the absence of bags that wouldn't look ridiculous, I elected to just carry them all 10 blocks or whatever. I need to figure out how dancer guys do it. Maybe a tiny duffel bag? Could throw in there an extra shirt too.
To my left I see some kids dancing--like high school age. They look cute. I like it when someone brings some kids--start 'em early. Then I stand up, mindful of trying to look cool and I survey the room looking for an open girl. The girls here are more attractive than the ones at the other club I've been to, Century Ballroom. Suspiciously more attractive. It took about 1 or 2 dances for me to realize that almost everyone was in high school. Being alarmingly close to the elderly age of 30, I not only had to worry about dancing good and figuring how which girls are good dancers, but also somehow not be a creepy old guy. And there's a bunch of high school guys that dance better than me. And I had no real motivation to meet anyone.
Most of the kids aren't good dancers. I spotted one or two. This isn't a bad thing, since I need to work on my beginner moves, but a lot of the girls were too unstable to really dance with. Bonus points for trying. Too bad all that extra kid shyness makes it even less likely that girls will save me some effort and ask me to dance.
On the bright side, there is a lot of room there, and the guy to girl ratio wasn't terrible. And, again, the girls, while illegal, were at least better looking than the ones at century ballroom. If I brought my own girls, like at least two good ones (a Seattle version of Nicole and Cassie), it could be an awesome place to go dancing. The music was decent, and there was plenty of room, and no creepy guys. And I need to go dancing...all my skills have atrophied. Most of my good moves have faded, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do the awesome cross body lead again (it only worked with Nicole anyway).
I miss Brasils.
Salsa Move of the Week
This is really more for my reference than anyone else's. In three week's worth of material at the salsa class I'm taking I've learned one move that I can use when I'm out dancing socially. It's really just a cross body lead, but looks fancy cause its one where the guy turns to the right. You can do it from closed position. On count 5, instead of stepping in place with your right foot, you actually step back towards your left (I don't know why this works) and turn to the right...stepping forward with your left on 6, turning more on 7. Around count 5ish put the girls hand on your shoulder, and she should let it slide around you as you spin, coming down your front and you can catch it with your left hand again.
Not impressive, but the girl is just doing a cross body lead, so its a move you can throw in there with beginners, and also with advanced girls if you spin one too much and need to give them a break.
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