Night of Extremes
Yes...After a long time, something has happened in my life worth writing bout....well atleast I think so.
It was yesterday night. A friend had called up telling me there's a salsa night at a sports bar and our friends from our salsa class were coming. After a bit of deliberation, I decided to go and then minutes before the event was gonna star, one after another people started apologising for not being able to make it. Still two my friends were gonna be there so I went for a first of it's kind event for me..
On reaching, there was a whole bunch of people dancing and another big buch watching them. I quietly joined the ones watching.
Now some background details...I have just done the level 1 of salsa and although I was adjudged the best dancer in the class, I just knew a limited number of steps and was out of touch. So that was on back of my mind seeing people doing complicated steps with ease however bad looking they may be.
A friend of mine from the class and with whom I had had a great time dancing with met me and took me to the dance floor. I went. It was good. After the initial awkwardness, I danced well. But as I said, just the few steps I had learnt.
Then she got busy with her friends and I was left alone. I stayed in the watchers club with the dance teachers I knew coming an telling me to not just stand there and do some dancing. But who was gonna tell them how uncomfortable it was that I didnt know many steps... I stayed there watching people dance, it can be quite fun too.
Met another friend of mine. He was busy dancing with girls. He is horrible with dancing. He wasnt even dancing to the rhythm but dude had joined the level 2 so knew good number of steps. He too saw me standing and told me to get on the dance floor and then encouraged me to ask girls for a dance saying he too is doing the same. Damn man if I knew that many steps I would have too...
But then I did. I asked a girl for a dance and she came. I asked her coz I had seen her dance with him and thought hopefully she wont say no. So while dancing, she had a terrible sense of rhythm and it was putting my dancing out of place...probably one of the most difficult partners I have danced with. So after a lot of stop-starts, she asked "ok?" and left giving me the expression as if I am the one not able to dance.
Then again I sat watching. This guy kept dancing with girls. And comin to me in between and encouraging me to ask girls to dance..."They have come here for dancing too, isn't it?" And yes the watcher's club was mostly full of girls..and women[;-)]It was really supportive of him. And then he did something more, he probably asked two girls or the girls asked him...I don't know but he came to me saying there's a girl who wants to dance and took me to dance with a friend of the girl I had danced with, with whom he now danced. This one was better. Felt a bit of surge in confidence and then we had tostop very soon for a cake cutting ceremony of some one. After the dancing started again...after a while on the sidelines, I asked this girls again if she would wanna dance and she said " A bit later." which I later realised is a very poite way of saying "NO". I was cool. Had started enjoying watching good dancers from the sidelines with people giving me looks wondering what I am doing there alone. An acquaintance from level 1 saw me sitting there and was so 'bothered'that he pulled me by my hand and took me halfway across the room saying, " Wait, I'll get you a partner." Because of some distraction, luckily he didn't do what he had set out to. But still...:).
The thoughts of leaving the place with dignity were passing through but just didn't feel like leaving. There was something addicting in that place even with all the discomfort.
Saw another girl from our Level 1 class and asked her. Luckily even she knew only those steps. Then again to the side. Then this friend who I had danced with in the beginning asked me to come up and to do some freestyle dancing. I had been telling her how much I felt like just dancing to the great music that was playing. But the damn salsa night meant you had to have a partner and you had to dance salsa even though the music is screaming for something else. So we went and danced like crazy doing crazy stuff even doing Bhangra steps in between and also a few salsa steps thrown in. I liked it :). Thought she liked it too in the beginning but somehow towards the end felt like she didn't. Whatever. Another slightly bad thing was when I being all charged up after having done my free style went upto this friend and just took her hand and asked her to come up to the dance floor. And she said, yeas you are right, " a bit later."" give me five minutes" I gave her the whole night off. She danced with the best salsa dancer there just after that. Actually my fault, she was talkin to him getting him to dance while I jumped in..hehehe. It was so embarassing for them. Not for me. ;-P.
My teacher from college who also dance came in after some time. Danced with her. Again some salsa and some customised steps. That guy kept dancing with girls before coming with me to sit in a corner. And then, I thought of leaving. It was about time I shoud have. And with polite byes, I left at midnight.
As I said, It was a first of it's kind thing for me. Being out. Meeting new people. Approaching girls and the works. Was very uncomfortable. Was embarassing. Especially coz I am very bad at meeting new people.While all others took it as such a normal thing to ask girls for a dance.
Even then, I am pretty happy with the experience. Taught me a lot. And hopefully, I'll get better with time.
It was yesterday night. A friend had called up telling me there's a salsa night at a sports bar and our friends from our salsa class were coming. After a bit of deliberation, I decided to go and then minutes before the event was gonna star, one after another people started apologising for not being able to make it. Still two my friends were gonna be there so I went for a first of it's kind event for me..
On reaching, there was a whole bunch of people dancing and another big buch watching them. I quietly joined the ones watching.
Now some background details...I have just done the level 1 of salsa and although I was adjudged the best dancer in the class, I just knew a limited number of steps and was out of touch. So that was on back of my mind seeing people doing complicated steps with ease however bad looking they may be.
A friend of mine from the class and with whom I had had a great time dancing with met me and took me to the dance floor. I went. It was good. After the initial awkwardness, I danced well. But as I said, just the few steps I had learnt.
Then she got busy with her friends and I was left alone. I stayed in the watchers club with the dance teachers I knew coming an telling me to not just stand there and do some dancing. But who was gonna tell them how uncomfortable it was that I didnt know many steps... I stayed there watching people dance, it can be quite fun too.
Met another friend of mine. He was busy dancing with girls. He is horrible with dancing. He wasnt even dancing to the rhythm but dude had joined the level 2 so knew good number of steps. He too saw me standing and told me to get on the dance floor and then encouraged me to ask girls for a dance saying he too is doing the same. Damn man if I knew that many steps I would have too...
But then I did. I asked a girl for a dance and she came. I asked her coz I had seen her dance with him and thought hopefully she wont say no. So while dancing, she had a terrible sense of rhythm and it was putting my dancing out of place...probably one of the most difficult partners I have danced with. So after a lot of stop-starts, she asked "ok?" and left giving me the expression as if I am the one not able to dance.
Then again I sat watching. This guy kept dancing with girls. And comin to me in between and encouraging me to ask girls to dance..."They have come here for dancing too, isn't it?" And yes the watcher's club was mostly full of girls..and women[;-)]It was really supportive of him. And then he did something more, he probably asked two girls or the girls asked him...I don't know but he came to me saying there's a girl who wants to dance and took me to dance with a friend of the girl I had danced with, with whom he now danced. This one was better. Felt a bit of surge in confidence and then we had tostop very soon for a cake cutting ceremony of some one. After the dancing started again...after a while on the sidelines, I asked this girls again if she would wanna dance and she said " A bit later." which I later realised is a very poite way of saying "NO". I was cool. Had started enjoying watching good dancers from the sidelines with people giving me looks wondering what I am doing there alone. An acquaintance from level 1 saw me sitting there and was so 'bothered'that he pulled me by my hand and took me halfway across the room saying, " Wait, I'll get you a partner." Because of some distraction, luckily he didn't do what he had set out to. But still...:).
The thoughts of leaving the place with dignity were passing through but just didn't feel like leaving. There was something addicting in that place even with all the discomfort.
Saw another girl from our Level 1 class and asked her. Luckily even she knew only those steps. Then again to the side. Then this friend who I had danced with in the beginning asked me to come up and to do some freestyle dancing. I had been telling her how much I felt like just dancing to the great music that was playing. But the damn salsa night meant you had to have a partner and you had to dance salsa even though the music is screaming for something else. So we went and danced like crazy doing crazy stuff even doing Bhangra steps in between and also a few salsa steps thrown in. I liked it :). Thought she liked it too in the beginning but somehow towards the end felt like she didn't. Whatever. Another slightly bad thing was when I being all charged up after having done my free style went upto this friend and just took her hand and asked her to come up to the dance floor. And she said, yeas you are right, " a bit later."" give me five minutes" I gave her the whole night off. She danced with the best salsa dancer there just after that. Actually my fault, she was talkin to him getting him to dance while I jumped in..hehehe. It was so embarassing for them. Not for me. ;-P.
My teacher from college who also dance came in after some time. Danced with her. Again some salsa and some customised steps. That guy kept dancing with girls before coming with me to sit in a corner. And then, I thought of leaving. It was about time I shoud have. And with polite byes, I left at midnight.
As I said, It was a first of it's kind thing for me. Being out. Meeting new people. Approaching girls and the works. Was very uncomfortable. Was embarassing. Especially coz I am very bad at meeting new people.While all others took it as such a normal thing to ask girls for a dance.
Even then, I am pretty happy with the experience. Taught me a lot. And hopefully, I'll get better with time.
Comments
I'd have curled up and died in a corner somewhere ;)
by the way i too had wanted to learn salsa sometime back.. for now.. no time for it.. :-(
n above all NO DANCING IN BANGALORE...