Elle s'appelle une obsession

So, it's been a super week! Before I really get going, a little update for my friends and family in case you didn't already know: I love love love to dance. It all started spring semester of my freshman year when I decided to be bold and take Beginning Social Dance (ballroom dancing) at Bama. Not sure why, as I hadn't done anything dance related since I was a little girl. But it was one credit and looked kinda cool.

But then the love affair began...I eventually heard of some salsa classes at the Rec, and before you could say "Ra cha cha," I was hooked. Now I am pretty much obsessed...merengue and bachata have my love as well. I'm not the best or most skilled person around, but dancing ranks right up there with soccer/refereeing on my two biggest passions. So, as soon as I got myself to France I was on the hunt for opportunities to do and learn more. The dance scene is rather sparse in Tuscaloosa, though I am a frequent attendee of events hosted by the Tuscaloosa Ballroom Dance Club :)

And whaddya know, I had my first lesson on Monday! Although the lesson started at the beginning with the merengue, it was still fun. I always feel like you're never too good to learn. The professor is Colombian, adorable, and quite the cool dude. Not a single American/anglophone in the mix, and while I did feel a little out of place for a few minutes with my level of French and not knowing anybody, before long I felt right at home when the professor asked my name and introduced himself as Carlos. After that, another girl said hello as well, and suddenly I felt much more at ease. That's the thing about dancing, it brings instant bonding set to a hot beat. It's nice to be part of a group. Now I have an "activity," two hours of dancing every Monday!

Which is then followed by even more dancing on Tuesday! Overkill? Course not. Once I discover someone who's into dancing like I am (or who even wants to learn), we're pretty much instant buddies in my book. There's a bar downtown called Cargo that has Latin parties each Tuesday, and this week was the first night. I dragged along some lovely lady friends to the free course two hours before the party started, all set to have a good time.

Then I found out about Colombian style salsa. I don't know what's in the water to to give them such superhuman abilities to move their feet, knees, hips in any direction independent of the others, but it drove me nuts and I was horrible at it. The footwork is insane. Observe here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEuhOR_Arh8&feature=related

So, I probably made a grand fool of myself attempting to dance it, but at the very least I can move my hips the way they're supposed to! There were people there who were so good I just had to stand there and gawk for awhile. And then, as fortune would have it, a guy from one of those "good" pairings happened to ask me to dance. I told him that I'm not advanced and would do my best, but he still brought out those moves that left me in a whirlwind hoping I could keep up and not fall all over myself. I definitely messed up and even lost him a couple times on the crazier spins/turns, but I couldn't stop grinning. It's just so much fun. I'm usually rather meek on a day to day basis, but stick me on a dance floor with some Latin beats and perhaps a partner to shove me around and suddenly, Instant Diva.

In short, life is good. =) Until next time!