So as usual another night filled with dancing!
Earlier in the evening I had a Argentinean Tango class…this is the newest genre to be introduced to my dance education - my 5th class if I am correct.
With the vast majority of my dance past being in styles that are individual rather than partnered, of course having to follow someone else introduces a greater degree of unpredictability, but what makes for a greater challenge than other partnered dancing such as Salsa (I love Salsa 
is the subtlety of the man’s lead.
The connection between two dance partners in tango can make or break the dance, because if the woman can not feel the minute movements that originate from the man’s chest, she will not know which direction to move in, or where to place her weight.
When danced well it is a beautiful thing to watch…our teacher and his wife gave a demonstration last week and it was stunning - not so much a super showy piece, but charged with a level of intensity and passion that just pulls a little at your heart, making you feel just that little bit emotional (well for females at least!).
After stopping for a dinner break, I then made my way to a dance party hosted at the Newcastle University venue “The Bar on The Hill” by the Latin Society “La Pena”. It was the first one back for the year, and as expected, there was plenty of Salsa, a bit of Bachata and a splash of Merengue. The turn out was not as good as I had expected and perhaps hoped, but there were plenty of friends there, I had some great dances and it’s always nice to be able to dance to a live band.
The parties are held each month, so it’s a great opportunity to not only have fun (the primary goal), but also to keep building on skill by practicing away in a social setting.
I first started dabbling in Salsa a few years back, but it was always bits ‘n pieces / stop-start / and never in a technical, structured way. Then since about last May (2009) I have consistently been taking classes and attending social nights and some workshops (e.g. including ones at this years Sydney Salsa Congress…at which I took some videos of the workshop classes, so I will have to post some soon). Three weeks ago I started another Salsa class that covers a lot more technical detail and is structured - because I’m really enjoying Salsa dancing and want to keep improving to become really good. In short - I am loving it, and can already tell its making a difference. I’m finding that I am following much better when doing complex sequences with more experienced dancers, and when helping others (I assist a little in teaching some basics to new beginners) I think I am giving better tips.
So anyway, tonight was another opportunity to have fun and practice and I think I had a few awesome dances.
But now, I am getting a little bit tired and have lots of potentially draining activities planned for the weekend (as well as dancing, I also love keeping active and fitness in general) so better get some rest.
Will spill my thoughts on more dance topics very soon, and as always welcome your comments and/or feedback.