We Could Have Danced All Night

Last Saturday night I went out dancing with my Salsa crew (Lisa P., Jennifer, Nancy, Dawn, and James). The party was way downtown at the fabulous Dance Studio 101, which is on the second floor of 101 Lafayette Street, just north of Canal. Hosted by Almyra A., who teaches the Monday night Ladies' Styling class at our midtown venue (Ripley-Grier Studios, 520 8th Avenue between 36th and 37th), this CASA de la Salsa Social featured a performance by our beloved teacher, Carlos K., who danced his solo routine as well as a duet with Michael B. There was also a Mambo crew from Queens that performed their new step routine. Bravo, Queens Crew!!

We had seen Carlos' routine before, but he danced so joyfully and creatively that it was like watching him for the first time. The man has feet of fire, the spine of a cat, the heart of a warrior, the soul of an angel. We will follow him anywhere.

After the performances, the dance floor filled up again with couples, most of whom have danced for far longer than we. Thank God for James and for Nancy's husband, Eric, (and for a few of our classmates, like Wayne) or we would have been stuck on the sidelines like high school girls at a freshman dance. And THANK YOU, JAMES for bringing out your buddy (and Lisa's high school friend) Tommy J. from Atlanta, in town for a reading of his new play. It was SO liberating for me to dance with a new man who does not know our classroom routines, even if my lower back almost gave out around midnight. Tommy, we need you! please come back soon!

James drove us all uptown in his beautiful red SUV, and I got home at 2:00 BUT DID NOT GET INTO BED UNTIL 3:00 because I had given my keys to the doorman, who gave them to my husband, who then went to sleep and locked me out! Thank God my neighbor, Kevin B., heard me banging on the door and kindly took me in, where I would have spent the night on his couch had Charles not finally woken up and read my text messages cursing him out. So, Ladies, WHEN YOU HANG OUT LATE WITHOUT YOUR MAN, ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR KEYS!! Or get to know a neighbor with a comfortable couch.

We were at it again last night, for the 8:00 Advanced Beginner class at Ripley-Grier. I was exhausted from a long week of theater, partying, and showing property, but I love the class
so I went. Lisa and Betty went first to the Styling class from 7:30 - 8:30, so they came in to our class just as Carlos was taking us through an exhilarating Grapevine step sequence. This was followed by several rounds of twists, turns, and serious partner work, topped off by the amusing Flying Fish move and the ever-popular Hesitation Step, which I think of as "pole dancing, Latin style". James set me straight on which way to take the inside turn after that final cross-body lead, and once again, all was right with the world.

"Ah, eso!!"