Salsa!

After a good 12 months away from salsa, I decided to have a second crack of the salsa whip! I had a good 12 months at it previously but found it got monotonous and fell out of love with it, whilst I was learning step, I wasn't retaining them too well, which the normal salsa practice of partner swapping doesn't help. I also found at 27 I was one of the youngest at the lessons and a lack of young partners also affected my attitude towards it.

However, on Friday night, complete with a new salsa partner, we took off to Copacabana in Manchester. Having never danced salsa together before, and both having a considerable time away from dancing salsa, we took a basic lesson which was actually very good as the teacher really focussed on foot and weight technique, which I've never experienced at the start before. He also only went through the very basic salsa steps, which I'd never covered particularly thoroughly before either.

Much to my surprise I really enjoyed it! It does help having a partner who is close in age though and ability, oh who can remember steps very quickly too! That always lets me down with dancing, remembering steps quickly. I tend to get the com,plex ones but get baffled by simple ones.

I'm now hoping that we will be able to salsa together regularly as we got a comment from the teacher about our good movement ... yes it caused the odd giggle!! I am going to look for a salsa class where you don't have to switch partners as I find it much better to learn with the same one until you have a lot of experience (and so does she). Many people prefer swapping partners at salsa, because if one of the couple gets it they may be able to help the other, however after having the same partner for ballroom and latin for over 3 years, I am rather used to not changing and like it that way!

I think this time round I may be able to reach my potential at salsa, which never happened before, admittedly because I lacked a lot of confidence at it, but learning simple steps from the beginning and with a much more suitable partner good salsa things could happen!

Strictly Come Dancing Lineup

It's a couple of days since the lineup for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing was released, and once again it seems full of face I know but few names I recognise! Maybe I don't keep up with the world of celebrity enough?? Again there's the mix of sports stars, soap stars and assorted others, and once again they have an awful lot to live up to.

The standard of dancing has risen throughout all the series' as the public demand more and the professionals become more competitive. However with 3 new lady pros and one or 2 format changes we will see what happens with the standard. Each year it improves and the dancers get better, dancing more complex routines but you wonder if it has to peak sometime, or if it has.

Very few celebrities start off by looking at all like dancers then the surprise comes when they start getting very good at dancing, a few weeks in. I am looking forward to seeing their 1st tentative steps, and am currently wondering who he ones to watch will be. I have to say that without seeing any dancing I would guess at Joe Calzaghe and Jade Johnson to be 2 strong ones, due to their competitive nature and excellent partners. Having seen Brian and Kristina dance live, it will be exciting to see what she can come up with for Joe. While Jade is dancing with Ian Waite, and does anyone remember how far he went last time he had an athlete. Even that may not have been far enough! Ian and Denise Lewis were something else on most dances. Only 3 weeks until the 1st show. We will see how they all go. Can't wait!

Ballroom Dancing at the Muni

What:	Ballroom Dancing
When:	Saturday, August 22, 2009 8:00 PM to Sunday, August 23, 2009 12:00 AM
Where:	Colne Municipal Hall Albert Road Colne, Lancashire BB8 0BP   UK

We will be dancing at the monthly ballroom dancing night on Saturday. These nights include ballroom dancing, latin dancing and sequence dancing. There’s always a friendly and relaxed atmosphere at these popular dance events. You tend to find you get dancers of all ages from children right up to grand parents attending, all at different level but all who love dance.

Being so friendly, no-one is afraid to get up on the dance floor either and join in. With some of the sequence and social dances you are encourage to join in, as there are a number that 1st timers could quite easily pick up. There is also free parking on a decent sized car park round the back of the Colne Muni which is really handy with a lack of on-street parking. You don’t always want to have to walk too far after a few hours of dancing!

This is one of a few regular ballroom dance nights that happen in Lancashire and I will post details of others when I get them. There is a dance night in Lower Darwen every fortnight on a Saturday that we need to try yet. But it’ll probably be a few weeks off until we make it to that dance.