But repeating that Beginning Salsa class was necessary for two reasons. I not only needed to master the basic steps, I had to catch up with Gloria's Intermediate students, some of whom had been dancing for many years (including Irsan, who can teach himself a new dance style in about ten minutes -- I swear, I have seen him do just that). At that time, Gloria offered only the Begining Salsa and Intermediate Salsa classes. Moving from one to the other was an immense leap.
I would come into the studio early and watch the Intermediate students dance the patterns Gloria was teaching them. I remember seeing the expressions on their faces as they mastered the steps. They were excited, they were into the rhythm. They were light-years ahead of me. Only Buddy Ebsen seemed to understand, as I could sometimes hear him say, "Don't worry, Michael. Even the best of us are overshadowed occasionally."
Well, one of the benefits of taking the Beginning Salsa class three times in a row (along with weekly private lessons) finally started to become apparent to me. Suddenly, I WAS in demand as a dance partner among the Beginner girls. These other guys would come into the studio in their rubber-soled, square-toed shoes and just sort of clomp around the room. I was beginning to develop some style.
I had also invested $100 in a pair of Italian leather shoes (we're talking low-end footwear here, but it's a much better kind of shoe than you'll find in the $50 range). The shoes made a big difference. To be honest, I went through so many shoes when I was in college that I started buying $10 shoes at K-Mart and Wal-Mart. They looked cheap and they felt cheap, but I could replace them faster than you can snap your fingers.
Still, just walking in those almost-leather shoes was a bit uncomfortable. Dancing in them was agonizing. I didn't really understand, though, that women judge a man by the shoes he wears. Why? I have no idea. But Dad always said, "Don't try to understand women -- that's not what men do."
So, after about four months, I was almost the Mister Popular Partner I had once been in college. Only now it was because I could actually dance the Beginning Class' steps, and because I dressed better than the other guys (okay, I also wore a nice, expensive cologne most of the time, too). Dancing no longer
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looked (or felt) like something awkward because the women were coming to me, smiling, looking deep into my eyes.
You see, you can't really just take a Beginning Salsa class and then go out to the clubs and dance. If you're already in a relationship, and if your partner is really into you, then, yeah, any guy can go clomp around the floor. Just having the nerve to get out there earns you mucho respeto with the ladies. But I wanted to be a good dancer.
I had asked Gloria to be honest with me. How long would I be in Salsa School? How much time (and money) did I need to invest in the lessons before I would be able to dance with strangers without embarrassing myself. Now, that is an important question everyone needs to ask themselves when they get into this. But though I say it's important, keep in mind that there is no right answer.
Gloria suggested it might take me a year for me to feel really comfortable. One of the Intermediate students told me she had heard from several sources that you could become a social dancer after three years and a good dancer after five years. But that also depended greatly on how much time you invest per week in both lessons and practice.
Practice really is the most important thing you need when you are learning. You can take all the lessons in the world, but if you don't practice, you don't develop your motor skills, timing, and sense of balance. Your body just doesn't adjust to the dancing.
In fact, I realized, that I had been training my body to do standard aerobics and resistance (I worked out for about 30-40 minutes per day). The extended dancing lessons were agonizing for me because I was using muscles that weren't being properly worked out at home (meaning, I'll never make it as a fitness trainer).
On the other hand, when you're still nervous about dancing with the other Intermediate students, who are all years ahead of you, going out to the clubs is out of the question. I didn't really want to try it on my own, but I just wasn't ready to ask those students to let me join them in their dance nights. Eventually, the door was opened for me by another student who suggested putting together a new dance group. We agreed to meet at a place called Ringside in Sullivan's Steak House on Westheimer.
As it turned out, the guy didn't show, so I was forced to spend the evening dancing with two women. It is SO hard to be a male in demand. You don't get any rest. I decided I kind of liked that feeling. Unfortunately, the dance group didn't really flourish until another experienced dancer started taking Gloria's Intermediate class. Terri didn't just want to take lessons, so, she started collecting emails and inviting people to go dancing at Ringside. Eventually, Gloria started sending out the invitations herself.
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