Our group began to grow. The Intermediate class reached a point where Gloria renamed it Intermediate/Advanced and was teaching two groups (one on Saturday, one on Tuesday). In addition to the private lessons, to help me catch up with my fellow Intermediate/Advanced students, I was taking the new Intermediate I class AND helping with the Beginning classes, too.
As the months passed, our group made some connections with other dance groups in the west side Houston dance scene. We became a regular part of the Ringside Wednesday night crowd. Whenever a good band was playing, the Ringside club was packed to standing room only. One artist in particular, Mary Frometa, proved to be a guaranteed success at Ringside. We were having a lot of fun.
But as time passes, people's lives change. Terri had to stop joining us, and I took over as the club nights coordinator. Let me tell you, if you want to meet women, just organize a regular weekly dance night. They will email you, call you, bring their friends to meet you, and demand to dance with you. Things reached a point where I seldom HAD to ask any women to dance with me. They came to me and asked ME to dance with them. There were nights when I hardly had a chance to sit down.
Eventually, I started asking women outside our group to dance with me. Some of them were pretty good, but I found that many people who go to clubs don't have any formal dance training. While that doesn't have to be a problem, now, I usually wait until I see a girl dance with someone else before I'll ask her to dance with me. I can usually tell if she knows how to dance, or at least can follow. Even someone who knows no Salsa at all can be a good partner if she follows.
Our dance group has visited many clubs. In fact, Ringside no longer hosts the great Latin nights it used to. Now, we most often dance at Elvia's Cantina, Tropicana Night Club, and Scott Gertner's Sky Bar.
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We're exploring new venues, too. Some of my friends go to El Chibcha, the Rumba Club, and lately we've checked out El Arroyo.
Occasionally, some of us attend a private dance night function. The Melody Club is a popular venue for many organizations. The dance floor is large and good to dance on, but the chairs and tables are a little too cafeteria-like for me. For some reason, I just like being able to sit down in a night club atmosphere.
In the right setting, I can almost see Ricky Ricardo standing in the corner with a Conga drum, waiting to break out into a rousing round of "Babaloo".
I don't know where the Salsa road will take me. I have learned more than just Salsa. I can dance a basic Cha Cha, a decent Merengue, an improving Bachata, and even a passable Cumbia. I've even braved the risque waters of Foxtrot, Waltz, Swing, and Two Step. The Latin dances, of course, are all related to each other, and as my knowledge and experience have increased, I have been able to take moves from one style into another. Salsa remains at the heart of my dancing experience. The music moves me. Nowadays, if you see me driving down the road, you may notice the car hopping and bopping. That isn't the engine. That is just me, grooving to a Salsa CD.
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