There are way too many memories for me to share here. I have had a few embarrassing moments, but most of my dance time has been pure fun. I've met a lot of people and made quite a few friends. At one point, I was dancing five nights a week. I participate in up to six classes a week, too. So, here are a few of my favorite dancing stories. They are just the tip of the iceberg.
As a beginning dance student I had many illusions which have long since been shed. One of my most cherished hopes was that I would repeat my college experience of being surrounded by women desperate to dance with me.
I also wondered, before I met her, how I would get along with my new dance teacher. Tact and diplomacy are not exactly my trademark characteristics. So, naturally, I went into the dance lessons on my best behavior.
Through the more than two years that I have known Gloria Jones, I can only remember annoying her a few times. Rarely has she has raised her voice to me (and only for cause, sometimes just so I could hear her above background noise). Gloria is a soft-spoken lady. She is gentle, persuasive, ever positive, and performs consistently under a demanding schedule.
She is also a beautiful, sexy lady. She doesn't try to be anything more than a dance teacher. But something special radiates from her. I have observed many men fade into the ambience of Gloria's lessons, especially when she demonstrates a move for the classes. You feel like a kid who has just stumbled upon a fairy dance in a secret glen.
Dancing has been depicted in the movies as a very romantic, sensual experience. That is probably the one thing about dance which cannot be exaggerated. Throughout all or most partner dancing, not just the Latin Dances, the man leads the woman through the movements of the dance. Nearly every one of the hundreds of women I have danced with has lit up like a candle when I gave her a good lead. Even Gloria has reacted that way. When I lead well, I feel confident, strong, and in complete control.
It's not about power and domination, but about establishing a rapport with my partner. Rapport is very important in our relationships. We bond with people through rapport. We sell through rapport. We seduce each other through rapport. When you have rapport with someone, you close out the rest of the world. It's a very intimate experience.
You will occasionally see a seduction dance occur in the night clubs. The first one I recall took place right beside me and one of my fellow students. We were a bit put off because the Queen of Sheba was taking up half the dance floor at Ringside. Her King Solomon stood off to the side, drink in hand, possibly too drunk to fully appreciate what was happening.
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About a year later, as a friend and I sat in Ringside, waiting for the band to set up, a couple of girls entered the club. One of the girls wore a white two-piece business outfit which was quite form-fitting and sexy. I was immediately attracted to her, and I am sure she saw me. But I quickly lost interest in her when I saw her light up a cigarette.
Nonetheless, when the music started, and before most of my friends had arrived, the girl in white stepped out onto the dance floor. She began dancing by herself, very sensuously, turning around in time to the music, stroking her hips and legs. She didn't exactly look at me, nor at any of the men in the club. I turned to my friend and told him I had the feeling she was dancing for me. He laughed politely but I was sure she wanted me to dance with her. He asked why. I couldn't say why.
A few minutes later, one of the club's regular dancers left his partner and tried to dance with the girl in white. She pushed him away and continued to dance. A second man then tried to dance with her, and she pushed HIM away. At this point she turned directly toward me (and my friend) and began dancing as seductively as possible. My friend now agreed that she probably wanted to dance with me. I was fascinated by the experience.
Women have been using dance to seduce men since time out of mind. A woman's seductive power is one of her natural defenses against a man's natural tendency to kill whatever he cannot control. Since he cannot control the woman, her best chance of surviving on his turf is to make him think she may have his babies. Women just seem to have a built-in ability to become sultry. The problem is, that doesn't mean they really know how to dance (at least not where Salsa is concerned).
The Latin dances are among the most sensual dances I have ever seen. I mean, some people are just plain gross sometimes, getting out on the floor and doing everything they can to simulate real sex. Bachata easily lends itself to this style of dancing, and I can well understand why it was considered a "dirty" dance in the Dominican Republic.
The Bachata I love to dance is not like that, although it, too, is very sensual. But though I don't pretend to be having sex, I do tease my partners.
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