Johnny Walden
He looks a little bit like Joseph Stalin upon first glance, or maybe it's just the bad picture I took. Stalin probably didn't have much of a sense of humor. Johnny likes to joke about every untoward situation.
He has been teaching the classes at Elvia's since long before I came to Houston. Sometimes, he has so many students they are packed in like sardines. Sometimes, people just sit around the club and chat, and Johnny waits patiently, announces the free class a couple of times, and then packs up his equipment.
I used to see him at other venues, particularly Ringside at Sullivan's. But these days I only run into Johnny at Elvia's. You can see him standing in the corner, speaking with other teachers or old friends.
But when he steps on the dance floor, you see why he can teach.
|
It took me about two weeks to chase down Johnny Walden at his studio, Westside Dance Centre. The man is always on the run, and he was about to walk out the door to attend a party in honor of Jose Melendes (another Houston dance teacher) when I arrived.
I first met Johnny in late 2003 when a friend suggested I check out his free dance class at Elvia's Cantina on Fondren and Westheimer. He is a seasoned dancer with a wry sense of humor. He shamelessly flirts with the ladies in his classes, but he teaches basic dance steps to new students week after week without a hitch.
That first night at Elvia's, Johnny coaxed the free class through basic Salsa (I already knew some), Cha Cha, and Merengue (I already knew a little of that, too). Since that time, he has dropped the Cha Cha segment.
But I was, in fact, most impressed with the Cha Cha portion of the class, because in about ten minutes, maybe less, Johnny took us through all the Salsa steps we had just learned and taught us to throw in a Cha Cha Cha sequence. Voila! Instant Cha Cha dancers.
I was still too self-conscious to dance with strangers, so I did not hang around Elvia's that night. I left as soon as the class was finished. In retrospect, I think I probably did the right thing. Had I seen how well people who were regularly dancing at Elvia's could move, I might never have entered another club.
A few weeks later, another friend asked me to join her in Johnny's free class. So, back to Elvia's I went. She got hooked. She liked his style even though he taught the same moves week after week. But after 2-3 more trips, he finally looked me straight in the eye and said, "Are you going to pay or are you just here for a free ride?"
Since that night, I have been careful not to join a free class at any of the clubs unless the teacher specifically invited me to stand in. Often, there are more women than men who come for the free classes, and the instructors will invite men to stand in. If a guy wants to get some dance experience before the serious dancers take the floor, helping with free classes is a great idea.
Johnny strikes me as an easy-going fellow. He peppers his class with humor and gently pokes fun at anyone who makes a mistake. His point is not to embarrass or humiliate people, but to help the new dancers relax. People are usually nervous when they take their first dance class. So, the humor helps to lighten the mood and keep people from getting lost in the details.
Johnny uses the free classes to promote his studio, Westside Dance Centre. He currently employs about ten teachers, some on staff, some on contract. A couple of my friends have taken lessons with Johnny or his staff. He has a solid reputation as a capable and knowledgeable instructor.
I have occasionally run into him at other venues. He used to come out to Ringside at Sullivan's when it was the Latin Dance hot spot. He always made a point to stop by and say hello. His sense of humor was never far away, though.
NEXT PAGE
|
