Dance

Last night I went out with some friends (and some strangers) to a club in the city, to watch a live band. One of our number happened to play guitar in the band, and his girlfriend, a friend of mine really REALLY wanted us to come. Her intensity was the primary reason for my decision to go.

Clubs have never been my scene, which will be a surprise to only strangers reading this blog and those on the farthest end of the clueless spectrum. I don't dance; don't even like to watch people dance. It makes me feel awkward for two reasons:

1. If you sit at a club for long enough, people start to think you're not dancing because no one has asked you, and so someone inevitably sets about making it their own personal challenge to coerce you onto the dancefloor. Any number of reasonable, honest refusals will not be enough to convince such a well-intentioned yet annoying person to leave you alone.

2. Watching people dance the free style that you tend to find in clubs, at weddings, and in peoples' livingrooms in the US is painful. If you're dancing, you probably don't notice, (often your reason has been tained by a little alcohol) but from the outside you look stupid. I don't know how to dance like that (although people regularly tell me you CAN'T not know- you just move) but even if I thought I did know how I wouldn't be interested. Pride. I think they look stupid, and I KNOW I would look stupid, and as a general rule, I try to aviod looking stupid, whenever it is within my power to do so.

But all that being said, I had a great time last night. Know why? Because people here don't dance like that. HelLO Latin America! Salsa, rumba, mambo, more salsa, other things I don't know the names for, all mixing together in a whirl of high heels, black hair, low-cut shirts, bongo drums, excitement, and blue jeans.

It's contagious. I was tired and my lungs were turning black from the secondhand smoke, but I couldn't help tapping my fingers and smiling as I watched the crowd of people on the dancefloor. I kept trying to watch the steps, but it made me dizzy so I eventually gave up. They were having a great time. And I was too. The first time I ever enjoyed watching other people dance.

I like the rhythms. I liked the variety of ages on the floor- everything from a 10 year old girl to couples around my parents' age. I liked that brothers and sisters dance together. I loved the music. I liked the way the people move their bodies (I'm not sure my body is capable of moving like that...maybe white bodies can't do that?). I liked the atmosphere of having fun. Just having fun.