Last Friday night was iSalsa2’s first outing to the new location of Café Luna in downtown Champaign for a night of salsa. Luna’s new place is in the old train station building (the south side, bordering University Avenue, immediately across the street from the Illinois Terminal), and has a lounge area suited perfectly to our purposes. Drinks, couches, and tables were on hand for everyone there, which made the venue quite comfortable. The night got going after 9:00- I didn’t get there until after 11:00, but everything was in full swing by the time I arrived.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, as this was the first time I had been to an event with the organization outside of classes. I was pleasantly surprised to find people not just from class, but from all around the community. Seeing experienced salsa dancers really for the first time was quite the experience- you see that they’re speaking the same language that you’re learning, but at the same time that they’ve made it their own. Each has their own style, their own inflection, and watching them come to common ground on the dance floor gave me some kind of perspective on why people love this dance so much. It seems to let them speak to their personalities in ways that words can sometime muddle up.
I have to say that as a beginner I was a bit intimidated (I’ve only been dancing for a couple months now), but the mood was incredibly genial, and people were happy to teach you a thing or two if you wanted it. So, I danced a little, watched a lot, and enjoyed every bit of it. The DJ catered to all tastes- there was plenty of merengue and bachata thrown in, and the selection was lively right to the end. All told, the night was a success, and lit a fire under me to get out and learn as much as I can so that next time around, I can do more dancing and less watching. I really hope to see some of you there the next time we go out- It’ll be a memorable night!
No comments:
Post a Comment