Ballroom Dance

This past Friday, I had a newspaper assignment to photograph an on-campus event called "Noche de Salsa". I mistakenly thought this was a performance, so I didn't plan on having any fun, but it turned out to be a beginners lesson sort of thing! I took my pictures, but also refreshed my Salsa moves on the side. It was fun relearning Salsa, but it really made me homesick for my friends. I actually got super emotional and almost cried because I missed dancing with my friends so much. Aren't I pitiful? ;)

After hugs (which I really miss...), I think ballroom dancing is the biggest thing I miss from home (not counting people).

So, how did I deal with this nostalgic sadness? I tracked down the best ballroom in town and petitioned everyone I knew to go with me on Sunday night. Alas, nobody I actually knew wanted to go - "$8 is too much" "I have church/homework/ect" "I don't know how to dance". Pfft. Come on people. $8 isn't that much, it's a three-day weekend, and there's a free lesson 30 minutes before the floor opens.

So, I posted on the SPU Class of 2017 page and asked if anyone would want to go with me! Only two people responded that they were interested, neither of which I knew, so my excitement for going took a serious hit. But I was still in the mood, so I planned a time and met the two other girls in Hill's lobby - only to discover that a lot of random SPU people were going and it wasn't the sad little party of three that I had imagined! I took the bus with four other girls, none of whom I had met before (excepting Leah, who I met one during the Spring for NSA). We planned on catching the 11:00 bus home (last bus of the night) (the dancing started at 9:00), but ended up finding someone who could give us a ride home at the end of the night, so I scored a seat in a car home at 12:30! Whoot!

Now for the dancing. Not sure what style they were teaching, but it definitely threw me off for a bit. I'm pretty sure it was East Coast Swing, but I'm used to starting with the "triple-step" and they taught that you began with the "rock-step"... for some reason that really threw me off. I danced with a different guy almost every dance (for THREE hours!), although I think I danced twice with one guy (who I elbowed in the face when he was trying to dip me... twice), three times with a guy that looked really shy/lonely, twice with a guy who seemed to only know the basic - and was totally groovin' with it, and three or four times with a new friend from SPU. I noticed a great improvement in all of their dancing as the hours wore on - I heard that there were a LOT of n00bs there because it was a long weekend, so lots were complete beginners. I also think I asked more guys to dance than asked me... Haha...

The ballroom itself (Century Ballroom) was really pretty. It had a balcony and lots of wonderful open windows. Prettily lit too. Google it. Here's a picture I took from the balcony:

I didn't have any experiences with rude/creepy partners, so for that I'm glad! :D Everyone was either a beginner or gracious, so I didn't feel to bad when I messed up (which happened a lot).

I had a ton of fun and am going to try to get my floor-mates to go with me next time!!! I still miss my friends from home with a burning passion, but I'm still having fun dancing my feet off in Seattle with new people!!

"Dancing through life
Skimming the surface
Gliding where turf is smooth" - Fiyero ("Wicked")