Salsa

I love Latin music: Arturo Sandoval, Pancho Sanchez, Tito Puente--all of them and more. And then there's nothing sexier than watching a couple who can really dance, dance to Latin music. Sure, I can sway my hips and move and count to four. I can count to eight too and even skip seven. Sounds easy, until you try moving your feet to a count of eight at a hundred and some-odd beats per minute. Add in a partner and you either have a magnificent harmony or a train wreck. And so it went tonight when I went to a beginning Salsa class at Allegro Ballroom in Emeryville.

The beginning class, at 7 p.m. started promptly around 7:13. Approximately 20 men and 20 women showed up to pay $12 for a double class* and learn how to swivel to the beat. The class started out at a mild pace with women on one side and men on the other as we learned some very basic moves. Let me be clear, at no time did I ever take my eyes off of the instructor, even with the easy moves.

Then we paired up and continued to switch partners as the women moved around the room. Here's what I learned (I'll break this down in a Cheneyesque way):
There are bad dancers who know they are bad (these guys are ok to dance with as they are forgiving)
There are bad dancers who think they are good (these guys are terrible to dance with as they make you feel like you are making all of the mistakes)
There are good dancers who know they are good and are helpful (This is the guy you want to dance with as he'll gently guide you, correct you and make you look great)
There are good dancers who know they are good and make you feel bad for not being as good (this guy is the pompous ass you can't wait to get away from).

That's what you get with a large group.

When the first class ended and rolled into the advanced class, I stuck around for the first 15 minutes as the beginning exercises were a good refresher. Then the class got larger, the foot-work sped up, the beats per minute increased, and I grabbed my coat and hauled ass out of there, pulling a schedule out of the holder as I exited.

Fun: 4 (yes, but it's harder than you think)

Easy to implement: 2 (a vehicle will get you to a dance studio)

Worthy of repetition: 4 (at some point in time I may check it out again)

Try This: 3 (humbling)

Cost: 1 (definitely not a wallet buster)