LONDON:

La Freak est Chic!

http://ilovesalsa.com/VX/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=213&Itemid=2

by Fire and Heidi

Since my Baptism by Fire into Salsa I have learnt and continue to learn so much about Salsa, dance and teaching. I have experienced some of the huge variety of teaching and dancing styles currently on the scene and have ventured into pastures new (if not greener), braved the altitude ‘north of Watford’, foreign lands and even risked the bends ‘south of the river’!

In the numerous workshops that I have attended and amongst the abundance of Salsa instructors that I have observed, only a handful ever proved memorable and fewer still also succeeded in ingraining any real useful knowledge into my skull or imprinting on my Salsa spirit.

Fire, Edie & Heidi (me!)

One such was and is Edie THE SALSA FREAK!

Yeah! Just the name makes you smile – well it does if you recognise a fellow freak who dares to wear the badge with pride!

My first live experience of the Salsa Freak in action was at the UK congress 2005 swinging her white mini-skirt and flashing her red school-girl style gym pants, ‘hijacking’ her male dance partner (a willing victim) and ever-so-sweetly ‘humiliating’ him on stage, teasing, shimmying, shaking and pulling off a stunning sequence of perfectly styled saucy moves before releasing her hostage back into the dance – in perfect time to the music of course! One foxy mami after my own heart! And if she can pull that off in her 40’s having only entered Salsa in her 30’s?…well there’s hope for us all!

Not only was Edie memorable for her performance however, I hasten to add, more importantly her teaching was clear, precise charismatic, entertaining and packed with self-esteem boosters and positive thinking life philosophies.

So, here I was at the un-godly hour of 09:00 on a Sunday morning having sacrificed my one lie-in of the week opportunity, nursing a snuffly but not yet full blown cold, praising the wonders of technology that is SatNav for having successfully negotiated me to the City Golf Bar where I parked after much scrutiny of road markings and time plates on a single yellow line not a million miles away. (Oh how I pray that they will one day come up with the technology for dear Joanna Lumley to politely inform you that you have located 100% assured permitted free parking!) I clomped, very un-gazelle-like, down the stairs and took my place amongst the 50+ other Salseras and 15 or so men that had kindly taken time out to attend to assist or learn. (or you don’t suppose that they had read the bit about us being requested to bring fishnets, suspenders and floaty skirts..?)

WELCOME TO EDIE’S BOOTCAMP! – 8 hours of intermediate/advanced styling and the second day  of her two day workshop in London.

The venue itself was very pleasant – a clean basement bar with wooden flooring and good air condition but for the number of people who attended the space although intimate was restrictive and the ratio of 2:50 for ladies conveniences was perhaps a little inadequate!

Edie began by explaining a little about her philosophies on life and in relation to Salsa which is obviously something she is very passionate about and speaks about with true belief. Indeed she was clearly practicing what she preached very much so in doing the Bootcamp with 100% enthusiasm in hastily bought replacement dance gear, hand accessorised on account of her luggage having entered the twilight zone somewhere on route from Cyprus to England!

We watch & hope!

She spent some time regaling us with amusing stories of wardrobe malfunction incidents and solutions.

ü      Guys - gently reposition a falling dress/top strap without breaking off the dance.

ü      Guys - gently comb aside hair from partners face or incorporate a MILD whiplash move to flick back into place.

ü      Guys – Slickly fix zippers/labels (I once danced an entire evening and only on leaving the club was told by a girl that my bra label had been sticking out! Duh! Why didn’t she tell me that before? I would have and have many times and often even subtly adjust other girls clothing for them when I see a problem – and it’s ALWAYS appreciated!

ü      Ladies be underwear conscious – it can be part of the outfit and ‘flashed’ appropriately - gym style pants for very short or twirly skirts in co-ordinating or exactly matching colours – white unadvisable.

ü      Ladies – cut off the waist band of your hosiery to avoid sausage effect stomach rolls – they will still hold up.

ü      My advice to add for ladies – carry a spare pair of shoes everywhere – if something happens to a shoe your night could be ruined. Also carry safety pins!

She reminded us of our femininity and the qualities that make a woman look and feel feminine and therefore more appealing to men and also increasing the likelihood of us being treated in a lady-like way. I don’t suppose for one minute that she herself is anything but a very strong woman and I don’t think that her point was for us to play a traditional role in our lives or be subordinate, rather just to be aware of the nature of male and female and how we can celebrate being female and be empowered by that. She trod a fine line in getting us to repeat her mantra of ‘I am God’s gift to men’, potentially dangerous territory for her audience of 21^st century cosmopolitan independent London women, but I think it was taken as intended and her point was understood. I hope that sisterhood also take note and don’t now see a confident sensual woman as a threat to themselves and that the guys know the ‘seduction’ may just be for the duration of that dance and not necessarily an invitation to anything more! 

After spending some hours teaching us, amongst other things, some cheeky footwork to add interest to our mambos and an economical toe-heel, heel-toe pivot technique, we took a much needed lunch break and uneasily changed into our ‘glamour girl’ outfits.

 all dressed up, nowhere to go!!

The combination of food, caffeine and watching the flurry of metamorphosing females to and fro the toilets had clearly revived the flagging male entourage and they were rather too eager to assist in setting out chairs in a make-shift catwalk audience arrangement in anticipation of  part II styling with dress…

In a continuation on the feminine and confident theme, Edie decided to torture us into the spotlight making us strut our stuff in groups of 5’s Cuban-lady-style, (slow, sensual movements, exaggerated posture and diva expression) past the seated guys daring them to look away – Aagh!! – not quite the private Benjamin  image I had conjured up in my head at the mention of Bootcamp!

Well it was (and you’ve got to imagine Edie saying this in perfect Dick Van Dyke English) both AWKWARD and very NERVE-WRACKING to say the least!

I should imagine that in a regular Salsa club environment most of the women there would be very confident and approachable so it wasn’t necessarily a true reflection of their normal salsa persona, but the exercise was none-the-less valid and worth reflection.

Edie asked some of the women for their opinion on how it felt and generally the feelings were scary, proud, feminine, powerful and confidence boosting.

When the guys had picked their jaws up off the floor, rolled their tongues back into their heads and regained the function of speech, some of their comments were:

 ‘Can they do that again?’

 ‘Wow!

‘I need to go to Cuba!’

‘Is that a different set of girls to this morning?’

We learnt that it made us very noticeable. We had appeared very feminine, desirable and approachable – well not exactly a revelation maybe, but kind of nice to have an open feedback from the guys about what appeals to them in attitude and visa-versa. One guy actually commented that he didn’t initially recognise me from before lunch. This I took as a compliment but also no great surprise as I had dressed down and deliberately kept a low-profile in the morning session taking on the persona of a student and not intending to draw attention. I think the circumstances of what you are doing or hoping to achieve dictate the way that you want to be perceived at any particular time and there are times when invisible may actually be what you desire, but it is still quite amazing to know the degree to which we can transform.

It has been said many times by many dancers and teachers basically because it’s true – becoming successful on the dance floor is like achieving most things - 90% down to confidence. When you dance you are expressing yourself and in order to do that you do have to leave some of your inhibitions behind, believe in yourself and ACT!

Edie enacted several scenarios to demonstrate how your posture, body language, and general demeanour can let you down resulting in you appearing unapproachable, lowering your self-esteem and even making your dance partner feel bad.

Even if you had a bad day and your life is riddled with problems, the dance floor is the place to forget it all – throw it away for a few hours, tell yourself that you look great and get out there and shine. If you act like a wallflower you will be treated like one! It’s so easy to be intimidated in Salsa and retreat into your shell but it’s in YOUR hands to make a good time and project what you want to attract.

The power of a smile! It’s so underrated but can make all the difference to you and your dance partner – remind yourself to flash those pearly whites from time to time even if you are concentrating hard. Look at your partner – you are dancing WITH THEM not the floor or your feet. They won’t even notice or care about minor errors or imperfections in your appearance!

Edie’s afternoon tricks included much skirt ‘swooshing’, ‘figure four’ legs, tango rondes, sweeping arm movements (not best practiced in the limited space) and a very slick squat with skirt toss on a cross-body turn that my knees are still recovering from!

The actual dance content of the day was not that extensive, however it was taught very well and more than enough to go home and work on. As with any workshop the amount you can reasonably expect to retain will only be a fraction of what was taught and then only if you put it into practice immediately. The techniques were good and there were lots of small, easy to incorporate ideas.

Edie made the point the any styling that a lady chooses to do during partner work SHOULD NOT INTERFERE with what the lead is doing. The man should feel no difference in the dance whether you are styling or not, therefore more complicated styling would need to be practiced to ensure it doesn’t break the flow of a dance – the guys DO NOT LIKE IT. Yes, they like to see styling but not at the cost of their dance patterns. They also prefer more hip and body movement to elaborate arm styling.

Edie wrapped the day up with an open questions and answers session where we had a chance to debate Salsa etiquette and ask how she would deal with certain scenarios:

Q   If the guy smells do you tell him?

A   Edie says that she would and if you intend to dance with him again then you should. The most tactful way to approach this would be to take him aside after the dance and assure him that as his friend you are saying this to him to avoid him dancing with other girls oblivious to the problem and perhaps becoming ostracised. You should also say that you would appreciate being told the same if it were true even though it is embarrassing.

Q   If the lady smells?

A   Same applies although extra tact and perhaps even offering a drink to soften the blow. For bad breath offering a mint or gum can be a good hint. Taking a small toiletry bag with you isn’t a bad idea either. Invest in a travel toothbrush!

Q  If a guy is dancing in a lewd/crude manner, too close, rubbing his face in your groin!?! (Can you believe that happened?) or ANYTHING that you aren’t comfortable with?

A  Either push away and create more space between you if too close to a stranger, or stand back and pointedly say looking directly at him

NO! I don’t like that!

You don’t have to ‘put up’ with anything that you deem unacceptable in a dance. There is no clear right or wrong behaviour and everybody’s perception will be different, but we need to be aware and sure of what is and isn’t appropriate to each different partner and that will be largely based on how well we know them. Don’t ever assume if you don’t know for sure. Also be aware when watching other couples dance that they may know each other very well and that how they interact may not be something that you should try to re-enact with them or another stranger.

Be respectful. Don’t judge. Don’t assume.

Note to Guys: When we are dancing with you, we generally don’t want to know that you are THAT pleased to see us – tame the beast! Discipline! Focus!

Q  If a guy is dancing off-time to the music should you try to manipulate him back on time?

A  No. Enjoy the dance, take the opportunity to work on your styling, footwork/shines, go with it consider it a challenge and a success if you make him look and feel good. In time he may get the count and will remember you as a fun and enjoyable dance partner.

I was very glad that I had attended. I found the day very informative. I did feel that I had learnt something. I already had a DVD with many of the very same moves which now had come to life. I know that I will actually work on some of the techniques and when I pluck up the courage I will begin to incorporate some of the styling into my dance. That length of workshop would have benefited from more frequent breaks and as mentioned before, the size and facilities could have been better.

Edie retains her crown in my eyes as she not only taught good Salsa, but she proved that it’s not about packing in as much impressive content as possible, but HOW you teach, your charisma, how you interact with your students and your approachability. (Indeed she remembered Fire very clearly and a unique lift move that he’d put her in some years earlier which he repeated at her request and she happily posed for photos with us.) She places great importance in always considering the bigger picture in life, attitude, creating a great atmosphere conducive to learning and having fun, raising the energy levels of the class, maintaining the momentum and entertaining.

I left the city tired but lifted and woke the next morning to put into practice my Cuban walk. I sashayed slowly shoulders back, ribcage thrust forward, head held high with my best regal air through the regiments of marching commuters to catch my train. Apart from nearly slipping a disc skating on one stiletto heel on the treacherous tiled tube station floor (fortunately had I need to Edie had also taught us the equally important art of falling gracefully and getting up with dignity intact), the experiment was quite a success. I continued to glide into the office, where I hung up my Cuban mask before the Bisto effect could have a negative impact on company profits in the predominantly male workplace…

So, to Edie, many thanks and ‘girfriends’ out there - watcha waitin’ for?

…find a spot out on the floor, aaahh freak out!