Learning to dance salsa and bachata

Last weekend I was a little bit sad because I was saying goodbye to two people who introduced me to dancing.

Louise and Abdou hail from the United Kingdom and Morrocco. In December they will return to the United Kingdom for Louise to begin her yearlong experience as a guest lecturer in physics.

If it weren?t for these two I probably would have never known I have a few Latin dance moves in me.

About a year ago Louise and Abdou started teaching salsa and bachata at the recreation center in Iowa City. I was invited by a mutual friend of theirs to go try one of their classes in January. I didn?t make it until March, but I am so glad I did.

When I came in Louise came over and introduced herself to me immediately. She asked me if I had ever danced before or taken lessons. I told her I was a beginner. She told me no worries ? at 5:30 p.m. a beginner lesson would be held. Everyone paired up with a partner and we began to learn our first sequence in salsa. After a couple of times with our first partner, Abdou would tell us to rotate and we could learn another move.

With salsa you have a three-step count. The leaders (usually men) step toward you on their left foot while the followers (usually women) step back on their right foot, tap and then move forward again. After a couple of tries I was able to get this somewhat down.

Then came the turns, which I am still trying to figure out. The leaders motion you by bringing your arm up to them, which way you should turn. Sometimes it?s right and other times it?s left. You just have to learn their cues.

At the end of my beginner lesson Louise told me I was definitely not a beginner and should stay for the intermediate course, which is an hour and a half long. You switch partners after learning a new move and go through the dance sequence from the beginning. Let?s just say I was not ready for this but stuck it through and kept coming back.

The following week the class was on bachata, which can be very sensual. This is a four-step count dance. You move right to left or front to back three steps, tap, which is counted as the fourth step, and move back to your original position.

I like bachata a lot more than salsa because I find it easier to keep up with the count.

After rotating through partners a couple of times I had to pair up with Abdou. I was so intimidated but Abdou was very patient and explained everything to me. At the end of our pairing he told me I did a good job but to follow my lead and not to rush. I am still working on that.

Saturday evening was my goodbye to my two instructors who claim they aren?t professionals. I will always look back on the dance lessons with them as a good time and will miss them greatly. However, this will not be the end of dancing for me. I was happy to hear someone else who went to the classes is planning on taking over and hopes to start again in January, so beginning every Sunday evening in January I?ll be dancing in Iowa City.