Joining weight watchers program

November 9, 2006

Advanced with Sally assisted by Mark

1,2,3,5,6,7 CBL low cross pass break L-R and switch to R-R and make L-L connection underneath R-R if there’s time
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and into reverse CBL position (bringing follower forward on 3 of course) and lead follower into 2 1/2 clockwise turn (minimal traveling after 3) with R-R lead high and L-L at follower’s waist level for touch-and-go and to end L-L behind follower’s R waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 get R-R behind follower’s L waist and lead follower into 1 1/2 clockwise traveling turn with R-R released and L-L at waist level for touch-and-go – for now, I can imagine only doing this move as choreography – end with L-L behind follower’s R waist and reconnect R-R in front of follower’s face
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and into Copa position with all connections pointing towards the direction follower came from except that in this move, leader has already taken follower’s previous position by 3 or 4 and does a hook turn for full clockwise stationary turn with L-L temporarily at leader’s L shoulder and released during the leader’s turn – end with crossed hold R-R on top
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and lead follower into stationary 1/2 stationary clockwise turn on 2,3 into lowered crucifix position (apparently this allows for more control for 5,6 part) – lead follower to twist clockwise on 5 and counterclockwise on 6 and lead her to 1/2 stationary clockwise turn (to land on 7?)
1,2,3,5,6,7 drop catch to get L-L underneath R-R and prepare and lead follower to triple stationary touch-and-go turn (end with L-L on top)
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and lead follower into full counterclockwise turn with leader getting behind follower and into something like crucifix position but not quite (leader is positioned to L of follower as well as behind and R forearm/wrist is on follower’s R shoulder with R-R being positioned above and slightly in front of follower’s R shoulder and L-L also above and in front of follower’s L shoulder) – lead follower into 2 1/2 clockwise traveling turn
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break and lead follower into 1 1/2 (or is it 2 1/2 counterclockwise traveling turn)
1,2,3,5,6,7 L-L hat for follower and release (R-R behind follower’s back is also released) and get into CBL and end with simple CBL

I for one wasn't sure if I was going to be there after remembering about the CDC free Salsa social. Then the CDC event was postponed to next Tuesday, thus making my decision easy.

I was about 20 minutes late. Travel times are less predictable when train delays have to be accounted for. At least the weather has not been horrible this week. On the other hand a phone call from the mechanic would be really nice. The class was on the third bar when I arrived, and I joined in at the start of the fourth bar. The leader:follower ratio was 2:1, and it took me about 1 1/2 round of partner changes to get up to speed more or less.

Vishal said upon my arrival that it was a quiet night. I didn't think this was especially true. Maybe one or two followers from the advanced class were missing. Otherwise, it seemed pretty normal.

I did wonder if it was going to be a quiet social by around 10 PM though. And then people started drifting in as the evening went on. In the end it felt more or less like a normal full-fledged Thursday evening typical for past 3+ months. Not everyone was there but some people who had not been there came back. Perhaps the most noticeable newcomers were a pair of guys from out of town some 40 miles away (Milton Keynes?); they seemed competent enough and seemed to enjoy themselves. I commented to Ivan that maybe Thursday evening at Club Salsa might be building a reputation.

My dancing was alright - my partners were great of course. As for me I wondered if I was often too clinical and without enough passion (or is it energy? I am always hungry these days). Certainly I wasn't suffering from too much exuberance. Sam at one point commented, "Your lead is becoming lighter," which is her usual Sergio complaint. In any case, I thought my lead has been light for quite some time now so there's nothing new here. In fact, Sam followed my leads very well except for one occasion where she felt a phantom lead and made an unnecessary turn. On the other hand, there were other dances (well… just one dance) where I did wonder if I was pushing too hard to lead too lightly and possibly turning off my partner also by being neither here nor there. I missed dancing with two of the usual partners - one because of foot injury and another mostly because I did not find a good song when she was available.

Some of the song played by Sally included: El Pito (Isidro Infante), Tu Tu Ta Ta II (Eddie Palmieri), Para Ochun (Hector Lavoe), Fragile (cover of Sting – Massimo Scalici possibly but it sounds a little different from the copy I have - Sergio referred to it as a nightmare after dancing to it - I asked, "Not enough percussion?". He replied, "Not enough of a song." - Enough people like it, however.), Azuquita Pal Café (El Gran Combo), A El (Oscar D’Leon), Pa’ Los Bravos (Grupo Latin Vibe), La 33 (La 33 - Sergio's comment, "Not feeling it."), La Pantera Mambo (La 33 - being overplayed to death by everyone including me), My Favorite Things (New Swing Sextet), Pico Swing (New Swing Sextet), Mambo Diablo (Tito Puente - Concorde Picante recording), Thinking Of You (Lenny Kravitz)… During practice La Llave (Grupo Latin Vibe) and Otra Oportunidad (Jimmy Bosch) were used. A little half of the songs played were not known by name to me although some sounded familiar enough. Sally said later that other songs included Rumbon Melon (Joe Pastrana) and song of unknown title by Paquito D'Rivera & His Latin Jazz Ensemble. There was also a song by Tito Rodriguez according to Sergio with about 3 breaks too many - he counted 7. Notable absences among the usual songs included Ahora Quien and Mujer Erotica.

There are so much to do and so little time. I have been thinking about making flier-like objects for the Bachata thing but cannot get started. Momentum is difficult to fight.