Todo Tiene Su Final

April 17, 2009

With a clearer head and fewer responsibilities, I made it to Sauce shortly after 9:30. I took a quick peek to see if 1 Station Road was open. It wasn’t yet, but there were activities downstairs. The lessons at Sauce was packed and ended shortly after 10. It was too crowded for me to see but the instructors presumably were Dan, Kafe, Jane and Vish. Robin and Raj were there early too.

After sitting out the first song, I decided to pick my partners by personal history. Thus I danced first with Marian, who I think was in my very first Salsa class. Next was Lorraine, who once assisted with Mauricio’s classes. Third was Jane – although by that point Serap had arrived so the theme had become unworkable. As for others, aside from Polly, who arrived much later, I would be hard pressed to decide the order of the dances. So many people have come and gone from the scene (and I don’t think I can be blamed for more than a handful if at all).

I also tried to dance with all of the regular girls there but didn’t quite succeed; I think I managed to ask all but one before they departed though. It took nearly two hours to make the first round.

I thought Vish knew about me not wanting a farewell dance. He didn’t – but this was neither surprising nor upsetting. I would not have picked the song Vish chose – Todo Tiene Su Final (Everything has an end, nothing lasts forever), but in retrospect it was quite apt. In fact, for me I preferred it over every other song Vish played for other people for birthdays and departures.

In the circle for the farewell dance were Abbe, Serap, Jane, Laura, Lorraine, Ania, Shorty, Georgie among others. No one was sure about when to jump in, and I wasn’t particularly sure about when to make the switch. The simplest method was to grab the most convenient person whenever Vish shouted switch. In general I didn’t try to do too much (or at least not overwhelm anyone) while keeping the dance to match the music (probably deluding myself into thinking I’m giving people a lesson in musicality if not fundamentals and philosophies rather than merely countless turn patterns).

Zern showed up near the end – pure coincidence that this was my last Friday in Cambridge and his first in more than 6 months. He stayed long enough for a group photo of last of the stragglers, which included Mark, Polly, Raj, Laura and Vish. Zern went on a chat-fest with big-hand Misty outside the door before the night ended with Mark’s foursome drifting out and in looking into the old venue.

Nothing lasts forever. Soon I’ll be joining likes of Mimis and Cyrilles in the dustbin of Cambridge Salsa history. The vacuum left by my absence will be filled quickly, and new pecking order will be established. New admirations, envies, idiocies, outrages and understandings will replace the old. I thought I saw what was happening and what was going to happen to the scene with some clarity through a thick fog and a laser light show. Does anyone else see with same kaleidoscope eyes?