The First Dance is the Hardest

So tonight I went to La Viruta, which Jorge told me was a younger crowd and less civilized. This seemed much more "me" so I was looking forward to it. It lived up to its billing. It's on the bottom floor of an armenian hall, just as random as Lindygroove at a Masonic Lodge.

The crowd was younger, more causually dressed, mid-level skill (so I had a chance to not fully embarass myself) and some traveling onlookers. I'm still super anxious and tense (often forgetting to breathe) when I dance tango socially. It's so friggin difficult and so intimidating.

Just my luck no sooner had I walked in and the first guy to ask me to dance was a man who, it would turn out, reminded me of Jorge from LA but much more stern and admittedly with no patience. These were some of the choice phrases - most of which Jorge has said to me at some point. I was scolded left and right and I deserved all of it...

"Breathe." "Relax" "Dance with ME" "When I tell you to go, you go. When I tell you to walk, you walk. When I tell you nothing -- you do NOTHING" "Dance with your chest not with your legs."

Each song I was hoping he would give up and let me go but he kept fighting the good fight. I wanted to beat my head against the wall and run out. Then, at the end, he looks at me, nods and says "one day you will be an amazing dancer. One day soon." THANK GOD!! It was a wretched start to the night that I could only laugh at.

Then I met a very nice guy from Korea who lives in Argentina yet speaks English. Crazy huh? I figured Walt would get a kick out of the fact that I can find my asian anywhere. In fact the guy even said "Oh LA, you have lots of asians there". To which I responded, "yes, and I swing dance with a great number of them."

SALSA! At this place they mix it up with sets of salsa, a dance I can actually fake my way through. Great fun. Then a live orchestra started playing (I will try to upload video). What a treat!! A cute boy asked me to dance during the live music and our styles and level fit perfectly. It turns out he (Charlie) is from San Francisco but moved here 6 months ago. There is apparently an underground of Americans who moved to Buenos Aires when the economy turned because US money goes a lot further. I wanted to ask him more about this underground but circumstance didn't allow.

I also was able to adopt a new phrase in tango with Charlie. "Pass" - if something he was doing I could not follow I would just say PASS and he wouildn't try it again. Worked out splendidly. Only do the few moves I'm good at and I look like a rock star.

So it was a great night of dancing and has me sad I don't get to stay the whole month.