Salsa

I'm fairly proud of my dance abilities, but salsa is something I didn't have a lot of experience with. Paula's husband Michael is an accomplished, and professional trumpet player, and a salsa band that was playing in L.A. asked him to fill in at the last minute. We got to go along, and see The Conga Room that had a $25 cover charge and $8 beers. Since we were with the band, we didn't have to pay the cover charge, although it took a bit of fenaggling for me. The ownership group includes Jimmy Smits, Sheila E., Jennifer Lopez, and will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, and features a latin beat to their music and ambience. We got kicked out of their VIP area because we weren't drinking Cristal and Veuve Cliquot, at $300 price tags on the menu.

http://www.congaroom.com/

Michael is an amazing trumpet player, and is one of the few that makes a great living as a professional musician. He has grown enough to have over 30 students each week, and continues to be asked to fill-in for several gigs, including his own band. Seems musicians in the area have a tendency to be a bit flaky, and Michael is making a name for himself because he rarely says no, and he can read music on the spot.

I too, learned to dance salsa on the spot. They were having lessons that night, so I watched for a while, and imitated as best I could. When a woman came up to me and asked me for a dance, I felt I was ready. We got onto the dance floor, and I knew something was wrong. "You start with the right foot, don't you?" I asked. "Yes," she replied. I had to re-learn salsa on the spot, because I learned to start with the left foot. She was very forgiving! It's a hell of a workout, and a fun dance, with a lot more hip movement, and sensuality than two-step country dancing, or the jive. The band that Michael filled in with were authentic and most excellent.