Saturday, April 17, 2010

A New Flavor

So today was my first taste of salsa and I must say it was tasty. Full of flavor, spice, and passion. It's my hope that everyone knows I mean the dance and not the condiment.



My homie took to me La Pregunta, a small bar and cafe on 153rd and Amsterdam, for lessons. We arrived a little late and everyone was in line waiting to be paired up fellas on one side and ladies on the other. We quickly moved to the end of the line. The instructor explained that he would teach us the basic steps, we would then add music, then the ladies would rotate each time. We began three steps forward...5,6,7, three steps back...1,2,3. Then we added a turn and a spin and finished off with 5,6,7,1,2,3. Some of my partners were great teachers, others were beginners like me, and several tried to lead me (which was a humorous exchange) but after a few times I was moving pretty well. The lesson ended and we moved off of the dance floor to rest and the professional stepped on the floor.




When you watch these two people interact with each other it's not hard to see the sexual innuendo presented by this exchange. The movement is sensual, man guiding woman, woman being guided by man and for four minutes two becoming one, moving together to create beautiful movement. Well idealistically. I seemed to fumble around trying to get the basics down. But give me a break it was my first time and we are all awkward the first time. ;) but with practice I'll be making a new flavor.



PS The reason the pictures are blurry is because they capture movement.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

A Pause for Prose: Shades over the Soul

It was a beautiful sunny day- fitting considering it Easter Sunday, and I was on my way to Brooklyn Flea Market. I looked up and my eyes encountered beautiful young lady stepping on the train; demur, feminine, and demanding attention, with shades on. I watched her and wondering what she was concentrating so hard on. She briefly looked at me or in my direction before she got off the train and I begin to wonder.

If the eyes are the windows to the soul why do we consistently cover them up? Are we then afraid of what others may see in us? Or are we afraid to show our souls to the world? It such a shame that we hide such a beautiful piece of ourselves from each other. Aside from the physical beauty of eyes, eye contact allows us to connect with each other in unspeakable ways. "At that moment when our eyes are locked in silent communication, we are, in essence, touching." -Debbie Bailey. Have we become so disconnected with others, and so self absorbed that we are afraid to touch someone with a pleasant look?

Sure shades have their function but it seems like recently for most of us that function is to protect our looks our expressions and pieces of who we are. Interestingly enough we are willing to expose so much of ourselves today, but are unwilling to convey the thing that gives insight to who we really are. With our windows open who knows who may enter our souls.