by Shy_305
“You are doing what…you are traveling to another state to dance Salsa?” I wish I had a dollar every time one of my non-dancing coworkers told me that. They refused to believe that I used my vacation time and spend my hard earned money to dance in New York when I can easy go to any one of the many Latin clubs in South Florida.
What is it about the New York Salsa scene that causes one to pack up their dancing shoes and head to the cold and snowy Northeast? It all started when I logged on to www.BorntoSalsa.com. On January 25th I read a post from one of our local Salseras (MariOn2) saying “Ok, just like we did it last year and had tons of fun, we are doing it again for the second time. The dates are March 11-15…” That is all it took! The news of the New York trip spread like wildfire. It didn’t take too long before we got a group of 16 people together for this unforgettable trip to the “Salsa Mecca”.
March 11, 2005:
We land in LaGuardia and head straight to the hotel. Word is that Ismael Otero is having his birthday party in Union City, New Jersey. Of course, we need to be there for this event. This event was the perfect way to begin our weekend because everyone who is anyone in the Salsa community will be there.
We go and grab a quick bite to eat and then we are off. We gave the cab driver directions not knowing where he would drop us off. “We’re here” the cab driver says. Everyone in the cab looked at each other with a facial expression that can only be described as “Your crazy if you think I’m going in there!” The cab driver dropped us off in a warehouse that looked like it has been abandoned for years. This warehouse looked like an abandoned slaughterhouse that can only be seen in scary movies. As the hardcore Salseros that we are, our fears were suppressed by the desire to put our feet on the dance floor.
We walk up three flights of stairs and with each step we hear the pulsating beat of the Conga drums get louder and louder. My heart wanted to jump out of my chest from all the excitement.
Finally, we walk in to this dimly lit studio. The dance floor was concrete and covered with a thin layer of powder in order to help the dancers spin better. True to its reputations this party did not disappoint. It was our opportunity to rub shoulders with those dancers that we only see in instructional videos.
As the night progressed more and more people stepped into the dance floor. It was snowing outside, but the windows were foggy due to the body heat being generated from all these people dancing to this addicting Salsa beat. Throughout the floor you see the women’s hair whipping around as they are spun multiple times. The men’s feet are moving at a speed that can only be described as “cartoon fast” as they do complicated footwork known as “Shines”.
The Vibe in this place can only be described as fireworks for the senses. The music is pumping so loud that the Conga drum enters your body and travels directly to your feet. One of our fellow “Salsa-holics” (On2_Girla77) said it best when she said that the “Mambo Gods” take over our bodies.
As the night progresses, your senses get overloaded and take you to this natural high that no drug can ever match. The night progresses and you are in a constant hypnotic state were your heart begins to beat on “Clave” and your feet become the accent to every key played on the piano.
Salsa is the only thing that I can think of that can bring two total strangers to communicate without saying a single word. For those four minutes you are connected to your dance partner and feeding constantly off their energy. Once the song reached the “Descarga” (breakdown) you feel as if you and your partner are inside of each other. This total stranger is now a part of you.
As the minutes turn to hours, my feet feel as if they want to run away from my body and head down to Miami again. My body is asking me to stop, but the tribal sound from the percussions takes me to a state of nirvana where I feel no pain and my soul is craving for one more song.
Unfortunately, the night cannot go on forever and we have to leave. As we walk out of this rundown building, I look at the faces of my fellow travelers and notice a glow in their faces that lit up that dark cold New Jersey street.
“Suena la clave...Suena el bongo… El ritmo con tumbadora…y el timbalero major. El bajo y su tumbaito…El guiro con su sabor. Susie con la melodia de los sintetizador. La flauta para adornarle…Las voces bien afincadas. El trombon que esta sonando…LA SALSA NUNCA SE ACABA!!!!” – Susie Hansen
BTS Member Edgar (shy_305)
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