Needed: Dance Space

There are two things that the Indianapolis Salsa community is in need of. One is male salsa dancers, which I have covered in a previous article, and the other is dance space. All the venues in Indy suffer from insufficient dance space to some extent. Places like the Vault may have a full dance floor on a Saturday night and not be overwhelming crowded, but at places like the Jazz Kitchen you feel like a tightly packed sardine after 11:00 pm.

While is it great to see the popularity of salsa venues soar, it is becoming more and more difficult to find space to dance. For the more experienced dancers, we lose our ability to execute some of our stylish and more complex patterns on the floor. I am not talking about flipping someone in the air, but fun stuff that we like to do that requires the lead to move out of their slot to execute. When my portfolio of patterns is cut in half due to space, it makes it more difficult to express myself on the dance floor because I am forced to ask myself whether or not executing the pattern will send myself or my partner into a collision course with the couple next to us.

There are two solutions to this problem. Our quick answer is to increase the dance space provided. I feel that the owners of restaurants and clubs have already done an excellent job at providing dance space at their expense and risk. As our community grows, owners will invest in more space for the dancers. The other solution is more practical - for dancers to be more space conscious. I am no saint - when you are 6'3" it is not an easy task conserving space with arms and legs like mine, but I feel that I make great efforts in utilizing less space when needed. My issue is with the dancers who bluntly do not the take into consideration that there are other dancers and dance as if they are the only couple on the dance floor. I have broken down these dancers into three categories.

The Beginner Dancer
You and your dance partner are minding your own business and then you feel someone’s heel/shoe nail the back of your foot. You turn about and see a couple taking huge steps and not maintaining their slot on the dance floor. If this has happened to you, then you have encountered a beginner dancer. It is typically not their fault; sometimes their instructor neglects to mention it, or may not mention it enough for it to stick in their minds. I tell my students to take small steps and to maintain a slot when dancing. Salsa is a slot dance where the couple dances in an invisible rectangular box. A easy way to determine if you are staying in your slot is to position yourself parallel to the closest wall. After you have danced a song check to see if you are still parallel with the wall (not at an angle) and have not move too far from your original position (it is ok if you have traded position with your partner). Working on dancing within your slot takes time and effort, but after you have mastered it, you will find that you can utilize less room on the floor and your dancing will look more polished.

The Macho Dancer
You know who you are, we understand that you love the Jazz Kitchen and will do anything in your power to dance as if the floor is half empty, but you have pissed off at least a half of dozen dancers in the process. I really do not have any advice to these dancers other then to get off the floor if they do not know how to behave. Take it easy and there will be times when there is more room to dance.

The Drunken Dancer
Do us a favor and stay off the floor or take that mess to Rock Lobster or the Vogue. Most of us dancers have invested our time to learn how to dance and we feel cheated when a drunken couple hits the dance floor like a bowling ball and we are the bowling pins. There many non-salsa bars and clubs around Indy to get drunk and grind on your partner.

Till next time Indy, conserve your space and keep dancing.

Category: [IndySalsero-rants]