Patrick's Story...

I first have to say it's real fun reading all stories available yet, as well as the respondings of Edie, recognizing many items or at least being very very able to imagine the things mentioned.
So here's my contribution to her great initiative.
My salsa experience just started a few years ago, which actually was a merengue-experience at first. Being and being raised dutch, I didn't even know how to spell salsa all my life. Until the moment I saw a small carnival held by Antilian people. I saw two ladies dancing something I immediately felt in love with, that is: the dancing! It appeared to be a merengue. So I intended to take lessons. Although Groningen, the place I life is rather unknown to the world it has a lot of small dance-schools in these category. But as is usual with intentions to me, I not always translate them to actions and forgot all about it. One day however, I walked on the street and saw a poster from danceschool Margarita with the sentence:"Do dance!" and in smaller capitals: "merengue, bolero and salsa". I looked at it, remembered everything again and said to myself: "okay!"

So I did start taking lessons at Margarita, first the merengue. But it wasn't great fun at the beginning! Oh, I did master the rhythm easily but still something was wrong, neither me nor the teacher could correct easily. Being stubborn and angry and wanting to do things perfectly, I asked a female friend acquainted with these dances, to show me how to do it.
And suddenly I understood since she did dance slightly different as was being taught (making this eight-movement with her hips). After this great experience I went to parties, but just wanting to sit and watch since I didn't know anybody over there. Apart from that, I only did master the basics and because it's the male person who has to lead, me, not having a thing to lead at all, I thought this to be best. But Margarita my danceteacher didn't care about all these thoughts, so I had to dance with her the moment I was sitting...I really hated her for that! Soon I discovered she was right: stop wining about being a beginner and start dancing! Due to her I learned to dance the basics of f.i. merengue, bolero and salsa and even more: to have fun, to feel the rhythm and most
important to 'baila con corazon', I still owe her for that!
In Groningen though the cuban style soon invaded territory and it became more of a fashion to turn the lady all possible ways. It was and still is a dynamic thing to see but I did lack that knowledge. So I took lessons of a Cuban teacher; Juan Carlos. He really is great in all those small details making salsa 'con sabor', teaching us each lesson a different turn. But being demented myself I needed rehearsal to remember the steps involved. So I went to another teacher in Cuban style: Roy Tweeboom. He really systemizes the salsa, divides the dance into tiny little pieces, still being able to say what to do. Since my background was at Margarita who emphasized the feeling aspect I at first had trouble understanding this as well as his preciseness, but his didactics sure makes sense and I mastered the turns. In addition he also pays a lot of attention to the leading part, which to me is a very essential part of most dances. In the extreme it's hard to blame the women when something goes wrong. Apart from the uselessness of blaming, the man in such a case should have told (=lead) her better! Even more, since leading also includes listening, instead of mere pushing and pulling the ladies to all corners, it's one of the far most important and difficult skills a man has to master.
I still am a salsafreak from those days on, taking lessons and practising whenever I'm able to. I never will dare to say "I'm
a good dancer" out loud, since while feeling I do pretty well, people still sometimes tell me I made progress, which sure is a
compliment but at the same time a referral to those days it
probably was much less....

I hope, I, one day, as well as all readers of this story can and will combine the most prominent aspects of the teachers I went to. The aspect of feeling of Margarita, the preciseness and leading-part of Roy and the 'sabor-ish' details of Juan Carlos. Mixing this together will give the outmost perfect, tasteful salsa and a wonderful time to remember ever. Let us all enjoy this meal, it's all yours to have!!!


Patrick Hagendijk

Patrick can be reached at:  p.hagendijk@bdk.rug.nl