Intro & ? about when you visit other cities....

[cierre boca y baile]

Hi Everyone,
I just registared to post here, but I've been reading the board since sometime last spring (too busy out dancing to think up a cool name and register ) I do several different kinds of dancing, but I have been salsa dancing for about 18 months now and it is my passion. Whenever I am out of town for any reason, I try to find the local salsa scene a) so I don't have to go over a week without dancing and b) to meet new people and see what the salsa "experience" is like in those places.

My question for the board is....

DO YOU SEEK OUT THE LOCAL SCENE IN PLACES YOU VISIT AND WHAT HAVE YOUR EXPERIENCES BEEN?

To answer my own question here are mine for the last year...

My first attempt, last May I stopped in Indianapolis on the way to my best friends wedding in Ohio. I couldn't find much on the internet, but I did find that there was salsa dancing at a place called the Kameleon in downtown Indy. I booked a room at the Hilton about a block down and was all set. The club was amazing. Very upscale and the bartenders put on a show. I was sitting at the bar and heard a loud whoooose...I look back and they had set the bar on fire. Very cool. The local crowd was a little intimidating as they seemed to all know each other. After scoping it out for a while, I asked a lady to dance that I'd seen dancing and looked like she was a pretty good dancer. To my surprise the response I got was "Sorry, but I don't dance with people I don't know". I thought that was pretty strange. At the local club I go to, you'd never get that kind of response from one of the regulars. Anyway, I just decided what the heck, if i was going to get turned down again it would be by best dancer I saw , she actually said yes. I danced with her a couple of times, so it turned out to be a decent night, but I wouldn't say anyone was overly welcoming.

My other attempt was when I was in Denver last July. That is actually how I found the board. I found a thread where someone had posted about where to go salsa dancing in Denver. It mentioned a place called the Blue Ice. I confirmed that it was "The" place to go with a local salsa instructor. It was awesome. They had a live band that night and the place was very lively. Lots of different types of people, but everyone was very cool and seemed classy. I didn't even spot a bouncer. Lots of good dancers. I eventually met a really cute blonde who had only danced a little swing before. I spent the rest of the evening teaching her salsa, merengue and a little cha cha. I had a blast and stayed until they closed. I definitely plan to go there again when I'm going through Denver on my way to Copper Mountain for skiing next month.

 

[squirrel]

Welcome to the Dance Forums, cierre boca y baile!

 

[Spitfire]

Cierre, welcome!

I've traveled up to the Seattle area four times in the past three years to visit a relative and to San Diego last year and went dancing to some of the top venues and had perhaps my greatest dance experiences. This was with social ballroom and WCS.

Occasionally I like to drive up to Phoenix to attend dances.

 

[pygmalion]

Hi, cierre boca y baile! Welcome.

 

[cocodrilo]

Welcome, welcome! Before asking a woman to dance, go up to her, introduce yourself and ask her name. Then when you ask her to dance then or later, she CANNOT say she doesn't know you!

 

[Sagitta]

Welcoem to df cierre boca y baile!! It depends why I go to a place. If I want to dance I simply ask people. If theys ay no I move on. If I am in a socializing and dancing mood I probably will chat with people as well.

 

[randomMysh]

I tend to stand on the side and observe for a bit when I first get somewhere new. That is, if I go alone. Usually someone asks me after 15 minutes or so, especially if I make lots of eye contact and impatient dance movements. If that doesn't happen, I march up to some guy I noticed on the dance floor and ask him. Sometimes I get a yes, sometimes a no, sometimes a no turns into an invitation later on in the night, whatever. I never got the "I don't dance with strangers" thing, but I can understand why a woman would say that (see the creepy pick ups and gropers threads). I did get an "I don't social dance" thing once, though. :?

 

[tj]

DO YOU SEEK OUT THE LOCAL SCENE IN PLACES YOU VISIT AND WHAT HAVE YOUR EXPERIENCES BEEN?

Welcome to DF!

Yes, I really enjoy travelling to new scenes and dancing with strangers. You get away from all the local drama that you've gotten overly familiar with, and can meet all sorts of great dancers.

In general, I've had nothing but good experiences. Salsa is all over the world, and it's amazing that you can dance with someone who doesn't even speak the same language as you.

 

[Houdinni]

No big complaints when visiting other scenes so far.

Sometimes girls say yes, sometimes they say no to an invitation.

Did evolve to a different aproach though... If I'm in a completly unknown scene, I usualy look arround for about 10 minutes, and then proceed to invite the best ollow in the room, and the most beautifull girl I can spot.

If I'm turned down... well at least I was turned down by the "best", and if they acept the invitation... why wouldn't everybody else?! :lol:

 

[BrookeErin]

My first attempt, last May I stopped in Indianapolis on the way to my best friends wedding in Ohio. I couldn't find much on the internet, but I did find that there was salsa dancing at a place called the Kameleon in downtown Indy. I booked a room at the Hilton about a block down and was all set. The club was amazing. Very upscale and the bartenders put on a show. I was sitting at the bar and heard a loud whoooose...I look back and they had set the bar on fire. Very cool. The local crowd was a little intimidating as they seemed to all know each other. After scoping it out for a while, I asked a lady to dance that I'd seen dancing and looked like she was a pretty good dancer. To my surprise the response I got was "Sorry, but I don't dance with people I don't know". I thought that was pretty strange. At the local club I go to, you'd never get that kind of response from one of the regulars. Anyway, I just decided what the heck, if i was going to get turned down again it would be by best dancer I saw , she actually said yes. I danced with her a couple of times, so it turned out to be a decent night, but I wouldn't say anyone was overly welcoming.

Hi, I'm an Indy native, so I feel like I have to respond although I didn't start salsa until July. The former Kameleon has generally been the least preferred club and actually just quit hosting latin dance parties. It's the place that is probably least likely to have newcomers. Because the attendance seems to be lower than any other night (although my Wed. night experience is pretty small), it would be most obvious that the regulars know each other. I think wherever you go, regulars are going to know each other. Thursday night at the Jazz Kitchen has a very family feel to me, but there are always (welcomed) newcomers and lots of people I don't know. I wouldn't dare say you are not entitled to your opinion; I would just like to reassure you that you probably didn't get the best snippet of our community. From what I've read on DF, I feel like Indy is blessed with one of the friendlier communities.

I think checking out other scenes is something that I would do give the opportunity. I've only been dancing salsa since July, so I haven't had much opportunity to try it out elsewhere. Probably because I feel so comfortable (and did from the first night) in our scene, I wouldn't be concerned about checking out something new.

 

[Swingolder]

Hi Everyone,
DO YOU SEEK OUT THE LOCAL SCENE IN PLACES YOU VISIT AND WHAT HAVE YOUR EXPERIENCES BEEN?

I only did that once, my dh and I went to a dance held by the local dance club in a old schoolhouse turned into historical museum. I saw it advertised in the local paper. The dancers were very nice and welcoming, the small local swing band played, and in between sets, we got to look at the stuff in the museum. I have a strong interest in history so altogether it was a super evening.

 

[cierre boca y baile]

Hi, I'm an Indy native, so I feel like I have to respond although I didn't start salsa until July. The former Kameleon has generally been the least preferred club and actually just quit hosting latin dance parties. It's the place that is probably least likely to have newcomers. Because the attendance seems to be lower than any other night (although my Wed. night experience is pretty small), it would be most obvious that the regulars know each other. I think wherever you go, regulars are going to know each other. Thursday night at the Jazz Kitchen has a very family feel to me, but there are always (welcomed) newcomers and lots of people I don't know. I wouldn't dare say you are not entitled to your opinion; I would just like to reassure you that you probably didn't get the best snippet of our community. From what I've read on DF, I feel like Indy is blessed with one of the friendlier communities.

Hi, I was meaning to dis Indy or the dance scene there. That was just my experience at that one place. I don't have a bad opinion about Indy and would try another place if the opportunity came up. Also, I'm generally not the most outgoing person in the world when it comes to approaching new people. That's one of the reasons I love dancing so much. Many times once your dancing the girl will even initiate the conversation or once they have seen you dancing will approach you first. Sometimes its just getting that first person to dance with you if your somewhere new that is a problem.

I was just a little caught off guard at the first response I got. I pretty much always say "yes" when a girl asks me to dance. In fact, I can't remember the last time I said no, except for something like I didn't like the song and I then dance the next one with them.

 

[cierre boca y baile]

Welcome to DF!

Yes, I really enjoy travelling to new scenes and dancing with strangers. You get away from all the local drama that you've gotten overly familiar with, and can meet all sorts of great dancers.

In general, I've had nothing but good experiences. Salsa is all over the world, and it's amazing that you can dance with someone who doesn't even speak the same language as you.

Thanks tj,
That's very interesting comment about speaking the same language. One of my favorite dance partners speaks very little english and I speak very little spanish. The first time I met her, I just thought the music was too loud and I couldn't understand . It was almost two months later that I found out what her name was, even though we'd been dancing at least 7 or 8 dances a night two nights a week. It's very interesting when we are trying to show each other new moves

 

[cierre boca y baile]

No big complaints when visiting other scenes so far.

Sometimes girls say yes, sometimes they say no to an invitation.

Did evolve to a different aproach though... If I'm in a completly unknown scene, I usualy look arround for about 10 minutes, and then proceed to invite the best ollow in the room, and the most beautifull girl I can spot.

If I'm turned down... well at least I was turned down by the "best", and if they acept the invitation... why wouldn't everybody else?! :lol:

I agree...that's the approach I eventually went with and it worked!

 

[BrookeErin]

Hi, I'm an Indy native, so I feel like I have to respond although I didn't start salsa until July. The former Kameleon has generally been the least preferred club and actually just quit hosting latin dance parties. It's the place that is probably least likely to have newcomers. Because the attendance seems to be lower than any other night (although my Wed. night experience is pretty small), it would be most obvious that the regulars know each other. I think wherever you go, regulars are going to know each other. Thursday night at the Jazz Kitchen has a very family feel to me, but there are always (welcomed) newcomers and lots of people I don't know. I wouldn't dare say you are not entitled to your opinion; I would just like to reassure you that you probably didn't get the best snippet of our community. From what I've read on DF, I feel like Indy is blessed with one of the friendlier communities.

Hi, I was meaning to dis Indy or the dance scene there. That was just my experience at that one place. I don't have a bad opinion about Indy and would try another place if the opportunity came up. Also, I'm generally not the most outgoing person in the world when it comes to approaching new people. That's one of the reasons I love dancing so much. Many times once your dancing the girl will even initiate the conversation or once they have seen you dancing will approach you first. Sometimes its just getting that first person to dance with you if your somewhere new that is a problem.

I was just a little caught off guard at the first response I got. I pretty much always say "yes" when a girl asks me to dance. In fact, I can't remember the last time I said no, except for something like I didn't like the song and I then dance the next one with them.

Oh, no... I didn't think you were dissing us at all. No worries. I just thought I'd reassure you that it might be worth trying some place different (which is kind of the only option at this point) if you ever passed through again. I think your response was likely just you found that percentage of the population. I would think in any scene there is someone who has been burned or is shy and only wants to dance with friends. I have nights like that, and I'm anything but shy.