Salsa City Forum » News and Chat » Salsa Risa

That’s a shame. I expect there’ll soon be an American-style trade in fake ID. (If there isn’t one already!)

Fake ID - only £10

YAY, for salsa in Newport!! We’ll have no excuses now not to make the journey across the water as its only 30 mins away from Bristol... Really hope it goes well!!!

I went to the Salsa Risa night for only the second time last night, and, although the classes are good, during the free dancing afterwards it seems that most people were just dancing with the same partner, leaving those of us without partners sitting on the sidelines, which is no fun at all...

Can you please encourage the guys to share themselves around a bit, and be particularly aware of new ladies who don’t feel they know anyone well enough yet to do the asking?

Hi Emma, Thanks for your feedback, I’ve been toying with the idea of taxi dancers or having dance cards to encourage people to mix more.

Generaly most people dance with those they know because asking somebody new to dance can be quite daunting and nobody likes to be rejected. I’m toying with the idea of doing a class on dance floor etiquette and ‘how to ask, accept or reject a dance’. Maybe I’ll try it out next week as part of the warmdown...

A dance card is where you pick some names out of a hat put them on your card and run around the room finding the people on your card, you can only tick them off after dancing with them. First completed dance card gets a prize!

Taxi dancers are designated dancers that ask anybody whose not dancing to dance. And hopefully encourage others to have a good time. I’m going to try and make all the teachers including myself into taxi dancers... The only problem is that most people are more terrified of dancing with us than anybody else. :)

Anyway let me know what you think folks dance card or taxi dancers. Or any other systems that you’ve heard of.

I like the idea of learning some dance floor etiquette - If fear of rejection is a reason why people don’t ask others for a dance, maybe you could add ‘how to make it clear that you are waiting to be asked’...?

Hi Emma,

Sorry to hear you’ve felt left out. One approach you could try, that I occasionally resort to myself, is that if you encounter a partner who is particularly helpful, encouraging or you feel that you click with when practicing the moves you are being taught during a class, use the opportunity before you change partners to ask them for a dance after the class.

I’ve been going to Risa regularly for about 2 ½ months now and have to admit I still find it intimidating. I’m also rather selective of who I dance with for various reasons. There are probably about seven or eight partners at various venues I have occasionally danced with who I felt I’ve clicked with, however many of them are not regulars and if they don’t turn up I generally don’t have the confidence to ask others to dance, hence more often than not I also find myself on the sidelines. If after about 15 - 20 minutes I haven’t had a dance, I then find any confidence I had has drained away.

Thanks Andy, for your suggestions I’m sure this will be appreciated by those of us who are less confident. I think I prefer the idea of taxi dancers.

Hi guys,

Unfortunately people do tend to dance with the same people as its far easier than asking a complete stranger... or not even a stranger but someone who you think might be better than you.

Also, and I hate to say this, but, I don’t think Risa a very sociable venue at all... Because of its size, people either congregate by the bar and appear to be not wanting to dance as they are talking etc or others hang around by the edge of the dancefloor but its so bloody dark they can’t be seen so again don’t get asked that much.

There are a few guys that go, Emma, who make a poit of asking as many women as possible to dance, particularly beginners/improvers.

Andy, I think Taxi dancers would be a great idea as it would help to encourage others less confident. But you are right that most people are terrified of dancing with the teachers... This is no dis-respect to anyone at all but the salsa scene here can be seen as very cliquey too. If some of teachers aren’t seen to be dancing or having fun no one will approach them as it looks like they blatantly don’t wanna dance.

I also think a class on etiquette would be very beneficial for a lot of people too! I would be very interested in seeing that!

Anyway, I’ll shut up now... apologies for the ramble!

Very interesting, Lisa. A salsa venue needs a bit more light that your typical club dancefloor for two reasons:
• dancers need to be able to see their partners
• it’s nice for spectators to be able to see the dancers

Oh, and of course Lisa’s reason three: so that dancers can find a partner!

Thanks for all the responses to my comments. I think a short dance etiquette session would go down well. I’d agree that nominating Taxi dancers is worth a try, and it would take far less organisation than the dance card idea... Perhaps you could just challenge people that each night they should try and dance with at least one person they haven’t danced with before?

I’ll try your suggestions too - ask someone for a later dance during the class, and not stand in a dark bit!