I was his.

By the time the song ended, I was unequivocally his. He could have danced me off a cliff and I would have happily followed. His name was Julio. The dance: Argentine Tango. Suffice to say, after dancing with Julio, I know why they call A Tango a lifestyle, not just a dance!
     Julio was one of the cast members in the Broadway show Forever Tango. Luis Bravo, the producer of the show, is a fan of horse racing. Kentucky, my home state, is famous for horse racing. Fortune smiled on the independent dance studio I was working in almost five years ago, when Luis brought some of his dancers to give us a show and workshop. Julio and his partner, Catherina, performed at the after party. To say it was jaw dropping, would be doing them an injustice. I honestly don't think I took a breath the entire time they danced.      
     Then, in an unprecedented act of generosity, Julio began dancing with each woman in the room. Let me repeat, so everyone understands the scope of how huge this was: Julio danced on Broadway! Quite successfully! And here he was, dancing with what could only have seemed like paltry amateurs to him. But we weren't. To him, we were the most important woman in the room while he danced with us. And that's why I'll remember that dance for the rest of my life.
       We never danced any flashy moves. In fact, we did basics for most of the song. He slipped in a boleo every now and then. That was it. And it was the sexiest dance I've ever done in my life. Here's why - he completely controlled my body. Half way through the song, I even closed my eyes, because I didn't want any distractions. I only wanted to submit to his will.
      Now, some of you may think I'm crazy. (My husband would agree with you...but probably for different reasons:) But I assure you ladies, when you have that experience on the dance floor - where the man takes total, respectful control of your body - you won't want to dance any other way. That level of trust and confidence in your partner (even if they are a total stranger) is exhilarating!
     Others of you may be saying, "But how did he do that?". The answer is more complex than you'll want to hear. I'd say start with learning your own body dynamics really well. Practice! A lot. Learn to move as many of your body parts in as many ways as you possibly can. Learn to connect your movement to the floor - (for more on this, call me for a lesson).
     Then, learn to move the woman. Notice how I didn't say "learn some moves to impress the woman". This is an all too common misconception among dancing men- you have to know a lot of flashy moves to impress us. It's not about that at all!!! Julio had me weak in the knees and only did two moves the whole song. 
      So here's what most women don't know or won't admit to, sometimes even to themselves. We (women) 
want to be able to trust our bodies to you. We want to know that at the moment we're dancing with you - you're not thinking of anyone besides us. If we feel confident you'll take care of us and we are your number one priority, we'll amaze you (and ourselves) with how much we give you. Now ladies, this doesn't happen overnight. Following takes a lot of practice, too...and trust. But you have to start sometime! Do yourself a favor - start Today!
      So there you have it... the dance that will live in Allison's heart for eternity. I feel I haven't done it justice. The room actually dissolved around us like a scene out of a movie. My heart beats faster just thinking of that dance. My knees seem to forget how to hold the rest of me upright. My breath catches in my throat. That's what a great lead can do to a woman. 
      Don't lie to yourself and say, "Well, Salsa is different." The principles of partner dancing are universal! The type of dance is irrelevant to how amazing a moment can feel. What I'm trying to say is: it's the partnership that makes it worth while. Give your all to each partner you dance with and watch what magic happens. Wow... Life really is a dance!  See you on the hardwood:)