Dancing with the Local Stars
The hunt is on for young people and adults who find a sense of happiness or relief in dance. Behind every dance star, there is a style, and behind that style are the traditions of a community and its culture. The purpose of a dance hunt is none other than inspiration.
My hunt began ten years ago when I made the decision to come to New York to become a dancer. I abandoned my career as a journalist in Colombia, where I left a confused father and a boyfriend in love. What I was looking for had to fulfill two very important requirements; to feed me, and teach me to hunt for my own food. That was how I met my teachers, the musicians that accompany me now, and ultimately, how I became a dance teacher on Long Island.
Sometimes inspiration has a name. In this case that name is Victoria, a five-year-old girl who left my audience captivated when she was inspired to dance at one of my professional shows in response to the beautiful guitar music. Her mother couldn’t resist the movements of the skirt and the abundance of flowers and signed her up for Spanish dance classes with me.
The hunt continues at Rhythms and Soul, a local dance studio in Levittown that offers several styles of ballroom dance. While what stars I will encounter here is uncertain, or which dance style will steal my heart, I do trust that my instincts and my sense of adventure will bring the best thing of all, food for the soul.
Join me in the hunt. . .
