Salsa open diary

Of course, when you hear some salsa playing, you have to start moving along, maybe dancing... If you haven't had the chance to dance for months, there's no stopping you! Tonight walking along the main drag in Lido Jesolo (Venice; the one in Italy :)), come across a half open-air cocktail bar with salsa coming out (just Bailando, but a good, older version). Such music to my ears. I put down my bag and start basic-ing away, a few other steps here and there. I keep going. I'm on the corner and didn't realise that some of the people at tables by the footpath can see. They give me the thumbs up and some clapping. Then I realise there are several kids and others on bikes who have stopped on the road to watch as well. By the way, I have 33 teenagers with me and five other adults, and they were all cheering and, unfortunately, taking videos (they have all been ordered to delete said videos on pain of expulsion), and some jumping forward and demanding to learn (I gave up on them fairly quickly).

Then an older couple came out of the bar and joined in! He knew what he was doing, a solid Cuban. She didn't, by followed along as best she could and had fun. We built up quite the spectator base. We turned for our hotel and left the couple still going on the footpath.

Must be all the gelato ... :)
 
My monthly social continues to go well. I just wish there wasn't a congress or weekender every damn weekend so I could see the maximum crowd I could get between dancers and gen population together!
 
I haven’t seen the original post but it seems that Bersy Cortez is in hot water for showing support for Israel. She then posted alluding to the fact that she doesn’t care about old wars (as if the conflict isn’t ongoing), that she cares about innocent people on both sides and that everyone should ‘relax’

I can understand that people might be ignorant but I will never understand why people in public positions who really have no need to be political at all, use their platforms to post about controversial topics in ways that harm others and then get frustrated when people have strong reactions. Did not expect the Israel/Palestine conflict to be a hot topic in the salsa world…
 
happy said:
I haven’t seen the original post but it seems that Bersy Cortez is in hot water for showing support for Israel. She then posted alluding to the fact that she doesn’t care about old wars (as if the conflict isn’t ongoing), that she cares about innocent people on both sides and that everyone should ‘relax’

I can understand that people might be ignorant but I will never understand why people in public positions who really have no need to be political at all, use their platforms to post about controversial topics in ways that harm others and then get frustrated when people have strong reactions. Did not expect the Israel/Palestine conflict to be a hot topic in the salsa world…
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I don't see anything incorrect about voicing a public opinion irrespective of whether you are a private person, sem-public, politician, or celebrity. Others can be free to agree or disagree with you.

Neither do I see anything wrong in supporting Israelis or Palestinians. There are legitimate reasons to voice support for either.

Posting an opinion always means those who don't agree will push back or attack you. That's nothing new.

However I wonder why someone in salsa should be in hot water for supporting Israel. Or supporting Palestine for that matter.
 
Offbeat said:
I don't see anything incorrect about voicing a public opinion irrespective of whether you are a private person, sem-public, politician, or celebrity. Others can be free to agree or disagree with you.

Neither do I see anything wrong in supporting Israelis or Palestinians. There are legitimate reasons to voice support for either.

Posting an opinion always means those who don't agree will push back or attack you. That's nothing new.

However I wonder why someone in salsa should be in hot water for supporting Israel. Or supporting Palestine for that matter.
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I didn't take issue with who anyone supports, I said that I don't understand why people "get frustrated when people have strong reactions" when it's inevitable it will hurt people or cause backlash with something so divisive.

Someone is salsa would be in hot water because they spoke about it (avoidable) and because people are being hurt - both sides say they are being violently oppressed, choosing either implies support for the violent oppression of another. That's why they are in hot water, which is again why I don't understand why people "get frustrated when people have strong reactions" to their strong opinions on divisive topics.
 
happy said:
I didn't take issue with who anyone supports, I said that I don't understand why people "get frustrated when people have strong reactions" when it's inevitable it will hurt people or cause backlash with something so divisive.

Someone is salsa would be in hot water because they spoke about it (avoidable) and because people are being hurt - both sides say they are being violently oppressed, choosing either implies support for the violent oppression of another. That's why they are in hot water, which is again why I don't understand why people "get frustrated when people have strong reactions" to their strong opinions on divisive topics.
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People have strong reactions on inconsequential things like on1 vs on2. In consequential topics of life and death strong opinions and strong reactions to them are to be accepted. I agree with you. If you can’t handle strong reactions then don’t publicize strong opinion. It is naive to express an opinion on a volatile topic and not expect a blowback.
 
Offbeat said:
It is naive to express an opinion on a volatile topic and not expect a blowback.
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This points to the root problem: many people think their view is the only one that makes sense and can't believe anyone can feel different about it. You need some higher level of abstraction from yourself to understand other views make sense in another believe system.
 
happy said:
I didn't take issue with who anyone supports, I said that I don't understand why people "get frustrated when people have strong reactions" when it's inevitable it will hurt people or cause backlash with something so divisive.

Someone is salsa would be in hot water because they spoke about it (avoidable) and because people are being hurt - both sides say they are being violently oppressed, choosing either implies support for the violent oppression of another. That's why they are in hot water, which is again why I don't understand why people "get frustrated when people have strong reactions" to their strong opinions on divisive topics.
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Offbeat said:
People have strong reactions on inconsequential things like on1 vs on2. In consequential topics of life and death strong opinions and strong reactions to them are to be accepted. I agree with you. If you can’t handle strong reactions then don’t publicize strong opinion. It is naive to express an opinion on a volatile topic and not expect a blowback.
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From a business perspective it makes sense for a salsa artist to support Israel rather than to support Palestinians. There are def more gigs in Israel than there are in the West Bank or Gaza strip.
The wealthy Arab countries, Saudi, Emirates etc, don't care about the Palestinians anymore. In the US, support for Israel is normal, support for Palestinians is not. That leaves a few very very progressive places in the EU that may not book an artist due to their views. But then again they may book them anyway.
 
There is quite a history of Latin American anti-colonial solidarity with Palestine and a large Palestinian diaspora across Latin America, though I imagine the impact on this in the salsa community may be more minimal. It’s probably more the social media effect. The internet is after all known for its capacity to nurture thoughtful, nuanced discussions on complex issues.
 
eclo said:
There is quite a history of Latin American anti-colonial solidarity with Palestine and a large Palestinian diaspora across Latin America,
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During the Cold War almost entire non-Western nations, with was then called developing nations or what is today called global south supported two causes. One was anti-apartheid stance against white-ruled South Africa. Second was solidarity with Palestinians against their subjugation by Israel. South African regime that practiced apartheid was boycotted or sanctioned by them long before USA and Western Europe did. I think it was in mid 80s that USA finally acted sanctions against South Africa. US, Portugal, and UK along with South Africa were the only votes against apartheid resolution at the UN general assembly in early 70s. Portugal at the time was still colonial ruler of Angola. South Africa controlled Namibia and strongly supported white-ruled Rhodesia (former Southern Rhodesia and now Zimbabwe).
 
eclo said:
There is quite a history of Latin American anti-colonial solidarity with Palestine and a large Palestinian diaspora across Latin America, though I imagine the impact on this in the salsa community may be more minimal. It’s probably more the social media effect. The internet is after all known for its capacity to nurture thoughtful, nuanced discussions on complex issues.
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In the Spanish speaking regions of both Central and South America there has always been and there still is a major divide between two political directions. The left wing is further to the left than most European left-wing parties and the right wing is way way way further to the right than the European right-wing parties.
The left-wing movements have traditionally supported Palestinians dating back to the days when there were guerilla movements and some of the leaders trained with the PLO in places like Jordan and Lebanon.
Academia in South America tends to lean left wing and anti US American and therefore by proxy anti Israel. They influence public opinion to a degree.

For whatever reason these political views in Latin America have not been updated to reflect the reality of Islamists dominating the Palestinian protest movements. The secular left-wing movements in Latin America are actually anti religion and very much anti Islam but somehow people don't make the connection.

Btw, the overwhelming majority of Arabs who settled in Latin America or the Caribbean in various periods in the past 80+years are/were Christian.
 
Dear Diary,

having started to take classes to learn a new partner dance, it confronts me to the same problem I had back then in salsa classes: doing the typical partner change circle everyone introduces himself with name. Means dozens of names, and I always was bad in remembering names. My leader brain is already busy trying to remember the moves. Happens now that next time some women greet me with my name - and I can't remember hers. That's a bit awkward, one time this is accepted, but I suppose repeatedly people may start being pissed. So I started doing the same as back then in salsa: immediately after class I write down the names of some persons I like, together with some information. Looks like this:

Lydia - the severe tall blond
Angela - the small dark-haired
Cathy - the funny red-haired

Revisiting my old salsa notice book I see long lists of names, accumulated over the years, and hardly any of these women ever became important in my dance life. It was pretty useless learning their names, but at the same time it's socially awkward to not remember them. I have to confess that sometimes I even noted boob size, when it was the most obvious thing to remember.

So will I start making name lists again? Knowing most of these will never become important not even in my dance life, as most of them silently drop out of dancing sooner or later.

I wonder how others deal with it. Are you better in remembering names or don't you give a damn about it?
 
I don’t remember names very well either. I can remember faces a little bit better… but I need to have the name written down somewhere. It would be nice if after class there was a group photo which then could be shared among the students in the class.
 
MamboJazz said:
I wonder how others deal with it. Are you better in remembering names or don't you give a damn about it?
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People who stick for half a year or more I ask and remember. Very memorable dancers I add on Facebook or they add me. It helps a lot, but not always.

But this year one memorable girl comes to me all smiles, pauses, and asks - "you don't remember me, don't you?" I admitted that I remember face, but not name. Luckily she reintroduced herself and what common friends we have.
Sometimes I remember name during the dance.
 
I went to party in the country where no one knows me. It's loud and not everyone speaks languages I know. I ask a girl for a dance and what style she prefers. She looks at me and inquires - "is this your first time?" "yeah, it's my first time here." I see that I got myself in trouble. "Do you know how to dance?"
Talking is overrated.
 
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