Bamboo Dance Training Team Member!

Forgive me for neglecting the blog for a few days and then bombarding you with a bunch of stories, but salsa dance has kept me insanely busy. Because of that, I now have some very good news to share.

After the optional class on Wednesday night, Fafa and Leon were showing me the special training team. This is the group of dancers who train advanced moves, and after six months to one year, can move onto the competitive performance team.

Fafa asked me what I thought about them, and I said I thought they were great. He then asked me if I wanted to join!

I was a bit surprised, considering I've only been dancing for a month, but it felt great to be invited to join the training team.

I thought about the commitment, both financially and time-wise, that it would take, and I decided that it is definitely a worthwhile adventure for me.

So after my class today, I agreed to join the training team! I'm extremely excited to get started. I'm also a tiny bit nervous. As the moves become more advanced, it's getting more difficult. that sounds obvious, but there's more to it than just technique. I'm learning the technique fine. But since the class is taught in Korean, I sometimes need to see it one extra time before I fully understand.

The instructors usually get a kick out of me when I'm watching intently. They like to crack little jokes in Korean to the other students. But they're also very supportive and really make sure I nail it.

So now, I'll be dancing for two hours a day, three days a week. And with my training team membership, all extra classes, such as the Saturday open class, are free. They also do occasional parties and get-togethers, which are also included in the cost.

The way I look at it is this: The money is a little expensive for the team, but I would just be spending that on beer and going out otherwise. So now, I'll drink less and be active more. It's also great to be in the company of Koreans 3-4 days a week. A few of the students speak English, but this really gives me a chance to be immersed in an all-Korean class. It's way better than just studying my books, and even better than any conversation class I would have to pay for.

So there is a big time commitment, but I just have to stick to a tight schedule and make sure I get my studying and sleeping in as well. But I'm starting a really great adventure, and I'm looking forward to all the benefits along the way.

Oh, yeah. Don't forget that I get to dance with a bunch of really hot chicks all week. That's important too.^^*