Rosiland Wells

You entwine your arms. You twirl and turn. You dip and are dipped. The hand you are holding is warm as it rests in yours and as the night passes, it becomes slightly moist and slippery. Since practice makes better, as you move through the night, your turns get sharper and you become more fluid as more of you has shown up for the dance. Your hips loosen up and each movement you make goes deeper and calls forth more of your essence. With more of you present in each moment, you become, what some might call more alluring; sexy even.

Most of us walk around all day long and never show each other the true us; who we really are behind the social masks. We are busy. We have duties and obligations everyday. But, when we walk onto the dance floor, suddenly, the burden of each task we are called upon to do, disappears. And, we step out from behind the curtain where our light has shone through, dimly. We are present in our LIFE. We vibrate to the music; to the heartbeat of the universe. We live and we are present in each heartbeat of living.

It is not possible to breathe in and out and not be aware of each inhalation and of each exhalation. It is not possible to not be aware of your very existence; from the hair on your head (assuming you have any) down to your very toenails. There is vibrancy, let's call it LIFE, present in each inhalation.

Meditation allows you to focus on your breath which encourages every thing else to disappear. Salsa, accomplishes the same good, from the outside in.

You move and in order to move you breathe. You hear the music and ride the beat of the music. Your body becomes an expression of the music. If the song is a particular favorite or beautiful to you, all of you is present.

When you dance, you are focused on hearing the music. Your body is focused on interpreting and expressing what you heard. The only thing that exists is you and your partner; and the dance. The other dancers only exist in each moment as static entities to avoid. You are fully present in each moment while your soul vibrates to the heartbeat of the universe. I call this LIFE. Each dance is the expression of a life lived, in all its myriad forms. Sometimes your steps are faltering. Sometimes you lead well or are lead smoothly. And, sometimes, your and your partners are not in sync. So it goes with life.

Look at the dancers and you'll see LIFE present on most of the faces. More importantly, JOY will be present in the room. The world has disappeared. All my cares have receded for the moment. I am one with my partner (hopefully). I am one with the music. I am one with the universe. This is my salsa philosophy.