Dancing at the Holiday Inn

So I visited one of the local Holiday Inns last night. They had a great local band playing, so I figured that I'd sit and listen. I was also hoping to find some nice people to dance with.

I was disappointed. As often happens at these events, scarcely anyone knew how to dance. They were just kinda shaking it around. I don't begrudge people enjoying themselves that way, but complete freestyling seldom looks good, and I personally don't think that it's very satisfying.

I did ask a few ladies to dance, with mixed results. First, I asked this Latina lady if she knew the Hustle, a simple dance style that's suited for a lot of 70s music. She said that she did, but when I brought her onto the dance floor, it became clear that she had never done it before. Thankfully, she was able to follow well enough to make it work, which was pretty good; after all, most people would completely flounder, even with these simple steps. So the experience was a little disappointing, but still better than what you'd expect with most people.

A few minutes later, I asked her friend to dance. I did this mostly to be polite; however, her friend fixed me with a steely gaze, as though unsure about what I was asking. After repeating myself a few times, asking if she'd like to try the same dance that her friend (sorta) did, she narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

I held up my hands in front of myself as though to say, "Okay, okay. No need to get mad." Inwardly though, I was thinking, "Boy, this gal is a piece of work. If you're going to turn down an invitation, then just say so politely. A non-verbal reply is pretty rude." Heck, I'd even say that it's rather arrogant.

I found myself thinking that this woman was a real bitch. I did catch myself though, and I've chosen to remind myself that she might be a much better person in general. I don't want to judge her too harshly based on this one encounter.