Me salsa dancing when I was a student.

Bronx Girl Dancing in Brooklyn Dance Studios.

Growing up,  I always finished what I started.  That is rare for a teen girl and young adult in college.  I did everything right: Graduated college with honors, got a job right out of college, started the ball rolling on getting my masters degree.  Life was working out, but something was missing.  I felt unsatisfied and lost.  I felt that there had to be more to life than just going to school and working.  I was looking for something, but not really sure what.  I found myself staying home.  Tired of the same old night and bar scene.  I just kept telling myself that there had to be more to life than this predictability.  I was seeking excitement and something completely different, but didn’t know what.

Then one day, a friend of mine told me about salsa classes she had been taking at a Brooklyn dance studio.  She said that she was having the time of her life.   She knew I had always wanted to take Argentine tango classes, but didn’t want to pay New York city prices.  She told me tango is one of the dances they teach at her Brooklyn studio.   She convinced me to go to one of Dance Fever Studios bimonthly parties.  I decided to go.  On my way there, I kept thinking,  what the hell am I doing travelling all the way from the Bronx to Brooklyn?  I wanted to turn around and go back, but I kept going.

When I arrived at Dance Fever, everyone was so friendly, warm, welcoming and could dance.  I always thought I knew how to dance salsa, bachata and Latin dances.  I’m part Puerto Rican.  I realized that I had a lot to learn.  As the night went on, I was amazed by everyone.  Then came the show case.  Francis and a student performed an Argentine tango.  At that moment, I decided “I want to do that.  I’m coming here.”

I signed up for a month of tango, thinking I’d do it for one month.  After that I’d be able say I tried it, liked it, did something different.  I’d be able to get back to my graduate studies and work, and be a little bit more satisfied with life.  The cycle ended, and I registered for another month.  I kept going, month after month.  I became addicted.  I started going two, then three and four times a week.  I took all the dances they offered: salsa, hustle, bachata, Latin, ballroom.  Dancing became a huge part of my life.  Sometimes it’s a wonderful thing when life does not work out the way you think it will or the way you have planned it.

In the four years since I started dancing my life changed drastically in great ways.  I lost over 70 pounds.  When I started dancing I was weighing over 200 pounds.  My energy level is way up.  Now, everyone calls me the Energizer Bunny.  I gained confidence that I lacked for most of my life.  I met some awesome people who have become some of my closest friends.  I have a non stop social life now.  I became a dance teacher at Dance Fever Studios. They have two studios now, and I run one of them.

Teaching at Dance Fever has been so enjoyable.  It’s a great feeling to see your students learn how to dance, enjoy themselves, see their fears and insecurities about dancing slip away. Dancing has become my greatest passion.  I can not wait to get on the dance floor.  I owe it all the my home away from home, Dance Fever Studios in Brooklyn.  I simply live, love, laugh and dance, dance, dance.  You may see some of my videos our Youtube chanel.