IHSC Chronicles: Day 3

Now back to our friend Jimmy: since he gave me his number, I decided I would provide him the business of transporting me back and forth. So, at around 12.30am he pulls up to the Marriott, opens the door, and inside the cab was a nightclub. No lie. There were lasers and coloured lights and strobe lights dancing everywhere, and Columbian salsa blasting...Sonora Carruseles to be exact. I laughed my head off the whole ride home. I couldn't believe this character! He made sure I had my fill of salsa during my vacation. This was the sort of customer service everyone should aspire to!

Day 3 started early, since it wasn't a late night on the previous evening (opening nights at congresses rarely last until daylight hours). I made breakfast and headed out the door and decided to make the 45-minute hike to the hotel just for fun...after all, it was sunny, warm and I my iPod was fully charged and loaded with DJ Tiesto's latest podcast. Bad idea.

I was intending to get some workshop time in, but since I could barely feel my legs after the longest walk in history, I only did one of the two that had interested me that day. First up: salsa technique with Anya Katsevman (who, with partner Luis Aguilar are On2 World Salsa Champions and can be found pretty much all over the globe performing and teaching). Anya broke down the technique of foot placement, weight distribution, pivoting, extension, and hip motion...all the things that most of us forget about while dancing, and also the things that separate the pros from the amateurs. It was great to revisit fundamental movements and not have to be the one teaching this time! I took in some of the competitions and had a few (sore) hustle and salsa dances between rounds.

After lunch, a nap and a shower, I was back for the evening competitions and dancing. BUT not before Jimmy showed up again with his massive cab. This time I shared with a Brazilian family. We all sat confused when Jimmy stopped the car at an intersection, got out, and ran to the rear...to switch on the light show again! Everyone in the car roared. This guy was a hot mess. Of course, a music video by Sonora Carruseles was playing on the screen at the front. The best part: I was filming the entire scene with my iPod. Check out the video here. Seriously, if you're ever in Orlando and need an entertaining cab driver, pop me a message and I'll send you his details.

Another great night of dancing (about 50/50 hustle and salsa for me), and the funniest thing I heard all night, from a man named Bob that I had just met and had what seemed like a million hustle dances with, "If you were a car, you'd be a Porsche! You're so fast!" (In the voice of Roger from "American Dad")

LMAO. Wow.