Strictly ballroom

Yesterday got off to a lively start: my iPod woke me up at 6.45 with Salsipuedes by Lisandra Meza from the Rough Guide to Cumbia. (This morning it shuffled to the funereal 'Lonesome Valley' from Oh Brother Where Art Thou, which pretty much matched how I felt about having to get up with post-salsa sleep deprivation). I managed to catch an earlier train than I expected up to Coventry so I had a glorious view from the train of the early-morning sunlight sparkling off the Severn: even the nuclear power station at Oldbury looked like a medieval castle silhouetted against the sun.

After a quick powernap and a few squares of Green and Black's expresso chocolate to wake me up, I got to the Toad where Kate invited me to slot into the improvers' class where she was teaching rueda - or at least, as close to rueda as you can manage when packed in like sardines. Later on she did it for real with a smaller group: I've joined in with rueda in several different places including Bristol, Bath, Glasgow and Belfast, but I've had by far the most fun when Kate's leading it. Rather than doing a lot of obscure and elaborate moves she focuses on getting dynamism and energy into the wheel, with plenty of 'dame dos' and 'por abajo' to get you changing speed and direction. I must have another go at getting a group together so we can get her to teach us.

My favourite dancers were a bit thin on the ground last night: Lisa's away (though I danced with her mum), no sign of Sue, and worst of all I haven't danced with Sarah for about a fortnight. There was one consolation, though (apart from Lucy helping me to remember a flashy move I'd forgotten): I got to dance with Gail for the first time in ages. She is just so exciting and engaging to dance with. I managed to inadvertently insult Lisa the other day (oops) over on SalsaCardiff with a crack about ballroom dancers, but like her Gail used to be one and I think it's one reason why she's such a stylish and expressive dancer. (Intriguingly, "ballroom" is listed as one of the classes at the Claverton Rooms tomorrow night.)

The Toad is shut for a couple of weeks now. Mikey P is having another crack at starting a Wednesday Latin night in Aqua, by the market. I hope it succeeds, but it's yet another night with a really late start, like Cuba: free dancing isn't until 10.30. It would be really good to have a salsa night with good music where you could go out and dance starting at a reasonable time.