La Discoteca

Carlos’ wife taught me how to dance merengue and salsa in preparation for a night out at the local “middle class discoteca”. I put on the pleather shoes I bought last week at Moo Shoes in the Lower East Side of Manhattan just for this occasion, and Monse taught me the “basicos” of these dances in the living room.

It was at the discoteca that I received the dose of culture that I was looking for. Ticos (Costa Ricans) flocked to the dance floor as the night wore on, dressed to impress. Each song was a different style. In addition to salsa and merengue, there was reggaeton, a Latin urban music that originated in Panama and has become very popular in Costa Rica, along with several other songs and dances. All of them were not only distinct musically and had different dances, but they had their own character. Most impressive was Cumbia, a dance that originated as a courtship dance with African slaves, which was so quick that it looked like it was in fast forward motion, and Carlos even “pulled a muscle while doing it once.” I wasn’t surprised. The men spun the women in circles, they held each other’s arms behind their backs, then in front, knees and feet never stopped moving. The dance was so fast that the exactitude of the movements were almost indiscernible. I found myself watching one couple, who Carlos described as “doing it right.” They were mesmerizing.

I wanted to try my hand at merengue. I noticed a group of girls looking over at the “gringo” so I asked one of them, “quiere bailar?” After a nod of the head, she joined me on the dance floor, and I led with the correct steps this time, Monse’s instructions in my head, “Always keep your knees and feet moving; take both of her hands and move them up and then around outlining el sol; take your right hand off her waist and spin around with your back toward her, then take her hand with your left and spin her; take your right hand off her waist and spin around her with your back toward her again, but this time take her left hand with your right and her left with your right and spin her; keep spinning”.

I was sweating like crazy and we danced in so many circles I was surprised I wasn’t seeing double. I had never put so much thought into dance moves before, which made the experience kind of rewarding, but the most fun I had were the times when I let go and went with my instincts.

The evening was a uniquely Latin experience and definitely a highlight of my time here so far. Unlike in the States, the dances here have specific moves that the locals learn from a young age. In addition to having a great time trying out these moves for the first time, I was impressed with the exactitude of the dances, the speed to which they were performed, and ultimately, the sheer joy in the faces of the Ticos.