Peanut Butter Bachata

Hips on Fire? The Porno Push up?
Just a few terms I learned at the 1st reno bachata international convention....

Peanut Butter Bachata


Reno and bachata sounded as good a match as peanut butter and broccoli or drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth, a combination that could lead to nothing more than a bad after taste in your mouth. “I guess I could stay in the room and watch TV all weekend” was all that I could think of to save me from this grey forecast. Yes, me and the remote, the remote and I were going to be the best of friends for the next few days.

When we arrived at the hotel, I was looking forward to a night of channel surfing but my hopes were cut short as Rodney or Mr. Rodchata himself informed us that we would be performing that evening and would thus have to be downstairs to practice before the nights event at the pearl lounge. I only got to catch an hour of the Tyra Banks teens who want to have babies episode before I had to head back downstairs.

When we arrived downstairs, Mr. Reno Salsa also known as BB showed us the way into the vacant pearl lounge. I was impressed with the room. White couches and florescent blue lighting reminded me of a setting fit for a Jay-Z video. The stage and this room that would later be filled with hundreds of people that night was ours to practice in for the next hour.

Exciting salsa performances both rehearsed and impromptu by Bay Area and Reno dancers along with our bachata routine set off the beginning of what was to be the 1st Reno Bachata international convention weekend ever. “Not bad at all for the night. One night out of three” I thought to myself, “but tomorrow is a different story.”

I woke up the next morning eager to take advantage of the free breakfast offered by the Grand Sierra Resort. “This just may be the highlight of the day” I thought as I finished of my tropical fruit medley. I might as well go pick up a schedule, it wouldn’t hurt to see what the going on’s of the day were going to be.

When I went to fetch me a schedule, Rodney asked me to help out at the table. I said I’d be right back as I noticed something was missing. I ran upstairs to the room to bring down my mini I pod with speakers. We can not start off the bachata convention without bachata music!

As I sat at the table next to Rodney listening to Anthony Santos and helping check in the people who began trickling in, I became more excited about what the day had to offer. I was beginning to enjoy the vibe and even spotted a class on the schedule that I wanted to try out later that afternoon.

So I tried out a styling class that afternoon and before I knew it, one class led to another and then another. From woman styling to traditional to modern bachata, I had taken three classes in a row and enjoyed just about all of them. I was surprised, and pleasantly so to realize I had just spent the last three hours doing something good for my body and mind while having fun at the same time.

“This might not be as bad as I thought after all” I thought to myself. Indeed it wasn’t. In fact it was really good. The rest of the weekend was followed by more great classes like Hips on Fire’s bachata rueda and one class I will never forget, lap dancing to improve your bachata skills with Summer. The evenings were followed by the opportunity to social dance with other dance hungry wana go have funner’s, and some outstanding performances by salseros and bachataeros like Paso de Oro or Latin Symbolics all over under one Reno roof.

I met some fun dancers, some great people and had me a great time over all. It was one of those times that made whatever issues or frustrations I’ve felt or encountered since my still rather recent entrance into the dance community, worth the struggle. Thanks to Rodney and BB and to everyone who helped to materialize what I thought sounded like a ridiculous idea to begin with, I had one of the most enjoyable bachata experiences of my life in Reno. Lesson learned??? One shouldn’t knock broccoli and peanut butter without first giving it a try. Umm… Tasty!





The Happy Dancer

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