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An experience to remember: my first Kizomba

More than a little nervous, and tired from a long day in the Alt Cardiff office, I opened the big wooden Bacchus doors to start my very first Kizomba class.

Beforehand, I watched videos of Kizomba online. This is how a girl imagines she looks when she’s drunkenly grinding her hips to ‘rude boy’ at Glam at 3am.

Kizomba may see a lot of hip action and a few body rolls, but the whole dance is surprisingly respectful.

Both bodies should form an A-frame together, hands, shoulders and faces close, but less lower contact.

Perhaps it is too traditional for some, but women are referred to as ladies, and the men must ‘guide their ladies’ and be gentle with them, and you always thank your partner for a dance.

4 things I wish I knew before I Kizomba’d

1)     Shut your eyes. Just like in the film Dirty Dancing it helps to block out everything but the mood of the music and feel of your partner guiding you.

 2)     Let the man lead. This was my ultimate challenge; you have to think of yourself like a blade of grass in the wind, ready to bend and easily moved. If not, your poor partner might as well drag a brick around.

3)     Don’t be afraid to step on his toes. The lady has to follow the man’s movement like a magnet, he moves his left leg back, you move your leg forward.

4)     Don’t say sorry. I said sorry so many times I had to say sorry for saying sorry. It’s a real community here, even the advanced dancers make mistakes and when they do they laugh and carry on.