I invented a new move. It could be an old move that no one has done in a while. I shall call it the Waffle!

Dance is an expression. A happy, smiling one when you're doing the Salsa. It's one of the greatest thrills of my life to leave a class/workshop/dance jam session sweating. On my busiest days, Salsa is my stress buster and instant mood enhancer that leaves me wanting way more.

Twelve months can change a city's culture. A year ago, there was hardly any Salsa in Hyderabad. Now, there are as many dance instructors as words in this blog entry. Some legit, some just out to cash in on the sudden increased demand. As a dance enthusiast, the only advice I'm going to dish out is to watch the instructor dance. If they're not totally engrossed in the music, soaking up every beat of Cuban culture and they're not totally enjoying themselves, find another teacher. Of course, the greatest dancers sometimes make the worst teachers. That's an accepted norm - in most cases, the person teaching is either a great instructor and not the best dancer in the room, or the person with the best moves who just can't communicate his routines in simple steps for others to learn.

The key is to enjoy the dance and your instructor's style of teaching.

Aradhana Reddy is the new PR person for Ahala, Taj Krishna. That is a huge boost for Salsa Hyderabad. Aradhana has been the Salsa spokesperson for the city in the past and I'm stoked that she's now a part of Friday night salsa at Ahala. The workshop on Friday at Ahala starts at 8pm. For more details, contact the hot stud writer who's dishing out these w.o.a.

Sachin and Deepthi are continuing with their classes in Hitech city, Jubilee Hills, with plans for Salsa parties at Soul. Hopefully, Salsa in Hyderabad grows in the clubs too, for that is after all the reason why most people learn to dance... so they can show off their moves.

For now, I am quite content shutting the door, turning up Joe Arroya on my ipod and practicing the shimmy in front of the mirror ;)

If you're still reading, thank you for your time. I appreciate your interest in Salsa Hyderabad. If you've already picked up a few routines, drop by Ahala on Friday night and practice them. If you're a beginner - there's a list of instructors on the right column. You know you want to give it a shot, tiger!