I was just reflecting on my visit to Miami, and I think what I learned most from Dina was to relax, and not be so serious :) She told me that I need to smile more, and she is right! She is so good at being "in the moment", that really is one of her best assets as a dancer. I guess I've been pretty stressed out lately, and she reminded me that I need to have a good time while I'm dancing!

I took a tango class with two Argentenians at a Tapas restaurant on South Beach a couple of days after the seminar. I went with my friend Yamila and her boyfriend, who are from Argentina, but they both have Syrian blood in them (something that is common down there!). I learned the basic 8-step sequence that is the basis of tango, and it also reinforced the "relax!" idea. You must surrender to your partner in that dance and trust that he is going to lead you the right direction! By the end of the class Yamila was clapping, and was very happy that I picked it up so quickly! I think I'm going to find someone here who can teach me more! I think Flamenco is calling to me, believe it or not...I think it may be time to go back and study some more Spanish with Faten! I'm a glutto for punishment, what can I say! It's very difficult for me to be that earthy, but it's really good to challenge myself like that.

I didn't realize how pent up I was, and these dancers