Ok, so sorry about the delay in an update, but now we're going to rock! So we're going to look at another great event to meet some people and have fun. Salsa lessons is what I'll cover for now, but swing lessons could also be a great option.
Salsa dancing is a great way to stay in shape, interact with a lot of people, though it can have it can be a challenge when first starting out. As for gender makeup of your average lessons, there is usually a 50/50 split, and if it's warmer out the edge goes to the ladies to as high as 70%. If it's rainy dudes, forget it as it will be wall to wall fellas looking for a dance. So depending on the weather, as a guy you can definitely be in demand as most guys show up solo, and most ladies show up in pairs of more. Generally you can find a place for lessons or dance year round in the DC area including Habanna Village, The Salsa room, Bravo Bravo and a host of others. Most of these places generally have lessons early in the evening, or you can get it through a meetup group, or a www.thingstododc.com or www.prosinthecity.com dance lessons. Pre dance: Men: Let's make sure we're wearing the correct shoes. Black dress shoes should be just fine. As for the pants and shirt, you can go with a jean or slacks, as long as your comfortable. Be sure to think to wear something that if you sweat, will not be too obvious. If it's crowded, it definitely will get hot and pit stains are usually never that attractive Ladies: You'll be asked to dance a lot, so no flip-flops! A knee length dress and a low heel should be good. As they say, even though male is the lead in salsa, the dance is still all about the lady. @ the lessons I still say, show up early! 1/2 of everything that happens is luck and timing, so make sure it's in your favor Grab a drink ( just one) and strike up a conversation. Just a "Have you taken lessons before?" Is a great start. You'll more then likely be switching partners and it will be loud so be sure to make that great first impression. If it's your very very first time, as long as you can step forward and step back, you'll be in good shape. Dance time!
Me dancin' up a storm So you've got some moves, some confidence, and now you're ready to go! Let's slow down... Take the time to chat with some of the people you already chatted up. Sure get out there and do a few songs. Fake it before you make it, just another fancy way of acting like you've got the confidence, will actually give you the confidence. Don't forget, suggest a cool spot nearby, exchange numbers or emails, etc.. Have fun!
So the Washington DC area has the largest number of young fun and most important single people out there according to the internet.. DC Haven. With all those people, as indicated before it can be tough to to that dance known as the weekend bar approach, breaking into that group that wants nothing to do with anybody, or the group of dudes so content to chat with each other all night. An alternative to this is speed dating. With multiple companies in the area (Thingstododc.com, Prosinthecity, and Fastlife.com) there are a host of options. I'll tell you what to expect, some Do's and dont's and ways to remember what you did and who you talked to in the second part of this post. This clip does get some things right....
My speed dating event was for people between 22 and 35 year old in a hotel lounge in DC. You could easily tell the daters by the name tags and most of the ladies came with a friend, there were a few dudes sitting solo, and a few guys talking to each other. The vibe in the air was like being at a high school dance where everyone is talking, but really scoping out the room. There was a large mix of folks from guys who looked really nervous, to ladies just out to have a fun time.
After you check in, you're given a sheet a paper, a pencil, and a name tag. Since there was some time to kill I met my female friend, a first timer, and we proceeded to grab a drink while we waited for the signal to start. As me made our way over to the dating once the signal was given. There was a room of numbered tables and then men were seated on one side, and a lady was seated on the other.
So this group seemed pretty good. A mix of both ladies you would like to talk to for more then 4 minutes.. and those when 4 minutes is 3:59 too long. After about maybe 12 rotation it was time to call the evening a close, though with a few new friends we went to a nearby bar and chatted about the evening events. In one case my friend continued chatting with a new fella, and I let them be to continue chattin'
Overall it was a fun way to meet people you otherwise wouldn't come across. Check out Tips and tricks below to get the most out of this experience. I give it 3.5 out of 5 monuments.. so now I've got a rating system? News to me.
Pointer and Tips Pre-game
The Event
So first, find an event you like. Some
are based or age, race, religion, and some are open to all. Find one
that sounds fun and sign up for it! If you want to have a partner in
crime, tell them it'll make a good story. Some events have an open bar afterwards, so it's worth the price just for the drinks. Speaking of price, then general range is about $25 to $30 dollars a ticket.
About YOU!
Dress in something you feel most comfortable with, because you're going to be putting on a show and chatting with a lot of people. Play some upbeat music at home, chat with pedestrians on the way to the event. That energy level should be pretty high since you're going to work to make sure you stand out.
The Big Game
Show up early or on time.
If you can get there early, you'll have more then just 4 minutes to chat with your date before being asked to move on to the next one. Chat up your fellow daters (male and female). You could make a new friend or get a head start on someone that catches your eye. Don't inbide too much, one drink to mellow out will do.
Gameplan Where are you from? What do you do?
Let's not sound like 85% of the daters. You've got 4 minutes to make an
impression so think of just a few questions that can start a great
dialogue, and more importantly something that's make them remember you.
If you love running, find out their favorite exercise and work your
running into. Flirt a little, say "If you try to get away, more then
likely I'll be able to catch you." um.... no. Play nice!
You're finally there.. across from you is a lady or guy who just crawled out of the sewer and only answers in Yes or no answers. Now you don't know who came in a group and will chat about how rude you were. Just smile, and chat with them. Maybe try out your packaged questions, or go for the dreaded Where from, What do questions.
After-Action report
Thanks for coming, the event is now over...
You've done it! Finished your last date, and you're ready to get outta there. Not yet! Track down that one or if you have time two people you really liked. Go get there dating number again, chat with them about the event, etc. With so many people it will be a blur, so definitely make your mark and be remembered.
Input the info
When you get home, input the info for the matches. The next day you may forget them, lose the sheet, or whatever. If you just want to go out and have fun with people, that's great! I mean it's just talking to people and having some fun.
ln mid April I attended a charity happy hour via Meetup.com to both enjoy the weather, an adult
beverage, and of course to do a field report. Meetup.com is a social network site used to connect
people with common interests and arrange "Meet ups" at different locations. The cost can vary
depending on the event. The event I checked out was a 20's and 30's going out group charity happy hour at Lost Society on U street.
Overall the bar was pretty easy to find with most of the people on the third floor. Upon arriving you
check-in at the desk, get a name tag and the name of one other person you're supposed to find (Sara B., if you're out there sorry didn't find you). The crowd was about what you would see at a bar on a Friday on U st., though this was a Thursday, with a mix of 20 and 30 some things in "bar" attire of polo shirts, jeans,and some dresses. The environment was elbow room only and the music was up pretty loud so there was a lot of yelling over the music and yelling over the other 40 conversations. lt was about a 50- 40 ratio mix of men to women in multi-cultural mix.
I took the opportunity to talk to a few folks and found that the general consensus was that they were
looking to do something new, get outside, and check out the deck (it was one of those warm days in
March). While observing the event I noticed there were groups of people in 3's and 4's, but not a huge amount of cross-talk in the 30 or so minutes of observation. Groups of guys talking, groups of women talking, a typical bar with a few name tags thrown in.
In summary, though it's an improvement from just checking out a bar and the name tags would act as an icebreaker, so it may be best to come with a fun group and do as they suggest and chat with up to 3 folks.
It's evening time... and you KNOW there are more things out there the that same bar, or same club that you've been going to over and over. There's more out there, and I'm going to check them out for you. We're talking about that great place that has a great website you've never been to, those salsa lessons and mojitos, that "just because there's a line, is it worth the cover?" spot, and "Is that bottle service worth it?" . I've grown up in the area, went to a local university and have been checking out the bars and night life, but also am into alternative social events or leagues. This blog is a way to information share and save both time and money.
A little about me, I'm a black-American (meaning born and bred in the United States), 6ft tall, barely into the 30's. It may change the dynamic a bit with interactions, but you play the hand you're dealt and have fun. This blog will cover things like approachability (more of a people watching vs. if people are actually engaging other groups) , age range, type of music, male-female ratio, and attitude (preppy, chill, or somewhere in between). And now, some homework to check out if you get a chance.
This book looks at the perception of a night of the town is and the realities. It's a great read, and there are definitely some portions of this book that are relate-able.
