How I Got My Groove Back
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"Button-down shirts don't cut it on the dancefloor." From youthful sweaty gigs, punk rock and The Clash to middle age, Latin America and cool elegant Salsa.
Transcript
"I first saw The Clash in 1977. After that it was sweaty gigs and writing fanzines. Blond hair, blue hair, no hair, junk shop chic. It didn't end with punk: this picture was taken around 1985.
But then family takes priority and before you know it there's something growing on your face and you're wearing button-down collars, sitting at home drinking beer and trying to be enthusiastic about jazz, alternative country, even opera. Going nowhere slowly.
But in 1998 I sneaked out of a conference in London to see a Latin band at a Cuba benefit. In the midst of a room full of aimlessly jigging lefties, a black man and a Japanese woman were dancing cool elegant salsa. I wanted to be able to do that.
So when my friend Anne started going to lessons I went along. I had two left feet for at least the first two months, but gradually one night a week became two, then three.
I found myself practising turns in front of the mirror and filling notebooks with moves I'd just learnt. My daughters Rhian and Lowri started complaining: "Dad, you used to be into good music like The Clash, how can you listen to this?". Button-down shirts and a greying beard just don't cut it on the dancefloor. Now I scour the designer sales for stuff I wouldn't have dreamt of wearing before. And at Christmas, Rhian overheard someone admiring my dancing at a party and proudly told them, "That's my Dad".
I think I've got my groove back."
An interview with the author
Please tell us a little about yourself.
I came to college in Cardiff in 1975 and I've lived in Penarth since 1986. I run Media Education Wales, where my work includes teaching children and teachers about film language and how to make films.
What's your story about?
Seeing The Clash in 1977 made a big impact on me: it got me listening to punk and reggae, dyeing my hair, stencilling slogans on T-shirts, and writing fanzines. But when I became a father all that seemed less important, and I drifted through my thirties with a beard, boring clothes and an increasingly dodgy record collection. Then in 1998 I saw the Latin band Candela at a benefit in London. I loved the music but what really knocked me out was the one couple there who knew how to dance proper salsa. I thought they looked really cool. So, a few years later, when a friend started going to lessons I went along. After a dodgy first few months I've become a fully-fledged salsa addict with a two to three night a week habit. Music and style have become important to me again.
Why did you choose to tell this particular story?
Dancing has made a big difference to my life over the last three years so it seemed the obvious thing to make a story about.
What did you find most rewarding about the workshop?
I thought the whole process was rewarding and very well planned and structured, with great support and encouragement from the team. From an educational perspective, I particularly liked the introductory activities which helped us develop our storytelling skills. I was also impressed with the techniques which the team had developed for teaching complete programmes like Photoshop to people without computer experience.
