We parked in the outer lot today, and were at the festival by a little after 11, so I was able to do a few contras before the medley at noon. We ran into
After that,
I was planning to do a salsa session, but it was slow getting started and it seemed like mostly experienced salsa-ers, so I went back to the main hall, where Rum and Onions was playing. I didn't know the band, but they were darn good, so I jumped in for two really really excellent contras, one with
*In other contra commentary, I'm realizing (probably again) what a difference it makes to dance with people who are connected, especially with eye contact. There are dancers who aren't connected at all -- no eye contact, and they don't really seem to pay any attention to the people they're dancing with. They might be staring off into space, or over your shoulder, or whatever. That's annoying. Then there are the dancers who are clearly having fun, but who don't really get that link. They usually are better dancers and seem to be enjoying themselves more, but still don't click. That's okay, but not great. The ones who I really like, good dancer or no, are the ones who are having a great time, and who love their partners, if only for the time you're dancing together. There's a connection, a click, that just brings a beautiful energy into the dancing.