Monday, April 12, 2010

"...but HE has two left feet..."

So I gave my business card to a young lady yesterday evening as she was trying to sell me some Mother's day gift baskets. After the initial "OOOOH, YOU TEACH SALSA?!?!", her next statement was something I had heard more times than I can count.

She proceeded to talk about how much her husband "needed help" with dancing and that he has "two left feet." I playfully responded that I had heard it all before. It happens to me all the time: I'll be discussing salsa lessons w/ a potential female student that has a boyfriend/husband, and she'll be so quick to point out how much her S.O. "needs help" or "has two left feet". Just about every time I've heard a lady say that, when it came down to actually teaching the couple, I've ended up having to correct the woman more than the man.

It's amusing to me --and I take care to challenge both leads and follows equally-- but I have to wonder exactly why a large amount of beginner ladies feel like they need preface an instructor on how much their S.O.s suck at dancing, yet (intentionally or not) act as if they are so far ahead of the game.