What does my face say?

Tuesday, December 23, 2008 at 1:55pm

In my 6 years of dancing salsa, I've had my fair share of flaws and shortcomings. Some of them I've done away with completely; with others, I've made great strides in but still need work. However, there's one flaw of mine that I just can't seem to get rid of. It seems small, but has a huge affect on people.

I never smile.

Salsa is my favorite-est thing to do in the world; yet, I hardly ever smile when I do it. Sure, I crack a smile when I and/or my partner for that song mess up, just to lighten up the situation, but other than that, I normally have a straight face. I didn't think it was such a big deal until I danced with ladies who don't smile. A non-smile could mean one of many things: she's bored, she's not having a good time, she's tired, she has a lot on her mind, she thinks she's too good for me, so on and so forth. You never really can be sure what a non-smile means amongst these possible meanings, but one thing that we can be sure of about a non-smile is that it has so much uncertainty. However, there's nothing unsure about a big, sincere smile. If the person you're dancing with is smiling, you can pretty much guarantee he/she is having a good time. As long as it's sincere, you're not wondering about what said person is thinking or how they're feeling.

Funny thing for me is that I've learned from compliments both in person and online that I smile alot and that people actually like my smile; yet, I find it hard to do so naturally when I dance. For some reason, it just feels strange and forced to me, and I know that people can see through a fake smile. I don't want to fake it, but at the same time, I'd hate for anyone that I'm dancing with to get the impression from me that I'm bored, that she's beneath me, that I'm frustrated with her, or anything else negative. I've always thought of myself as someone who at least makes an effort to dance with everyone and enjoy those dances regardless of the level of the person I'm dancing with, but I can't help but wonder if I'm projecting a vibe that says otherwise.

So, the question(s) that I'm asking to everyone who's danced with me is: What does my face say to you while we're dancing? Do you get the impression that I enjoy dancing with you, or do you get feeling that I'm not having a good time (or worse)? Whatever impression you get, what is it about me that projects that?

Thanks in advance for all your replies and help!