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Microdosing MamboCity

I wrote this over two months ago but … life. There is no big message here. It is just about all the different ways I have tried to enjoy salsa congresses and finally finding the formula that works for me. 

 

MamboCity is a congress I have been to many times over the years. I’ve been to many congresses over many years and, honestly, never truly enjoyed them. I have learnt a lot from them, been inspired, and had rare moments of magic. But I’ve never done my best dancing at them, and I have always found them a bit frustrating and even a bit disheartening. This is not because salsa congresses aren’t amazing; this is because of me! 

 

My first congress

My first congress was in 2010. My son was almost one year old, and I was leaving him for a whole weekend for the first time. I envisaged a weekend full of sleeping and dancing. I did neither a lot of sleeping nor a lot of dancing. I knew nothing of salsa congresses at the time! I was completely intimidated by the scale and standard of the event. When I danced, I forgot how to breathe. When I tried to sleep, I was far too wired and over-stimulated to do that either. 

 

I remember a lesson from Shelley Prado which has stuck with me for fifteen years. I remember dancing with Super Mario, but, like I said, not breathing for four minutes, which made it difficult. I remember going to the stage end of the main room and watching the most amazing dancers for what felt like hours. I remember lying in my hotel bed thinking, “Sleep! This is your chance to sleep! The baby isn’t here so you must sleep NOW.” This is a very ineffective method of getting to sleep. 

 

Excitement and expectation 

Since then, I have been to quite a few different congresses, all in the UK. I have tried going for the socials only. I have tried being drunk most of the time. I have tried dipping in and out by not staying in the congress venue or combing the congress with other things. I have gone alone. I have gone in groups. I have tried maxing myself out and going to every class possible as well as the parties for five or six hours at a time. 

 

As I have said, the problem is me, not the congresses. It is a problem of expectation. Expecting to have to most incredible dance experience ever is one way to guarantee you won’t (just like bullying yourself to sleep). The general vibe at congresses is one of over-excitement. The hours are crazy; lessons all day and social dancing all night leaving very little time for eating and sleeping. For various reasons, last year I enjoyed MamboCity so little that I thought I might not go again. But, like a gang of fairy godmothers, my brothers and sister bought me a congress ticket for my birthday and sorted my accommodation, so I had one more roll of the dice. And I finally cracked the code and found my own rhythm. 


Microdosing pleasure 

Like most of my pleasure consumption these days, microdosing is the method that works best for me; short, intense bursts rather than maxing out and trying to send myself stratospheric. It’s easy to overdo it on the first night. Many people did and their eyes were visibly twitching on the Saturday morning. I get it; they didn’t want to miss out. MamboCity is really the best of the best in terms of music and dancers. But, for me, those things are all for nothing if I can’t relax and enjoy them properly. In fact, they just add to the frustration because I feel like I’m wasting a great opportunity. 

 

So, what I did was microdose. I dipped in and out of the socials. I was very selective about the classes I took and just didn’t go if I felt too knackered. I have been to enough of these to know that there will be plenty of other opportunities. I went to a couple of the afternoon sessions, just for two or three dances, then left. I didn’t drink too much either. I stayed at just under two drinks drunk for the whole weekend (see Mitchell & Webb’s The Inebriatti sketch for the science behind this). 

 

It worked!

I had the best congress of my life. I didn’t have a single bad dance. I was relaxed and therefore creative all weekend. I danced with some of the best dancers there AND remembered to breathe. I remembered that dances, even in congresses, are not performances or tests; they are fun little conversations to music, where playfulness and connection are more important than nailing technique and showing off. I had little dance love affairs with a couple of people who I danced with several times over the three days – I don’t know all their names. I felt confident and good in the classes, even the ones I was leading (and struggling) in. 

 

Maybe the reason I enjoyed this year so much is because my expectations were low. Maybe it’s because I’m 40 and don’t give a shit anymore. Maybe I have finally relaxed enough into my dancing that I can finally reap the benefits of 18 years of dancing, even in the most intense situations. Maybe it’s the microdosing method. Whatever the reason, I’m glad of it. Now I need some more fairy godmothers so I can go to the next ball. 

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