BRO reader submission by Michelle Perkins:
Cool temperatures may have settled in, but the Lafayette Taproom will be bayou-hot on Tuesday night for the first in a series of Cajun/Zydeco dances featuring music by Leeron Zydeco and the Hot Tamales.
If you haven’t been to a dance since junior high, set aside any notions of awkward teenage shuffling; Zydeco music is fast, fun, and totally infectious. And to ensure you’ll be on your feet (not your partner’s), master dance teacher Esther Brill will be kicking off the event with a one-hour group dance class. (In Rochester, Esther’s lessons have helped Cajun/Zydeco dancing become so popular that a monthly dance now draws well over 100 devotees–so you know she’s good.)
Never danced a step in your life? A little nervous about shakin’ it in public? Not to worry. Esther makes it impossible to feel awkward–in fact, if you mess up, it will probably be because you’re doubled over laughing at one of her jokes. Kate Neaverth, a Buffalo mom and previous non-dancer, took her first Cajun/Zydeco crash course with Esther in the fall and was amazed at how much fun it was. Says Kate. “I watched her dance and she made it look so simple and fun that all my reservations about dancing in front of people flew out the window.”
Don’t have a partner? Again–no problem. Many people at dances come without a partner. They look forward to dancing with as many people as they can during the course of the evening–and to meeting and dancing with the newcomers. Dancers are generally a very friendly group of people; just make eye contact, smile, and say, “Would you like to dance?” Then introduce yourselves during the course of the dance (and if you’re a newbie dancer, feel free to say so).
If all else fails, you can simply spend the evening warming up at the bar with a hot dish of gumbo (free with $5 admission) while watching Leeron and the boys, some of the best musicians in the area, spice things up with their unique blend of Louisiana sounds. But wallflowers be warned: those notoriously friendly dancers will eventually get you out on the floor–and once they do, you may find it hard to stop your feet from moving!
EVENT DETAILS:
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Lafayette Taproom
391 Washington Street Buffalo, NY 14203
7:30-11:00pm
$5 admission includes lesson, performance, and FREE GUMBO