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Concert
& Performance Reviews by Shirley Fastner
I
was determined to check out the salsa
scene this trip to Paris despite torrential
downpours that come out of nowhere after
steaming sun. And I know how rain deters
salseros! I made myself go, finally,
to the legendary La Coupole for their
Tuesday salsa night. Legendary, because
Hemingway and company were regulars
way back when, and I had heard it was
quite the salsa night. I had my doubts
regarding the level of dancing in Paris
despite their having "Radio Latina",
one of the best salsa stations anywhere.
The
downpour finally ended and off I went,
catching the end of American Susan Sparks'
dance lesson around 10:30 p.m. The participants
looked pretty much like your average
beginner salsa students. Most importantly,
the floor was great as was the music.
There were a fair amount of people,
but still room to dance. I asked the
bartender in French if most of the people
spoke French, English, or Spanish, to
which he responded "Oui", and that about
summed up the mix, though I used only
French to be on the safe side. I had
to get out there when the dancing started,
so I spotted one pretty good dancer,
complimented him and asked him to dance.
After this I immediately attracted the
nicest French accountant to my side
for the rest of the evening, as I think
he was hoping to catch on, but he just
could not get the beat, though I tried
to help. As always, the choice is nice
guy or dancing, dancing or nice guy
- that is the dilemma. Well, I was rescued
by a fantastic dancer, so salsa wins
again. The DJ music was really good.
Unfortunately, the band that came on
around 11:30 p.m. was not so hot. I
only saw people dancing on one, but
in questioning the instructor, she said
it depended on where, but I saw no one
dancing on two.
One frustrating thing about Paris regarding
dancing, other than the fact that it
is so big and the salsa clubs are all
in opposite corners of town, is that
it seems like so many cafes are playing
great salsa with no dancing whatsoever.
In Chicago, it seems to me, if they
are playing salsa, we are dancing.
Do not trust the international internet
city guides for salsa clubs. Do your
own research. They are often not updated
and places are closed. Your best bet
is to find out about one surefire place,
like La Coupole in Paris, for example,
and then ask around when you get there.
I looked in on another recommended place,
Barrio Latino, in the afternoon. (No
place really starts until at least 11
p.m.) It was a lovely place, but the
dance floor by the bar looked small.
When I asked the waiter if they moved
the tables back for the dancing, he
said no, they just dance in between
the tables! I don't think so... As the
instructor at La Coupole had stressed
to me when I queried her for the best
places, "La Coupole has the best floor
in town and the floor is everything."
I would have to agree.
So you see, unlike Esperanto, which
never caught on, the language of salsa
is international and will connect you
wherever you go...
Some
places to try in Paris...
-
La
Coupole - 102 Blvd. Montparnasse - (Tuesday
night)
-
La
Pachanga - 8, Rue Vandamme (near La
Coupole, heard this mentioned often)
-
Cafe
Latina - Champs Elysee - every night
-
Barrio
Latino - Rue Antoine (Bastille area)
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