I said goodbye to a dear friend today. Her name is Allegro Ballroom. She has given me love, connection, support and shown me a new family. This is where I started dancing salsa about 13 years ago. I remember going there and not knowing anyone at first. Then, I started asking people to dance and asking questions of the instructors and becoming friends with them. I started to hang out at Allegro every Sunday and it became, as I called it, “My church.”
After 10 years I realized that I only missed going to Allegro’s on a Sunday about 10 times total. I would schedule work and vacations around it as I knew that no matter what was happening in my life I was supposed to be there with my salsa family. We ended up sharing birthdays, marriages, divorces, births, deaths, and everything in between in this magical place.
Something I’ve noticed about Allegro is a strange turnover every 3-4 years. It seems, other than the true hardcore dancers, people may get bored, may get married, or some life change happens and then start to disappear. I’m glad that most of my small circle seems to have stayed together with a limited amount of turnover. Thirteen years is a long time to stick with something and it has enriched my life in more ways than I can mention or describe at this point.
So, I said goodbye to my dear friend Allegro tonight. However, even though I said goodbye, she will always be in my heart, and I in hers. I love you, Allegro.