Barosso Bar

23rd June, 2010
Barosso Bar
Hangzhou, China
http://www.salsa-china.com/english.html
Opening Times: 21:30 - 01:30

First impressions with salsa in China, even the jet-lag could not stop me tonight. This is a very small place with a quite disturbing bar in the middle of the room, so it was not meant to be a dancing place, but the floor is wood, and is quite good. I would remove the tables and chairs for the dancing, there were not many people standing, and if they were is because they couldn't dance.

Anyway, I got quite pissed off at the beginning because I HATE crowded places, I get beaten everywhere and I suffer more for the girl, her legs, her feet and the feet where her heels are going to end up. I decided to give it a try and I failed miserably. Beaten everywhere. BUT, it was my fault. Only a little bit later, I realized that they were pretty organized, the lines for dancing are already set. If you go and put a new couple, nobody is going to complain, but everybody is going to suffer it. So....have a look first if you go there, find the places (best ones: corners, close the middle bar and mixer table, because the girl can extend her arms without hitting anybody) and as soon as the song is finished pick a girl and set your place.

The most surprising fact is that almost everybody (I prefer to save my statistics) dance NY. No On1. Why? Because the teacher Kevin, decided to start teaching in Hangzhou NY and that is it. The level is quite good and if you have place to dance is quite funny. Of course the music goes with it, Puerto Rican and fresh NY music.

I have to say that chinese people are very nice, they are open enough to ask you to dance if they feel so, they smile, and they are very thankful, so that makes a difference even in a crowded place.

Another point to note is that they had a kind of "meneito" very funny, and all they knew the steps, but it looked very funny with all the girls dancing what the lyrics exactly said...Now, I am wondering if they could really understand spanish?

Of course, it was getting better as soon as the place started getting empty. The Bar closed at 1:00 and they were so nice to suggest me other places to go for the rest of my stay.

Music:
- NY: 60%
- Cha-cha: 15%
- Bachata: 15%
- Merengue: 5%
- Meneito: 5%

The Best? The people, no doubt.