dance practice pace

when i arrived in Shanghai i had read about a place where middle aged folks go to dance. i thought the music played was salsa and merengue, from what i read. it took me two years to visit but i made it yesterday. i read people go there, twirl dance partners around, then go home to their families. pretty inocent stuff. a dharma friend who in her early life, before being a Zen priest, was a profesional dancer, said that dancing is a form of practice. the place i went to, as described where i read about it, was a real dive, but a fun one at that. the moment i arrived i was dancing. it was not salsa and merengue that was being played by the live band, but ballads, polkas, waltzes, and what must have been a Chinese version of bachata. it was campy. people do the salsa moves to the music. i must say my dance partners twisted and twirled me more than i did them, since i was not familiar with the pace. the experience resulted in another way to practice my Mandarin in a practical life application. i might seek out an authentic salsa place in the future, but it was fun dancing at an age-appropriate scene. the dance partner i danced with the most was 48 years old. which brings me to a cultural observation. i was one of two foreigners present. the first question i was i usually asked was where i was from. the second one was how old i was. there is no cultural hangup on asking someone's age right away. i could not get away with saying, "i'm 39 and a half forever". it was unusual to be asked, but then most people where between the ages of 40 to 60, so it did not matter. this morning, i practiced yin yoga.