Cafeaulait wrote:
Definitely not. That's what fascinates me when I go to a salsa party. I see all of those gorgeous ladies dancing really intimately with, well, not the most attractive guys. I wonder what goes through their minds at that time. They must REALLY like dancing.
You're applying a mainstream American mindset to an activity that a lot of people don't consider to be sexual at all, like nude public baths in parts of Northern Europe. Everybody trusts each other to be adult about it, respect other people's boundaries, and follow the unwritten rules (which are pretty straightforward for the most part). In other words, for them, dancing is just another social interaction that requires a partner for it to be complete. And as long as you're a good dance partner---related to, but not the same as being a good dancer---you'll fit in just fine. Any kind of body contact is non-sexual (in the dance community's eyes, at least), usually double handhold or closed position. And oftentimes, it's driven by one's culture. For example, ...
Latin women see partner dancing with body contact as just another social interaction. It's just how they express themselves, get some exercise, and vent out stress from work. Plus, their culture is touch-heavy in general. Whenever Latin dancing takes place, everybody dances with everybody, be it friends or strangers. Of course, it goes without saying that there are boundaries to be respected when you're dancing with someone new: don't get too close, don't lead your partner through moves they have no idea about, and at least know the basic steps. If a girl agrees to dance with you, it's doesn't mean she's romantically interested, it does't mean she wants you to ask her out, and it may not even mean she wants to dance more than once song. What it does mean is that she trusts you to understand the unwritten rules, and feels comfortable sharing her enjoyment of dancing with you. Know these rules, and you'll be golden.
Eastern European women see partner dancing with body contact as an inherently intimate activity. They generally will engage in contact dancing only with their boyfriend or husband, their female friends, and guys they find very attractive. Everybody else will get a blunt "no". At times, you may be thrown a bone, and get to dance where you move to the music while standing 2 feet across from her, with no touching whatsoever. In my opinion, this kind of dancing feels very dry, almost clinical; I've done it myself. This is true at almost any public event where people dance with each other. Simply put, the barriers to entry are very high.
American women take some sort of middle ground between these two. The exact placement depends on her mood, your attractiveness level, and the social atmosphere of the venue or event. For the most part, it's hit or miss. But any place with partner dancing that doesn't have a heavy meat market feel gives aspie guys somewhat of a fair fighting chance. Again, don't dance too close with a new girl.
Last edited by Aspie1 on 22 Oct 2013, 11:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.