By Laura Pava (undergraduate FIGRI student)
I’m here sitting in a
classroom, listening to everyone talk about the homework they didn’t make, the
financial analysis of an enterprise and what are they going to have for lunch…
what they don’t know is that my head hasn’t arrived from the United States. I
can’t stop dancing in my mind, so I put on my headphones and start humming
“Love never felt so good” by Michael Jackson.
There are two
types of persons in this world, those that when they arrive from a trip show
everyone their photos, talks a little about the experience and continue with
their normal life, and those that stay with mental disorder for about two weeks
more, thinking and feeling that they are still on the trip.
I look down and
see my red Hip Hop Vlado shoes and realized I’m part of the second group.
Traveling to Las
Vegas is amazing by itself but being there representing my country – you have
to agree with me – is difficult to overcome. The strange thing is that when I
think about the city, I don’t remember the great lights, the casinos and not
even the famous strip, unlike I remember the hotel’s lobby, the places where we
rehearse and the scenario where we saw the best Hip Hop dance crews of the
world.
I was under 21 then
you might wonder - "who in this world travel to Las Vegas being a
minor?!?" - and that is right, I couldn’t even get a beer while I
rehearse, but that’s ok, I went to the craziest city in the whole world to
drink Mountain Dew.
We stayed at the Red
Rock Hotel, Resort-Casino-Spa, I repeat, RESORT-CASINO-SPA and what did we use?
The lobby and the halls to rehearse, I didn’t even get to enjoy the most
fabulous pool I’ve ever seen, but that’s fine I danced next to the casino –
before they ask me to go-, ate a hamburger in front of the professional betting
area, and for you to envy me more, I saw the “Caesars Palace” when the movie
“What happen yesterday” was recorded but I couldn’t enter because I had to take
another dance workshop. So, that’s right.. I didn’t get to know real Vegas, I
don’t have a lot of pictures of the casinos or a t-shirt, I didn’t get to bet
nor drink a margarita and I didn’t get crazy and drunk. I went to Las Vegas to
get to know Pacman, Parris Goebel, Shaun Evaristo, Ian Eastwood and Bryan Puspos I traveled to
watch Royal Family dance, to cry with my crew when we go up on the stage and
learn how to be a better professional.
My body still
feels the adrenaline when I remember the words “And representing Colombia,
please welcome, D-three” and the moment when we stand on the famous scenario of
the World Hip Hop Dance Championship.
Maybe it is not
the ideal travel for everyone, but is the ideal experience for a dancer.
I stand up. The
class is over. I can´t walk normally then I continue dancing through the stairs
while everyone looks at me in a weird way … Dear students and colleagues I’m
sorry but I will have this mental disorder for about a week more, maybe a month
or maybe a year, but if you see me dancing around the university you should
know I have no problem with you joining me.
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