Considering how preoccupied we’d all been with learning the steps, we hadn’t yet exchanged more than names. “I actually thought you were Chilean because of how quickly I picked up the moves!” the teacher said. Other students said that with my rhythm, they thought I could be Colombian! Their compliments left me in good spirits. We lingered outside the studio for a while, talking about our past experience with dance, our favorite types, and where they like to go to practice in Santiago.
My friend and I returned to the studio various times after that, happy to continue to build new friendships based on a common interest, learn something, and get some exercise all at once! By finding the dance studio, I was not only helping myself adjust to a new routine in Chile but also integrating into my community. I strongly hope that once Coronavirus passes, I will be able to go back.
