Review: Let's Go To Carablanca
28th February 2010
"To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before." ~ Kirk
Location: Red Lion Square, Holborn, Central London
Time: 8pm - midnight
Date: Friday 26th February
Introduction
Yeah I know, Ken wrote one already (If you haven't already done so, it's worth reading).
Consider this a different perspective, from someone who doesn't mind traditional music as much...
The Good
People turned up. About 15 of us, which for Carablanca is quite a lot.
Everyone carried on in the "LGT" tradition and danced happily with each other. Friends chatted.
There were recognisible lanes and floorcraft and fairly sane musical dancing. Pretty much walking and giros / cortados rather than Nuevo.
The floor's been clearly marked out (including an announcement) which stopped the problem of people walking around the outer edge of the dancefloor. Certainly no-one walked straight across it.
There were cortinas and as far as I could tell, the music followed the "tango, tango, vals, tango, tango, milonga" pattern with three of each making it fairly easy to predict when to dance and when to rest. I only know three DJs who consistently please everyone all the time. I was content with the music. There was enough interesting bits to dance to without it becoming random chaos. But as Ken said, the only Nuevo was the cortinas (very good music though and eventually I and half the floor gave in and started dancing to it. I'm a barbarian who like jazz, what can I say?)
Free water and a discount if you go on to Negrachas (ask when you pay at Carablanca) were welcomed.
The Bad
Like in the other review, being told the door I came through is closed and I now have to find my way back to my car was a bit pesky. It's not entirely driver-friendly either, though experience will probably sort that out.
The Ugly
There were a few dancers (who were nothing to do with LGT) who had truly appalling floorcraft.
I've only had to duck on a dancefloor once before many years ago when someone decided a half moon aerial was a good idea on a crowded Ceroc dance floor... On Friday I had to duck or be knocked out by someone dancing with waaaaaaaaay too much force and speed and no attention to where he was going.
The Future
It was a good beginning. I won't be going there on non-LGTC nights.
But once a month, dancing with friends in a calm and friendly place appeals to me.
~ Christopher O' Shea, 26th February 2010