The Guayabera

Guayabera: A men's shirt, popular in Latin America. It has four pockets and two finely pleated strips running along the front and back.

I am not a good dancer. Years ago, when I tried my feet at Israeli circle dancing, Yossi and Kobi would have to place themselves at either side of me and steer me in the correct direction, almost lifting me off the ground in their enthusiasm. I do have a good sense of rhythm, and without the restrictions of choreography, I enjoy free, disco style, dancing. In Mexico, I liked the sound and feel of Latin dance, and even took a few Salsa lessons.

In Oaxaca, we encountered the Danzon. Every Wednesday night, Danzon enthusiasts gather in the Zocalo and dance to the sounds of a live band. On the first evening, the syncopated music and the elegant style captivated us. We made our way through the ring of onlookers and entered the dance area. The first part of each partitura is slow and romantic. Embracing at the appropriate distance we could gaze at each other while enjoying the smooth movement. The music then erupts into a fast rhythm which allowed us to utilize our newly learned Salsa moves and go wild. It was love at first dance, and we became Wednesday night regulars. The MC made it a habit of introducing us as the "Visitors from Korea." and the crowd responded with enthusiastic applause.

Soon we realized that the Danzon has more structure than slow-dance and Salsa, and we took classes to learn the rules. As our style improved so did our standing in the dancing community. We were no longer just ignorant gringos that hop on the dance floor, but respectful, bona fide danzoneros. We would exchange hugs and kisses with the regulars as is the customary Hello and Goodbye. In the small city of Oaxaca, we became local celebrities. Walking the streets, people would stop us and exclaim "We saw you on Wednesday night!" As Adi pointed out "It is more fun to be head of the snake than tail of the Dragon."

Over time, I became a less frequent target of our Maestro's admonishments "Point your toes!" "Don't lift your feet!", and enjoyed an occasional compliment of "Mas o menos". Our repertoire increased to over two dozen standard moves which we could mix during each dance. With more confidence, our sense of intimacy and enjoyment grew. We also received more compliments on our style from the other dancers.


Now that I was a visible representative of our Maestro's Danzon group, it became clear that my formal attire of (faded) white T-shirt and jeans was not to his liking.

"You need to buy a Guayabera." Lucio would remind me after each class.

I tried to explain that my wardrobe is already one shirt over the allocation (Three T's and one long-sleeved shirt.), but he persisted. Maybe for a man that owned several differently colored Guayaberas, and whose girlfriend collected about a dozen flowing dresses just for Danzon, a garment allocation was too hard to comprehend.

One Wednesday night we arrived as usual at the last minute, when all the seats around the plaza are already taken. As usual, the group of elegantly dressed "Golden age" couples sat in the front row. They come early and save each other seats. As I looked around for an available chair, the diminutive silver haired lady who is a prominent member of that group waved and gestured to a couple of empty seats which they were reserving, this time for us. This was a major status step up from the hello and goodbye hugs. Later during that evening, a man who introduced himself as a Danzon teacher, approached, complimented us on our dancing, and continued to say that I should wear a Guayabera. These were just too many signals for me to ignore. The next day, I selected a white Guayabera, and while already in the swing, added a pair of black pants.

For the following Danzon night, Adi wore her glamorous green dress, and I put on the costume. I was surprised to realize that a shirt can alter my mood. I felt dashing and handsome, and furthermore, I felt that I was dancing better. Whether or not it was due to the Guayabera, at the end of that evening we were invited, for the first time, to join some of the other dancers for drinks at the nearby café. Sitting there, one gentleman invited us to join his group at a future dance event, and a couple of attractive single women came over and told me that I am a good dancer. I just hope that the Guayabera will give me enough confidence to reciprocate by inviting them to dance.



To see the Guayabera in action, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sd0kuRnrxs&feature=related