"A Gift from Liz..."
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SA Story of Strength and Courage, Ms. Elizabeth Watts By Edie, The Salsa FREAK Liz Watts has been dancing jazz and ballet since she was a little girl. This beautiful Jazz-turned Salsa Dancer is now a member of the Salsa Brava Dance Company, and resides in Pasadena, California. She is best known in the Salsa Scene of Los Angeles as The famous "solo contender" at the 1998 Mayan Competition, in Los Angeles, California. |
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It was exactly one week before the Finals Professional Division. We were among the hundreds of regulars that show up every Saturday night at the Mayan Nightclub, in Los Angeles, California. I noticed Liz walking past me with a beautiful dress on, knock-out body, hair, makeup, and nails done to the tee, but with a look on her face like she'd been weaned on pickles.
I asked her what was wrong. She confided in me that both she and her partner, had made it past the Preliminary and Semi-Final rounds weeks ago, but for "a peculiar reason" (only known by her closest friends) her partner would not be showing up to the Professional Finals next week. (Her former dance partner is not shown below. On the next page is Rudy Gonzalez, her new dance partner)
"Edie, I don't know what to do. I'm so upset. I want to compete, but ... .... now I don't have a partner..." Looking down, she continued, "We've worked so hard, and now this....? I can't believe it. If I have to get up there and dance by myself, I WILL!" She said, almost with a tear in her eye...
"Do it." I said to her.
"Do what?" She replied.
"Dance by yourself then!" I answered with a big smile.
"By myself?" she said.
"YOU SAID IT FIRST LIZ. Yeah! Do it! Do it! Do it! You would be the DARLING of the entire contest if you did! Oh Liz, Liz, Liz,... I'm SO EXCITED about this!!! THIS WOULD BE SO COOL. THIS WOULD BE THE COOLEST THING!!! You, dancing up there, on your own...."I AM WOMAN!!!" You know, all that..... Well? WELL????"
"Oh God, Edie, I don't know... you really think?" Liz said with a little hesitation...
"YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!" I practically screamed in her ear (we were at the Mayan on a Saturday night, so it didn't really matter; the music is so loud, that you have to scream anyway just to hold a conversation..."
"OK then. I'm going to do it. She answered me as I gave her a big hug. " I'm going to talk to Josie (Josie Neglia, the competition coordinator) to see if it would be alright."
About thirty minutes later, she came back to me, beaming with smiles. "Josie said it was OK! I can do it"
"Great!" I hugged her again. "I can't believe this! This is going to be so SO COOL! Go for it woman!"
Liz was whisked away by one of her many dance partners to the crowded dance floor ...
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