Baltimore Salsa Blog

If I were a vampire, I’d take the risk of losing my powers on the dance floor.  Indeed, there is always someone who had garlic for dinner and I’m bound to be asked for a dance by this person.  Unfortunately, it may not be evident prior to being escorted to the dance floor.  However, after a few moments, it’s right there in my face, up my nostrils and causing my eyes to roll back in my head. Oh no. Now what? Okay. Here’s an idea. If I don’t talk, they won’t talk and that should help.  Yes? No?  What if I take a deep breath every time I turn away from them? Deep down, I’m crying, “Please let this be a short salsa song.”

Salsa etiquette isn’t always in writing and if it is, you don’t receive a copy when you sign up for dancing.  Some would say it is common sense, but if that were the case, I would never have to worry about the vampire dance.  What can we do when someone has onions, garlic, tuna fish, and other ingredients that make dinner taste so great, but smell so bad when exhaled?

As dedicated salseros, we must take this challenge into our own hands.  We must pledge to protect ourselves and others from the vampire dance.  We should carry mints, gum, or breath spray with us to offer the offenders at a moment’s notice.

In all cases, avoiding ingredients that cause bad breath many hours before hitting the night club is what we should all strive for.  When we do make an obvious mistake with our dinner selection, we should not be chasing vampires.  Recommended remedies for bad breath are plentiful.  The easiest is to practice good dental hygiene by brushing, flossing, tongue scraping, and gargling with mouth wash.   Here are some other ones I’ve heard or read about; drinking pineapple juice or unsweetened hot tea; chew fresh parsley or a whole clove or mint leaves.

Here’s a recap:

• Carry mints, gum, and breath freshener with you to the club.
• Avoid foods that cause bad breath before going dancing.
• Practice good dental hygiene after making offensive dinner choices.