The Time I Gave a Famous Salsa Dancer a Bloody Nose

Written by Jessie Keller May 25, 2025

When you are learning new moves—or trying to add a little style to your dancing—mistakes are going to happen.

And sometimes, they are not small mistakes.

Sometimes you step on someone’s foot.

Sometimes another woman’s high heel gets caught inside your shoe, and the only solution is for both of you to stop dancing and take off your shoes so you can untangle yourselves.

Sometimes you bump into another dancer.

Sometimes your partner leads you directly into another couple.

And sometimes you are in the middle of multiple spins when someone decides to walk right past you—far too closely—and your elbow finds it's way into their ribs.

I’m sorry, but how are you supposed to see someone approaching while the entire room is spinning?

Eventually, you do learn how to dodge people while turning. It just takes practice—and apparently a few innocent bystanders.

The crazy part is that every one of these things has happened to me.

But my most memorable mistake ended with a bloody nose.

It was around 2005, and I was at a salsa social where a very well-known dancer was dancing. He was famous in the salsa world and sold his instructional videos around the world.

Then he asked me to dance.

Me!

I couldn’t believe it.

I was excited, nervous, and suddenly very determined to prove that I could dance. I did not want him to think I was inexperienced, so naturally, I decided this was the perfect time to bring out all my arm styling and confidence.

I was going to show him my “talent.”

Then, out of nowhere…

BAM!

During a turn, I got too close to him. My arm must have been bent at exactly the wrong angle because my elbow flew directly into his nose.

Our dance ended immediately.

There he was, holding his nose and walking toward a chair, while I stood there wishing the dance floor would open up and swallow me.

I was horrified.

I felt terrible, and I was certain he would never forgive me—let alone dance with me again. I honestly cannot remember whether I danced another song that night. I was so embarrassed that I could have stopped dancing altogether.

But I didn’t.

The next time I had an opportunity to go dancing, I went.

And here is the part I never could have imagined while standing on that dance floor, watching him hold his injured nose:

He forgave me.

Not only did he dance with me again, but I eventually began assisting him with his classes. We went on to teach together for many years.

Our personalities were completely, wildly, off-the-charts different, but he knew salsa inside and out—forward, backward, and probably upside down. He was also incredibly humble about it. I learned so much from him, both as a dancer and as a teacher.

Sometimes we make mistakes.

Sometimes we make really big mistakes.

Sometimes those mistakes involve accidentally elbowing a famous salsa dancer in the face.

But a mistake does not mean we have to stop.

We can pause, learn what we could do differently, forgive ourselves, and try again.

Often, the biggest thing standing between us and success is not the mistake itself—it is the story we tell ourselves afterward.

“I’m not good enough.”

“I embarrassed myself.”

“I should never try that again.”

But what if we chose a different story?

What if we reminded ourselves that mistakes are part of learning? What if we gave ourselves the same patience and forgiveness we would offer someone else?

When we forgive ourselves and begin again, the outcome might surprise us.

So whatever you are learning—and however badly you think you may have messed it up—keep going.

You’ve got this.

And maybe keep your elbows down during your turns.