This Moment

At the milongas there is so much. One's good friends. A few teachers and divas scattered around the room. Gossip. Negotiating with oneself about how to get the most out of the limited miles one will be able to cover with strength and some measure of grace. Questions about one's own ability and desire, or not, to dance with any given person.
I find myself in working in the mode of bringing my mind back, over and over. I think about the room, I bring myself back to the moment. I fail at this effort, I bring my mind back again to only my partner, and only the music. Is this like the zen practice described as "training the puppy"?
Lack of confidence is a killer. A friend was bemoaning his fears around this. This friend is, a very good and precise dancer, with high standards for everything. I don't worry about it so much now, because all I can do is just keep learning and refining, and sometimes I cannot do even that. But a playful approach goes a long way to easing away fear, for me, and for the partner. It isn't brain surgery. We are at a dance, at peace, entertaining ourselves with a lovely and complex practice of social tango. We need to get over ourselves. I keep telling myself.