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    A web series + blog about travel, dance, and chasing your dreams

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    • SEASON 1: HAVANA
    • SEASON 2: BUENOS AIRES
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    • To the Heart of Dance in Cuba
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    Dancing with Olympian Yeisser Ramirez
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Sep 23, 2021
    • 1 min

    Dancing with Olympian Yeisser Ramirez

    I met Yeisser Ramirez as I meet most people – through dancing. We’re both part of a vibrant community of salsa dancers in New York City...
    Do We Dance to Show our Hidden Emotions?
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Sep 20, 2021
    • 2 min

    Do We Dance to Show our Hidden Emotions?

    Do we dance so we can SHOW our emotions, because it’s the ONE PLACE where we don’t have to HIDE them? I asked myself this after reading...
    How to Really Be a Sexy Dancer
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Sep 17, 2021
    • 1 min

    How to Really Be a Sexy Dancer

    What does it really mean to be a sexy dancer? Is it how you look or how you express yourself?
    How to Follow Your Passion in Times of Uncertainty
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Mar 17, 2020
    • 3 min

    How to Follow Your Passion in Times of Uncertainty

    What are you doing during this time of uncertainty to continue to nurture your dreams and passions?
    You Can Be Afraid & Still Be Brave
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Mar 3, 2020
    • 1 min

    You Can Be Afraid & Still Be Brave

    I don’t think brave means being fearless. I think brave means digging down into your inner strength and using it to do what’s right.
    A Dancer's Rant: Stop Telling Me to Relax!
    Melissa Mansfield
    • May 26, 2018
    • 4 min

    A Dancer's Rant: Stop Telling Me to Relax!

    The mantra of the dance world: “relax”. “RELAX.” Talk to anyone learning a partner dance and they will hear this over and over and over....
    Going Backwards Is Part of the Process
    Melissa Mansfield
    • May 25, 2018
    • 2 min

    Going Backwards Is Part of the Process

    Do you ever feel like you're going backwards in some aspect of your life? Or maybe just in life in general? During my first week back in...
    Reggaeton Dancing in the Streets of Havana
    Melissa Mansfield
    • May 4, 2018
    • 2 min

    Reggaeton Dancing in the Streets of Havana

    I went back to #Havana for a month-long visit in April and had a bunch of goals in mind. Take lots of photos and videos and post on...
    Feeling Intimidated? Ask Them to Dance Anyway
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Mar 27, 2018
    • 2 min

    Feeling Intimidated? Ask Them to Dance Anyway

    A girlfriend and I were talking the other day about guys not asking her to dance salsa. A lot of times she’ll have to ask them to dance...
    No More Shame. Beauty is a Performance Art.
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Mar 16, 2018
    • 3 min

    No More Shame. Beauty is a Performance Art.

    When I watched the video of my first Reggaeton Fusion performance workshop I felt so bad, I wound up crying. It was not the reaction I...
    My Favorite Flash Mob: A Bride's Dream Come True
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Mar 16, 2018
    • 3 min

    My Favorite Flash Mob: A Bride's Dream Come True

    The concept was simple - a groom wanted to surprise his bride with a flash mob at their wedding, since she had mentioned how cool she...
    On Stage: Learning to Let Go at the SF Salsa Rueda Festival
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Mar 16, 2018
    • 3 min

    On Stage: Learning to Let Go at the SF Salsa Rueda Festival

    It took three months of rehearsals and was over in 3 1/2 minutes. Even though I was really nervous leading up to it, when the time came,...
    Dreams Don't Have Deadlines
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Mar 1, 2018
    • 1 min

    Dreams Don't Have Deadlines

    "Dreams don't have deadlines." LL Cool J For years I dreamed of studying dance in Cuba. And not just on vacation. But really settling in...
    Dance is for Everyone: And That Means Boys Too
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Feb 16, 2018
    • 3 min

    Dance is for Everyone: And That Means Boys Too

    My friend proudly posted a picture on Facebook. It was her young son's first day of dance class and he was at the barre in second...
    Giraffes Can Dance and So Can You
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Feb 2, 2018
    • 2 min

    Giraffes Can Dance and So Can You

    One weekend, while visiting a girlfriend who was my inspiration to learn salsa, I read her young daughter's book called “Giraffes Can’t...
    I'm Trying to Dance with the Pros: Lessons Learned from Just One Rehearsal
    Melissa Mansfield
    • Jun 17, 2017
    • 4 min

    I'm Trying to Dance with the Pros: Lessons Learned from Just One Rehearsal

    We spent an hour and a half on less than 25 seconds of the choreography. By the end, I was completely drenched in sweat and dying for...

    © Follow My Lead and Melissa Mansfield 2010 - 2021

    Photo credits: Sophia Heinke and Diana Manning

    • HOME

    • ABOUT

    • PARTNERSHIPS

    • BLOG

      • SEASON 1: HAVANA
      • SEASON 2: BUENOS AIRES
      • DANCE INSPIRATION
      • TRAVEL TIPS + STORIES
    • More

      Use tab to navigate through the menu items.
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