Skating, Dancing, Sexing

Skating is a big part of ATL. It's a pastime, a lifeline, and an art form. For Rashad it's a way to relax, a way to be himself, and a way to show off. Skating reveals a lot about Rashad, as it does about his friends, and about all the other people who frequent the Cascade rink on Sunday nights. The skating in this movie reminds me of dancing in real life.

I've often thought that how a man dances is a glimpse at how he makes love.

Now, I don't mean Michael Jackson moon walking and kicking up his leg. I mean moving to a rhythm, in sync with a partner, present in the moment.

Maybe the salsa music and dancing in my childhood is to blame for this notion. Maybe my own special mania is. Whatever the reason, I've always thought that a man who knows how to move on the dance floor also knows how to move in the bed.

Think about it.

Picture it.

Is he engaged with his partner? Or might he as well be alone? Is he controlled, or frenzied? Is he smooth on the rink? On the dance floor? In the bedroom?

The first time I watched New New tell Teddy that she's seen him skate and that tells her "everything [she needs] to know about a man," I nearly shouted, "Exactly!"

Poor, Teddy. He doesn't understand. He goes on to explain that he is "the quickest one out there... [he] be pumpin' it out there." Again, New New and I are in sync when she says, dismissively, "Exactly. A quick pumper."

I know what you're thinking. "Skating is not dancing." You're right; it's not. And dancing is not lovemaking. But all of these activities require moves and style.

Do you know what you like? You have to know what you like to get what you like. Or like New New, you have to know what you don't like to avoid disappointment.