December 5, 2005

Ruby FAQ

Questions that are Frequently Asked of Ruby

Why did you move to Chicago?
I spent the summer of 2005 traveling in a van across the country. I was heading west towards Seattle when I passed through Chicago. At the time, gas prices were $3.00+ a gallon, I had just spent $900 having a cylinder replaced in my car and funds were getting low. I had also been on the road for three and a half months and was getting antsy to settle down. Through the fortuitous event of having met someone in Montreal who lived in Vermont (where I was heading next) who then gave me the number of someone in Chicago who then introduced me to someone who was giving up an apartment in Berwyn (a Chicago suburb) I ended up with a sweet offer for an inexpensive place to live.

After a year and a half in the quiet suburbs, I relocated to Chicago proper and now live in Humboldt Park, where all things Puerto Rican can be found.

What do you do?
I’m a bodyworker as well as a dance instructor and burgeoning web/graphic designer. I also write and play the guitar (and sometimes harmonica).

Bodywork? What the heck is that?
Visit my bodywork site. And no… I’m not referring to auto bodies.

What kind of dancing do you do?
I’ve done all kinds… from modern to tap, samba to ice-dancing. I’ve trained on the trapeze and on rope (a circus thing). I’ve taken classes in ballroom, salsa and studied with breakdancers named Shadow and Skorpio. I’ve also studied martial arts… which is akin to dance. But mostly I love blues and swing-dance. I abhor 6-count east-coast swing, unless it’s expertly disguised in a larger lindy-hop format. I follow and I lead… though my follow is admittedly better than my lead.

Over the years, I have danced in San Francisco, Seattle, New Orleans, Portland, Southern California, Austin, Dallas, Baltimore, New York City, Montreal, Vermont, New Hampshire, Chicago, St. Louis, and the UK.

What kind of writing do you do?
I’m excellent at writing scathing letters and unfinished short stories. However, I’m currently working on a screen-play, some sketch comedy shorts and a few hard-hitting essays that will be posted somewhere soon.

Is ‘Ruby’ your real name?
Come on. Can’t you think of a better question than that? Ask me something penetrating…
questions at ruby-red dot com.