Day 1 of CoLab 2018 complete. I really wasn't sure what to expect this year but it's been a fun and revealing beginning! I assumed Cuban Carnival would just be a band playing Cuban music or something, but to my surprise (and mixed feelings of delight and apprehension) we were fully engaged in learning how to dance a PROPER conga. I didn't realise it was even a real thing with specific movements until today. Cuban percussion - congas! We started off the day with some rhythmic work firstly with our bodies and later using Conga drums, cowbells and Bambo drums. By clapping with a weighted first beat, as if one hand is pressing the other or sticking to it, and adding the stomping of feet, we began to learn how to feel the beat really clearly in our bodies. Subsequently we added singing (in Spanish) and for me, that's where it all went wrong. I did not realise how difficult it would be to clap, stamp and sing different things at the same time! It highlighted to me the n...