By this time the atmosphere was fairly steamy, but more from the dancing, the generally erotic ambience and the wailing of the saxophone, as no wine was served and anyone who was drunk had either become so before arriving or had discovered a source outside. I wanted to dance myself, and although I had never danced in America and did not know any of the American dances, I asked Baranovskaya to teach me, which she did very willingly and very successfully. 

'Is that all I have to do?' I asked, having easily mastered the steps. 'Yes, but you need to be a bit more immoral,' she said. 'You have to press your legs right up against your partner, as high and as hard as you can.'