Carlo the Invincible

May 15, 2012

Some people are made for certain moments. Carlo, one of our Head Bartenders, is one of them. While he may be a very good head bartender, the moment for which he is made isn’t that. He is made for Dancing With the Stripes. Many of us had our opportunities to win this outrageous Officer Guest Engagement activity in Carlo’s absence. However, the man, the myth, the legend has returned, so we may be out of luck for a few months.

Carlo’s is one of those acts that just don’t get old. His shtick is fairly predictable, but it brilliantly captures his essence and that of the event. He is charming, he is funny, he is a showman, and he is light on his feet. It doesn’t matter if Carlo is paired with a statuesque young woman or a woman of more advanced years and less than impressive physique. For half an hour he turns them into a dancing queen! Tonight he was back and we hoped that it might mean that he’d be rusty from his vacation hiatus. Boy, were we wrong. From the opening notes to the final bow, Carlo and his partner owned the floor. He tends to build slowly, doing just enough in the opening waltz and tango to get through to round two. Then the costume pieces and props begin to be added with enthusiasm to the proceedings. You can bet that when he gets to the country music that he will be playing horsey to his partner’s cowgirl.

Then the third round comes and the heat is turned up. On the one hand he may crawl under the judges’ table with his partner. On the other he may mimic a ballerina as he crosses the dance floor on his toes. (Think of the hippo from Disney’s Fantasia.) This points to one of Carlo’s other advantages. He is not terribly tall, but he is not terribly thin either. As I’ve said on more than one occasion, you can’t beat a fat man who can dance.

And we didn’t that night. Sam and I made the finals with our partners as we had been consistently doing for months. But as we progressed through the finals we knew we were not going to be walking away with top honors in this competition. Before the final awards were announced, I leaned over to my dance partner and whispered, “I’m pretty sure this night belongs to Carlo.” And it did. Our applause was as loud as any of the crowds as we celebrated our crewmate’s triumph.

I guess I will have to hone my bocce game . . .

And the adventure continues . . .