A football player led me here – to a strip of industrial complexes in Westwood, up a flight of steps, inside a dance studio with wood floors and a mirror that runs along one wall.

We have never actually met. Our lives coexist on opposite sides of a television screen. He plays football on Sunday afternoons. I watch football on Sunday afternoons.

But Victor Cruz and I share at least one thing in common. We both like to dance.

Cruz, a wide receiver from Paterson, caught 82 passes, piled up more than 1,500 receiving yards and scored nine touchdowns for the New York Giants this season. Yet most fans know him best for those arm-rolling, feet-tapping, hip-shaking salsa routines he performs after most of those touchdowns.

"For a football player," says Can (pronounced "John") Karagoz, "he's doing pretty good."

Karagoz and Renata Sowul run Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Westwood. Inside their office, Karagoz pulls up a YouTube clip of Cruz catching a pass, scoring a touchdown and celebrating with a touch of salsa.

"He does actually basic step," Karagoz says. "He does basic step of salsa."

"It's definitely natural," Sowul says.

I want to dance like Victor Cruz. So Karagoz and Sowul lead me to the studio.

Sowul holds my left hand and positions my right hand on her left shoulder blade. I take a halting step forward with my left foot, tap my right foot, then slide my left foot back. I take a halting step backward with my right foot, tap my left foot, then slide my right foot back.

We move to the left (slide left foot to the left, tap right foot, slide left foot back).

We move to the right (slide right foot to the right, tap left foot, slide right foot back).

As far as steps go, that's it. I work on rolling my arms, try to incorporate some hip movement and focus on those six basic steps.

"Just relax," Sowul says. "Let it go."

"Now I just need a football," I joke.

On second thought, maybe I should stick to the remote.

Email: kerwick@northjersey.com