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Musicality

In relation to Christina's post below, one of the hardest and perhaps most addictive thing about tango is the very apparent lack of structure in the way we dance to a song. Every song and dance is different with a different partner at a different time. It's almost impossible to know what you will be doing next in a tanda, much less prepare yourself for it. Which is probably why more experienced dancers never cease to remind me to not anticipate what they are planning to do next.

Part of the equation for this is musicality and i find that in trying to keep up with the moves my partner is trying to make me perform and being extremely aware of how sometimes, how very badly i perform it, i tend to forget to listen to the music. Tango for me right now is more about being able to move into the right steps rather than moving seamlessly with the music. Which is a shame really because when i am listening to the music and when i am less concentrated on trying to do an ocho cortado correctly, i dance better, i move better. Which i suspect is more or less the intent of tango: To capture the essence of a song in the fluid movements of spontaneous dancing.

The other part of the equation is just plain trust. There is a need for me as a follower to believe that my partner will not lead me into an error. As a beginner, i have found it difficult to completely disassociate my mind from my physical movements and place my faith in the person leading me through a song. There is still some fear that i will be a bad follower in a song so i must think about how i should place my feet in such and such order. Which is probably the worst habit one can pick up in this dance because, well, you obviously can't plan for it. When i was first starting out, when the only steps i knew were basic walking, ochos and the molinete, when my expectations of myself were lower, i think my instinct as a follower on the dance floor was better. Now that i'm constantly worried about whether i would know how to do a boleo or a gancho given a proper lead into it, i find that my mind refuses to shut down when i'm dancing.

Sigh. Less anticipation, more balance! Less thinking, more feeling!

If there are things that i should master from Argentine Tango before leaving the community here in Ann Arbor, it should be musicality and spontaneity. Now, when's the next practica that i can go to?

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