Creation

I've been mulling over a couple of topics in my head recently as the list of things to explore keeps growing and growing. It's not like these topics have not been covered before by any other Tango blogger, rather, I'd like to think this is an interpretation which best suits me, much like understanding math equation or concepts...

The recent one revolves around why I want to improve. Certainly, as we progress in this dance, do we believe we reach a 'plateau', whether this be limited by our physicality, our understanding, or expectations, or judgement against one another.

As a follower, my moves are limited in the sense of a structure and phrasing to what the lead is suggesting and obviously if the dictionary which the lead is reading from is only this big, so will I be mirroring it, no matter how nice my own collection, stability, axis, or stretch may be.

So yes, the maturity of a community does determine how far we can reach both individually and as a collective, hence the need to explore, to cultivate your own understanding of the dance, and to feel continously like the 'katak di bawah tempurung', with butt glued to the chair in a new community, rather than the friendliness of getting dances anytime within a 'home' community either our of friendship, familiarity or sometimes, obligation.

The current aspect I'm working on, is creation. Creating a dance, being able to react to the music, to the leads suggestion, to the floorcraft in the most expressive manner possible. To condense all that emotion into a single point of origin, a breath, an embrace.

There's always chapters to work on. From the basic steps to adding an awareness of self, to adding an awareness of the floor, to the music, to the history and back to basics all over again. To ground yourself down so hard into the floor, to unlock your hips so toes are always pivoting in the right direction, to work on that infinity sign to a smooth, shiny curve weaving in and out among itself like an infinite DNA loop. For the lead, to be secure, to arrive and transmit almost before the point.

The music is a conductor, you may have practiced the piece a million times before, but if the conductor is holding that rubato just a little bit longer for a different effect, so would you follow it. Tango is inseparable from the music, and when conditions are just right, you sometimes do not even know what music you are dancing to. You just know, you are moving and moving in a way that does not require thinking, or worrying over your balance, but just simply being in the moment, holding onto another person as you rock on in your boat on this ocean wave.