Tangodurians

Tango often feels like a loop, as though you keep revisiting things over and over and over again, except continually through a new lens, through new insights, through new understandings. It's like having the tools to pass a level at a rudimentary level at the first go, then once you've covered the breadth of the landscape, going over the level again, this time with a deeper level of sophistication, ever shaping and shaping and crafting and toying with new ideas and refining that skill on the pottery wheel. Is something ever shiny enough? Probably not, it's a continuous and continual process.  An area I would want to explore is the concept of a conversation. Dance is a conversation, we have good conversations, bad conversations, moments of silence and moments where you can't get the words out of your head or mouth fast enough. With each partner you see this range of what is being said, sometimes we even dabble in other languages, if you're at that level.  ...

Headed to Paris over the course of the new years for the Tango Marathon. Was interesting, small-ish marathon, not the nicest venue and limited number of dancers, but was quite impressed by the quality in general. By the last night left foot so out of whack that really wasn't enjoying dancing anymore, but that's quite normal! That being said, I would have rated this one a B+. Atmosphere was ok, could have been nicer, dancers were a mixed bag too, music was all round good.  Other than that was nice travelling with the Tango girls, gossiping, eating, sightseeing, The funny thing is, once coming back, a regular dancer exclaimed - from the first embrace-, "is this how they embrace in Europe?" Turns out that I had become far more comfortable with the close embrace than I had realised, and it probably boils down to more "rolling" which was something taught by T.C. sometime mid this year. That is to say you're always seeking for the chest, even in ...

Been having these notes stuck in my phone for over a month now, so here's to more practicing and remembering! Basic Weight Transfer & Movement - Transfer your weight wholly, visualise your hip as a cover for your leg so when you switch legs or move, the cover should always end up on top. Never leave weight behind or in between. - When you move to the side, at the half way point you have to collect, and this has to be natural. Think of the landing point as where you want all your weight to ground down on and to be and lift the free foot to make sure that all weight is truly on the standing one. - Keep the thoughts of the "hip as a cover", the hip is the motor that powers the movement, the chest acts as presence and intent and the leg ultimately is the resolution. Finding your axis - Think of four strings, one at the top at the head vertical, one from your chest forward, one from your hip backward to counter the chest, and one from the knee forward. - To fin...