Skip to main content

Confusion

I have been considering what Tango is going to be like back home in KL. Funny isn't it, when I should be seriously worrying about what I'm DOING with my life, I end up instead worrying about a dance. God help me.

But yes, am I being hypercynical when I think "good god, what the hell are Malaysian guys going to dance like!?" I don't know. Does it take a white guy who is from Argentina to be able to "truly" dance the Tango or even then, is Ann Arbor tango not even close to what Tango should actually be like? How do you convey a dance that has no set patterns or moves, where different people tell you to do different things, where movements have absolutely no structure?!

It's not like ballet, where there are moves that are perfected and people aspire to recreate these moves to the highest degree of technicality and grace. Tango is about raw emotion translated onto the dance floor, and it is a dance that takes place between two people. I think that's exactly what the draw of it is, it's a dance that is different every single time, even with the same person, even with the same song. It doesn't start at point A and end at point B. In fact, it starts at point ALSKJDND and ends at point AHFAJDAKSD.

Maybe that's why so many people are crazy over it. It is something that has no end, that has no perfection, that is larger than even us. It isn't a showy dance or an act. The true magic happens between two people on the dance floor.

I think that, as I've progressed in this dance I'm gone from just doing basic things, to having an inkling about musicality, about movement, about consciously doing something, and I see the road stretching even further with every step I take. But perhaps the true mastery of this dance comes when it is unconscious. It's like starting from the beginning all over again.

Babysteps.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Simple

After the countless videos, watching the performances by passing Tango teachers, performances by stage Tango dancers, sitting and absorbing Milongas, the one couple that sticks in my mind has to be T and his fiance who met through Tango in Argentina. Their seamless blending, the fact that she didn't even need to be wearing shoes and their swapping of roles. Even though I was exposed to this early on the clueless beginnings of Tango, you could already appreciate the intimacy between the two. In hindsight after a bit more experience, it becomes even clearer that, that would be the ultimate Tango experience. It's like staring at something without the tools to understand it, then later when you come back with the tools in hand, it hits you, "ah hah!" that's what it is! It's like being told, "this will be useful in life later, trust me", and staring at math sets that have no correlation with your life, until later when you're facing a job assessme...

Taking classes as a lead

Tangoblitz wrapping up this weekend with Alejandra Hobart and Adrian Veredice, good sessions, always refreshing to see the level that professionals get up to. Notes, notes, notes! Parallel vs Cross Systems The L shaped lead-linear - Leader leads on dual track system (to the left and to the right of him) -Follower crosses across this track using a back step, side step and a cross over front ocho-forming L shapes zig-zagging back and forth -Leader strides forward on the beat while follower is on a 1+, 2 beat-option to twist the hip into a front boleo for the follower, leader must change weight with every 1-2 step -Leader starts on right foot and follower on left foot   which is the foot further away-Mirror start=parallel system-sacada happens to the cross over track (guy left, girl right) -Variation is to have leader start on left foot and follower on left foot-non-mirror=cross system-sacada happens on the parallel track (guy right, girl right) The L shaped lead-circu...

My Tango Diaries: Lesson with Alejandro Gée and his partner, Joujou

My Tango Diaries: Lesson with Alejandro Gée and his partner, Joujou : From Alejandro Gée's studio - more pictures and info from his website here: http://tangoalejandrogee.com/ The Lesson with Alejan... 1.) Sink into the standing knee first instead of stepping/falling straight back into the back step. (I've heard that before - not sure why I can't seem to remember to do that.) According to Alejandro, basically the sequence would be: 1. Sink the weight into the floor through the standing leg (here’s where the knee bends slightly in order to be able to push the weight of the body back in the next step), while straight,   free leg extends backwards   caressing the floor with no weight on it and torso reaches towards the partner.   The standing hip is strong and grounded, the free hip is relaxed and opening backwards as a natural continuation of the leg. The knee is straight. 2.   Weight transfer: heel of the leg extended backwards goes into the floor and ...