It has been a while since I have managed to bring myself back toward elements of beginning stages. Back to the days in tiled Union lobbies with an exasperated ponytailed guy telling me to shut my eyes and just feel. To stop fighting the lead and to surrender.
What does it mean to be a good dancer? I sometimes think we are so caught up within this dance that we do not utilise everything else outside of it to inform our progress. Metaphors and imagery resonate so much stronger than describing a step ever will. What does it mean to be a good speaker then? Is it necessary to be Oprah before we deem ourselves worthy of the title? Hardly! Then why is it that we expect to dance like Rojas, like Hurtado, or any other headlining name?
Maybe because Tango is so accessible, so fundamental in nature, like walking, that we believe we can partake in it, and expect to at a very high level. Truth is, it really does require training, it requires years of dedication much like ballet, gymnastic, yoga, or any other form of sport requires. However, because the output is so gentle, so basic in its nature that we oversee this. We lament when, after a few years in, we feel that nothing has changed, that we are still walking the way we did, that we are still leading the way we did. There are many open ended questions in Tango that contradict each other, but much like religion does not have a straight path, neither does this dance, neither does any art form.
This effort does diminish over time as we get disheartened, or the flames die down a bit. It's hard to sustain a level of proficiency in yourself without getting bored, or when you are so dependent on so many variables everytime you step out onto the dance floor. like some partners who can tease out the smoothest walk in you, or in contrast, where your newbie partner is making you step on your own toes. All within your control, but all in response to an action.
Had a beautiful lesson with a visiting teacher from Germany. So many psychological things to digest and overthink on :). Listen. Listen. Listen.
Lesson Notes
- Of Feathers and Rocks. Blow a feather and imagine catching it, what is your body's response? This natural, delicate movement is the lead telling you where to go, what to do, the leg is the feather, don't let the bird fly yet
-Imagine rocks in your toes,shifting and 'plopping' from left to right. Without gravity, tossing a stone from one hand to the other is hard, but when you elevate one over the other, the weight change is effortless. To shift weight, think of this element of shifting your weight from one end of your nose to the other end
-Extensions- when you extend think of extreme opposites, from your left tip of your ear to the toes of your right, from the front of your nose to the extension way out in the back; center yourself and elongate
- Why do we dance like Duracell bunnies (leads), are the leads different in style with different girls, with different music? No. Think outside, and use the emotions of the music and your partner to guide you, you should be creating a new dance everytime, and not even meaning in the lego blocks of steps, but in the inspiration of the dance itself
-As a follow-the lead determines the direction, you determine everything in between; the feet are off limits, do not fight the movement, but everything can be guided subtly above, in the embrace, in the minute shifts and reactions; really hold your partner, why do we shake hands firmly, yet embrace with such restriction?
- You're given multiple keys, big, small, yellow, blue, wtv- use them. Experiment. Influence. There is, however a distinction between overpowering and influencing. One is control and conflict, the other is control and agreement.
- Be quiet in your feet, everything else can be expressive, but don't overdo the feet
What does it mean to be a good dancer? I sometimes think we are so caught up within this dance that we do not utilise everything else outside of it to inform our progress. Metaphors and imagery resonate so much stronger than describing a step ever will. What does it mean to be a good speaker then? Is it necessary to be Oprah before we deem ourselves worthy of the title? Hardly! Then why is it that we expect to dance like Rojas, like Hurtado, or any other headlining name?
Maybe because Tango is so accessible, so fundamental in nature, like walking, that we believe we can partake in it, and expect to at a very high level. Truth is, it really does require training, it requires years of dedication much like ballet, gymnastic, yoga, or any other form of sport requires. However, because the output is so gentle, so basic in its nature that we oversee this. We lament when, after a few years in, we feel that nothing has changed, that we are still walking the way we did, that we are still leading the way we did. There are many open ended questions in Tango that contradict each other, but much like religion does not have a straight path, neither does this dance, neither does any art form.
This effort does diminish over time as we get disheartened, or the flames die down a bit. It's hard to sustain a level of proficiency in yourself without getting bored, or when you are so dependent on so many variables everytime you step out onto the dance floor. like some partners who can tease out the smoothest walk in you, or in contrast, where your newbie partner is making you step on your own toes. All within your control, but all in response to an action.
Had a beautiful lesson with a visiting teacher from Germany. So many psychological things to digest and overthink on :). Listen. Listen. Listen.
Lesson Notes
- Of Feathers and Rocks. Blow a feather and imagine catching it, what is your body's response? This natural, delicate movement is the lead telling you where to go, what to do, the leg is the feather, don't let the bird fly yet
-Imagine rocks in your toes,shifting and 'plopping' from left to right. Without gravity, tossing a stone from one hand to the other is hard, but when you elevate one over the other, the weight change is effortless. To shift weight, think of this element of shifting your weight from one end of your nose to the other end
-Extensions- when you extend think of extreme opposites, from your left tip of your ear to the toes of your right, from the front of your nose to the extension way out in the back; center yourself and elongate
- Why do we dance like Duracell bunnies (leads), are the leads different in style with different girls, with different music? No. Think outside, and use the emotions of the music and your partner to guide you, you should be creating a new dance everytime, and not even meaning in the lego blocks of steps, but in the inspiration of the dance itself
-As a follow-the lead determines the direction, you determine everything in between; the feet are off limits, do not fight the movement, but everything can be guided subtly above, in the embrace, in the minute shifts and reactions; really hold your partner, why do we shake hands firmly, yet embrace with such restriction?
- You're given multiple keys, big, small, yellow, blue, wtv- use them. Experiment. Influence. There is, however a distinction between overpowering and influencing. One is control and conflict, the other is control and agreement.
- Be quiet in your feet, everything else can be expressive, but don't overdo the feet
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