Tangodurians

Hello 2022! Is this the year that we have finally recovered from COVID? At least I've stopped freaking out about being in a crowded space without the semblance of a shield called a facemask, just as I have mysteriously also never tested positive for COVID yet having the classic symptoms of its later manifestation. All that is to say, it's back to milongas and lessons in somewhat full force and having amnesia for the last 2 years. In the middle of Embrace Berlin right now which is an interesting coalition of turbocharged Tango milongas happening throughout the week, primarily enjoyed by the local community and feeling more of a home-turf Tango situation vs. an international weekend of cross country travelling. First ever lessons with Horacio Godoy y Maricel Giacomini and what a trove of historical/musical facts - musicality at its finest. 1930's Milonguero - 1920's and earlier music rhythm was based off a habanero rhythm with the melody line emphasising the beat on 1 and...

Tango often gives conflicting messages – go left but lean right, be strong and yet soft, be present and yet follow, give and yet yield. No wonder half the time it’s such a mess to sort out when you first start. And yet, what draws you to the dance is the first steps you take, hands stretched out in front of you with the other clueless beginner. Just, moving and trying not to step on the others feet. That is the Tango you first encounter and it is neither technically, nor visually appealing. But what draws you to it is the mode of communication. The ability to say everything without words, the ability to deliver an idea with the body rather than talking or thinking of something. That is what drops us into the whirlpool of time, effort, frustrations and elations that is yet to come…if you stick with Tango. See, Tango picks its characters, its lovers, its haters, its obsessives and its preachers. It’s entirely a love hate relationship, whether you never want to dance it because ...

"Why do we close our eyes when we pray, cry, kiss, dream, (dance)? Because the most beautiful things in life are not seen but felt only by heart." Going back to basics often allows me to discover the elements of very simple things which make up this dance. Coming back to this with slightly more experience eyes, allows for greater appreciation and understanding of these elements and how they enrich the dance. Shutting my eyes started out as the only path through which I could somewhat follow what was happening, or allow someone else to takeover my movements.  Nowadays, shutting my eyes allows me to pick the minute vibrations of someone's intent, like a snake which slithers out of its hole at the un-felt tremors of an inevitable earthquake. The sensations that get picked up now pass through the filter of conscious Tango knowledge so that from the outside, visually, it looks like no cue was given for the movement that just occurred, as though a mental note was pas...

Tonight. An avalanche of men. A tanda with a solid dancer. A playful vals with the lilting ochos. A dramatic sweep and trampolining skirt ganchos. A heavy rhythmic Noelia wannabe impersonation for the Milonga. An accented weight change that is not off-putting but very...interesting. Music was divine. All the solid songs strung together. Safe. But a good kind. Weight on point. Mindset on point. You see, Tango. It gives you these moments, these moments of pure fun, of showing off, of enjoying the music and really dancing to it while keeping an eye to what your partner is suggesting. If you stick with Tango you unlock levels as you go. Friends. Lovers. Strangers that turn into the most intimate acquaintance for 12 minutes. Being able to give and receive joy, this is where the true essence is. Forget about hierarchy or rank. Forget about being hesitant or snobbish about dancing with that one who doesn't look that good. Focus on yourself in the dance, even the quietest talker...

There's a lot of ways to learrn Tango Foundations. Obviously we first start with very basic things, like how to walk foward, backward, how to deal with having someone in front of you either giving you signals, or you giving the signal as a lead. The frame of the embrace, where to put that hand, how to put that hand. How much pressure? More, less? Varying? How much can you move out of this frame? How much should you move out of this frame as a follow on your own, vs. what you're being allowed to do? The concept of ochos, of linear vs. circular movements. Sacadas, Ganchos, Boleos. All the good stuff that forms the concepts and movements which we use as the core. Beyond sequences and steps, then comes the hard part. How to connect, how to convey ideas. The bane of musicality, of understanding music/orchestra, familiarity with the music and familiarity with the movements that should suit the music. How to keep your own weight, to collect neatly and embellishments as the icin...

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, yog...

Yup this! http://gancho.info/why-we-sometimes-fly-and-sometimes-crawl/ Syncopation is AMAZEBALLS.

There's been a growing sense of discontentment that seems reinforced after 4 days of jostling around the dance floor, not getting too many dances and horrible floor craft. The more experienced people are often never seen anywhere near a large festival and I often think this is for very good reasons. If the intent is to dance then there's no where worse to do it than in a large festival because everyone will swarm to the dance floor, there's often bad gender imbalances and unfortunately the DI culture is quite strong here to the extent that it will suck if you go to a workshop where everyone has a partner already. Granted, there were sparkling moments, such as the devil may care dancing from Noelia y Carlitos, the personification of a hurricane from Sebastian y Maria Ines and the beautiful music from Solo Tango. These remind me again and again of the gems that exist in this dance and the reasons why I continue to want to perfect it. Why do you dance? I'm starting ...

This years tango fest was...curious, in the sense that it was a funny mix of people who were not from the region and decided to show up, as well as quite lacking in regional representation. But above all, it was kinda fun, and yet again I find myself miles away from the seriously nervous dancer I was 3 years back and even quite recently last year. I don't know what it is but I've found my feet I guess? This grounding that I need to not be nervous and to interpret the music and not care about what everyone else around me is thinking. Eons ago wise words were shared with me on the dance floor of Vitosh Guesthouse by J. "Don't bother with them, they're all too concerned with themselves anyway". Some things come back from the past and hit you hard when you realise exactly what was meant. Had a couple of dream tandas, beautiful waltzes where my partner exclaimed "you're flying!" and proceeded to try and lift a very panicked me. If I could respond...

Tango progress happens for me in fits and starts. It's like I suddenly get a breakthrough to another level, then I plateau for ages before suddenly finding and shaping and varying how I do certain basic steps and all the times always working on making my walks like a cruiseliner cutting through waves-bladelike and never bobbing. What I'm finding more often though is this idea of catching energies. Of taking the signal given and pushing the energy through from the receiving end (upper torso) into the expressive end (legs most of the time). Looking back at the start, I can barely remember what it was like to suffer through the basics-like how ochos were super impossible and even now, doing a solo ocho remains a very hard thing to do, what with weight balance and a movement that is designed to do everything to try and throw you off balance. It's this flow, this ease of having music and movement come into one whole package that makes the best dancers so beautiful to look a...