Tangodurians

To cap off a beautiful 1st Singapore Tango Marathon, small workshop with Damian Boggio over cup noodles and instant tea in the cosy setting of Tangopura! Notes! DJ tips for creating a memorable night Role of the DJ - Phrases of music and the energy variation is very important. You can string together 4 straight tandas of 1940's golden age music, but sooner or later the energy level becomes too stagnant, with variation, no one should be asking for nuevo - that is your goal as a DJ to achieve - 1940's music was created for the dancer, hence you cannot go wrong selecting a tanda from the era, but be wary of choosing too much from a particular time period as most orchestras would be following a particular rhythm and style that was almost the same for all of them during that time - The DJ is a "service", people do not go there mainly for the music or the DJ, they are there for the people and to socialise - The best milonga is one where you are unaware of the DJ, ...

Ah, Musicality. So hard to teach. So so hard. Lessons with Bichi and Luciana who are a lovely couple. Facing all our very blur and quizzical faces and off tempo walking, totally patient and totally strict on the fundamentals. Tough love! Side Runs - Side step then forward outside for the guy, side-collect x3 by the fourth a walk forward, change weight, step back and repeat the whole sequence - To maintain the step and collect to the side, elevate the follower and keep the side on intention clear so she does not end up doing a grapevine, don't let the hips run free (square feel) - Additional post side run will be to rotate the follower so she is on the side of the lead, keeping thighs somewhat close and doing a back-cross sequence x3 as well; the accent is on the back, the cross is a tuck and more of a quick transfer into the next step rather than a rock-step - Do not change the height with the side step, that does not mean that you lock the knee but you try and maintain th...

So sad they've split up! Would have learnt a wealth of information from them about music, musicality, steps and really listening to the structure of Tango on another level. Time to find Erdemsel somewhere in this world then! This brought me back to a concept that I think is really relevant for Tango though, in order to understand Tango beyond dance steps, it's the realisation that the evolution of this dance is so much a combination of lifestyle, of music and of tradition. For me, the Universe of Truths in Tango consists of : - Embrace - Music - Movement What is real Tango? Is it the lost years of the 30's? Where we only play 'Golden Age' stuff and conform to a notion of 'tradition'.Where we look at old recordings and find confusion in the boxy, non-disassociated steps of the past maestros. Where up to now I look at the elderly women who have more meat, who have seen more, and wonder why the maestros call them '80 kg of Tango'. How does...

Yo me cegué en tus ojazos I was blinded by your big ey es y fui a caer en tus brazos. and I landed in your arms Y entre tus brazos yo fui feliz, And in your arms I was happy porque te amé con delirio. Because I loved you with a delirium Yo fui a caer en tus brazos I went to fall into your arms y así llegué hasta el martirio; And so I found my torment te juro que enloquecí, I swear I went crazy cuando por dentro me vi, When I saw inside me y comprendí lo que hacía. And I realised what I was doing Quiero mirar hacia Dios, I want to look towards God aunque me muerda el dolor, Even if the pain bites me aunque me cueste morir. Even if dying is difficult Por quererte llegué hasta el martirio, For love I found my torment cuando vi que mi casa dejaba When I saw that I was leaving my home y, aunque mi alma en tus brazos quedaba, And though my soul remained in your arms te dejé, que es igual que morir.  I left you, which is the same as to die ¡Cómo duele en la c...

Too bad didn't mange to sign up in time for their lessons. I have figured out what it is about her dancing though, it's the fact that you can almost count the beat and rhythm with her movements. Given the fact that Tango's often a melodic dance, I might be wrong in the fact that Mandria is in particular, a track which is highly rhythmic and uncompromisingly so, thus requiring more rhythmic play. But even on mute, you can almost hear the melody and rhythm just be looking at the footwork. Amazing stuff.

Tango word for the year: Smooth

I seem to be picking up more songs with 'voz' in its title, maybe because the 'voz' plays so much to the channel of who we are, through what we say. Te oí decir..adiós, adiós ... I heard you say .. goodbye, goodbye ... Cerré los ojos y oculté el dolor ... I closed my eyes and hid the pain ... Sentí tus pasos cruzando la tarde... I felt your footsteps crossing the afternoon y no te atajaron mis manos cobardes... and my hands do not heed them cowards. Mi corazón, lloró de amor ... My heart wept for love y en el silencio resonó tu voz... and silence your voice boomed tu voz querida, lejana y perdida... your dear voice , distant and lost tu voz que era mía... tu pálida voz... Your voice was mine ... your pale voice. En las noches desoladas, que sacude el viento... At night desolate , wind shaking brillan las estrellas frías del remordimiento... cold stars shine remorse me engaño que habrás de volver otra vez... and deception that ...

  Mauricio y Javier The Singapore Tango Festival was magical. Absolutely magical, mainly because of the presence of Sexteto Milonguero for two of the nights. Dancing to live music is SUCH a treat and it seriously made me feel like my soul was soaring. Some amazing dances were had. I got told by a lead who I hadn't danced with in over a year that I had changed my dancing style (better I hope), and I agree with him. Very happy with how I'm dancing right now, but obviously more to improve! Taiwanese guy made me so so happy by saying that I danced really really well =P. Self promotion I know, but it was a very smooth dance and there was a particular move that fit the music so well and with so much precision that even I was surprised. The final saturday at UP from 4-7am took the cake though. Beautiful environment, soaring ceiling, springy wood floor, gorgeous and friendly hosts. One not to be repeated unfortunately since UP is shutting and they're moving countries. ...

Doing the recent lessons made me realize something which I've already voiced out. Tango does not give you the inherent tools to be good at Tango. It really doesn't. Showing me a nice ocho and no matter how many times I practice that Ocho, it will never be nice if I do not have good posture and balance. Also, on musicality, I am superbly thankful for a musical background so I can pick out a full beat from a half beat. Just saying. This was inspired of course by the practice in which we had to stay on our tiptoes and continuously flick our free foot back and forth. Short of being a ballerina or a yoga master, I would be unable to do that for long without flailing all around the place. Which is why I say, you need more than Tango, to be GOOD at Tango. Of course people disagree with the concept, and that the fault lies with the fact tha the dance has just turned into yet another 'showy' discipline, that true milonguero essence is giving way to stage moves and broken embr...

Who are we when we dance? When do we embody the little quavers, the running trills, the long sweep of a bow, the staccatoed steps of a quick beat and weight change, the spiralling ochos and giros leaning upon a centered foot and a delicate balance of weight? We start a story everytime we enter a dance situation, a strung together version of a longer epic Homer-type story that continues through the ages, forges through and chases each other like white sea-foam horses gallop and dissipate across a vast ocean. Nothing but a drop. This dance is music personified, it is a cloak we wear, which is why music is fundamental, THE core to everything. The puppet-master.

The best tango dances are things you don't go searching for. They come out of nowhere, like 80 year old dancers in the hot environment of a Tango school in New York asking you to dance, you in your flats. You in your flats compared to the 4-inch CIF's whizzing past you. You in your flats, only a few months into this dance...yet knowing a bit more of your surroundings, being aware of the hierarchy, but not of how to handle yourself in this particular hierarchy. It's like your body is doing one thing while your mind is doing another. The best dances are not anticipated, because the more your anticipate, the more it becomes a struggle. The best dances come and make you feel like a comet whizzing through the night sky, like each of you is a twirling star in this galaxy of ours, and you're charting your own set course, never bumping into each other. Dance. Dance. Dance as though no one is watching you. Because in that moment you're in your own little universe and ...

Dang she floats!

Mmm, this song finally caught my attention and these particular performances are totally delightful. Main connecting threads include the beautiful disjoints between upper and lower torsos from Daniella and Michelle with quite a bit of colgadas in general. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxgrcxNtB8I&feature=plcp Totz forgot about Home and Cristina, man, to get a class with them someday!

What is my style? Or better yet, if I could combine the styles of all the dancers I love watching much like they construct the features of all the gorgeous celebrities (i.e. Halle berry's body, Jlo's butt, Angelina Jolie's lips etc.) which often come out uglier...hmm, maybe the saying that suits this is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts...or you can't just construct people without their quirks and flaws without it looking...unnerving. Anyway, give me...Rojas adornments, Silvina's confidence, Ariadna's boleos. ooh, what a combo.. What IS my style? I have to stop striking the floor like I'm tap dancing, I have to stop anticipating, I have to let my leg go freer-and yet also be ready to not sprain my ankle at the next step, I need to stop fighting, I need to find a good weight balance for my right hand, I need to not hang on the left (omg stupid-ever since the May Madness been so self conscious about weighing it down..goddamnit). ARGH

Little snippets of music float around that I feel I've definitely danced to before. I was just listening to Piazzolla's Libertango wondering why it sounded so familiar and I slowly started to connect the dots. Heard it at Practica with the live band and it was also in Jenny Smith's video for some English program. Plus I think they've played it at practica before too. It's funny coz it took me so long to hunt down the neotango song that was on during Somer Surgit's class and I'm about 85% sure it's "Borges y Paraguay" by Bajofondo. Attempting to put all the years of piano and music listening skills to play. (It's not surprising I passed my theory by about 1 point and scored lowest for aural in Piano, I cannot listen to music to save my life). Tango is as much about the music as it is about the actual movements. Certain pieces move you and speak to you to move in certain ways. That's what you call musicality.