Tangodurians

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.

What is your style? I started this dance wishing for boleos like Ariadna and now I want to walk, no, glide like Geraldine. I want the confidence and elegance of Juana's front spin boleos and the sexiness of Michelle's embrace. I want I want I want. Who do you dance like? Well the best compliment would be that you dance like no one else, that you have your own style and your own 'look'. This is what the best couples do of course, they create their own movement and their own interpretation of a move, but still adhering to the basics which connect all the maestros together on the level that they are on. What do you like? Make a choice and make it your own, pick something you like, yes it may change as you discover more and more dancers, find different teachers, music, locations to dance in. Have that flexibility to change, but ultimately know who you are as a dancer.

Urgh. So in love with this song currently. Yo no sé por qué extraña I                        razón te encontré,                                    Carillón de Santiago que está en la Merced, con tu voz inmutable, la voz de mi andar, de viajero incurable que quiere olvidar. Milagro peregrino que un llanto combinó. Tu canto, como yo, se cansa de vivir y rueda sin saber dónde morir... Penetraste el secreto de mi corazón, porque oyendo tu son la nombré sin querer. Y es así como hoy sabes quién era y quién fue, ¡la que busco llorando y... que no encontraré! Mi vieja confidencia te dejo, Carillón. Se queda en un tañir, y al volver a partir me llevo tu emoción como un adiós. I don't know for what strange reason I found you, Santiago's Carillon that is in Merced, with your immutable voice, the voice of my wa...

Taught a class at a bar high up in the roofs overlooking PJ and One U today. Crowded floor, complete newbies and people stepping on each others toes, the hallmarks of a beginning tango class. Laughter, conversation, partner switching. Echoes of a time back in a dusty Mason Hall classroom with friends, lovers and strangers. A memory past. I guess I did not highlight what we were dancing to. Amidst the laughter and social chatter going on, if only they knew what we were dancing to were such profound lyrics like " Think it well, I have loved you so much and you have sent me into the past perhaps for another love." How to convoy the paradox that exists in Tango? That everything is an illusion, the intimacy, the feeling, the need to connect as a pair yet to do so by looking inward first. That little spark that follows you forever, that connection that happens in one moment but never again and that embrace you'll spend the rest of your life searching for. Tango is...

Chalk up another Tango memory for the ages. Dancing. In the Rain. On Pavement. And a Speedbump. With a Crowd. The rain was the best part even though we all looked like drowned rats by the end with broken ankles and destroyed shoes, but wow. Gave life to the saying "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." Been immersing myself in the Sg scene since I'm down and I must say that it's different and much as I'm missing home, so am I missing the KL scene with my wonderful female followers and crazy banter and milongas with S. Sigh. Truly home. But it's refreshing not quite knowing anyone and being surprised in this dance again. That has been nice. That and the mamak sessions post Tango where I pay 2.6x more the price of KL and have seemingly MSG-less maggi mee goreng (NOOOO). Healthier I guess and a lot orangier for some strange reason! I like this plateau I'm on. Granted my feet still aren'...

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...

I remember reading about the stages of Tango Understanding we go through-(see http://www.tejastango.com/effortless_mastery.html) 1) Unconscious incompetence 2) Conscious incompetence 3) Conscious competence 4) Unconscious competence These definitions definitely hit the spot for describing how tango progresses. Point is this-the more I slip into the leader role the more I realise I have absolutely no idea how to recreate whatever moves I did at whatever point in time. No choreography because half the time I have no inkling of what made me do a move in the first place...except the music. It's all down to the music. So beautiful it hurts! :') Blitzing this weekend! WOOHOO.