Tangodurians

To go forward you go back, to go left, you go right. Yes, sounds a lot like mumbo jumbo but its mumbo jumbo that works. Newton's 3rd law never came so much into play like it does with this level of teaching. CC 6 years ago loved new age stuff, seeked alternative tandas and poo-pooed MATC's stringent DJ-ing codes and way of teaching. Little would I know that this dichotomy continues and permeates through most of the world, especially in these surrounding areas, these surrounding countries. Re-discovering that taste buds have changed and much as like nuevo has become incorporated in some of the stuff we do, so has my taste veered back to danceable, dramatic but still traditional (read 1950's) music. Eeps. Tips to take away: - Embrace by sending out the chest, seeking for the other person's heart, everything should be led by the chest. Everything. - The arms then become a comfort blanket, changing and ebbing with the flow, but the heart is always connected. This ...

Made a holiday out of it this year by combining the Marathon with sightseeing. Istanbul has always had a strong Tango scene. Sometimes I wonder whether cities where "huzun" features so strongly in the DNA of a place creates such fantastic musicality. Do you really have to understand the death and decay in order to move and express yourself? Perhaps? It makes sense then that they hold their own dancing with such pride. If B.A. is the birthplace, then no doubt, Istanbul is its protege. It's fascinating watching the examples of what an advanced community looks like. The fact that there are so many schools, so many people dancing that no one quite knows everyone else makes you realise that in this community, there is no need to travel elsewhere to find new dancers. They're all here. Every night of the week. That being said, it was also highly frustrating wanting to dance but not being able to cabaceo. I really need to work on the eye contact thing and get over how ...

What is your ultimate goal? Do you dance because you want to become a professional? To make a living out of it? To perform on stage? Do you dance in order to connect? To socialise? Because a loved one started with you and its a part of you that you can never quite let go of, because it means that the final bridge is forever gone? Is it because a younger you once felt something inside you move so much that your perspective was forever shifted to a B.T. and A.T? Is it because it is a language that is global, allowing you to plug into any community and be instantly connected, without language, without culture, without boundaries? Perhaps you as a woman just want to be held, to connect with someone of the opposite gender, to feel led, guided and comforted in a world where gender norms are collapsing. Or perhaps, you are that masculine figure, tenderly protective of the person who has entrusted their sight to yours, letting the guard of personal space down to nestle in your arms an...

Ladies Technique - Extension of leg represents the maximum movement that the woman can reach on her own from a distinct and settled point, what therefore creates a move and the distance travelled is the energy given by the man - Both legs are actively engaged but the functions change as you shift the weight from one to the other, the free leg is always the 'man's leg', the moment it transforms to your grounded root, is where the move is cut off - Think of the molinete as a right angled line with an arc, this makes sure you do not interrupt the circular movement of the guy, after all you are moving with lines around a circle, the shapes already provide a challenge for a smooth movement - Keep the upper torso strong, the legs can do what they like, but never let the core collapse because it is where the information is received - As an exercise, stick out your right foot to the front, then pivot 180 open toward the left, collect and do the same for the left side; in the...

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...

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...

The more I learn things about this dance the more I do find myself getting frustrated. Yes I can move better, yes I can hold my own weight, yes I can do about 99% of moves but can I do it in a way that is beautiful, inspiring, musical, effortless? Likely not. The body is the tool, we receive the energy and direction through the chest, telling us: - Speed - Time - Direction - Force which translates from top to toe. Energy received up top, sends down all the way to the toes and that is why you never look at the feet, because it will tell you nothing. Everything is a movement generated from the chest. Everything. And yet again you hear, disassociate, disassociate, disassociate. Truly, this is the core of it, because if you can't do that, then everything will be reactionary and lag, rather than being complementary and together. Privates with Ariadna & Fernando, truly one of the first great couples that I encountered by hearsay in 2010 and then again with lessons in 2011....