My Tango Diaries

Sick and tired of being sick and tired . . . Found a BBC video (that tango dancer Keano posted on Facebook) to cheer myself up: Argentina's love affair with the Tango http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8215510.stm Feeling better already. :)

Great video posted on Tango Connections' ( tangoconnections.ning.com ) Tango Health Group and more exercises . . .

But the traveler that flees sooner or later stops his walking And although forgetfulness, which destroys all, has killed my old dream, I keep concealed a humble hope that is my heart's whole fortune. "Volver" - Lyrics: Alfredo Lepera, Music: Carlos Gardel "Ninety-percent of life is just showing up." -- Woody Allen I just went through pictures from 2009's Austin Spring Tango Festival and experienced a huge shift in perspective. I had only had a couple of classes (literally two classes) and had only been to one milonga. I knew exactly 3 people out of the several dozen in attendance. Far too intimidated to dance, I haunted the back rows of chairs and watched, completely mesmerized by the dancers and then later, the performances by the guest instructors. Looking through the pictures now, I can't believe how many people I know. I now recognize more than half the people in the pictures. I've danced with about a dozen of them. It's only been about 5 mo

"I recall avoiding my own gaze for many, many years. It was somehow creepy, and this look-alike stranger returning my stare made me feel very uncomfortable. There was an aversion, no doubt fueled by the fear of discovering something grotesque, to looking into those eyes. Of catching myself in a lie; or seeing the hypocrite; of discovering that part of myself for which I needed to accept responsibility.The part that was responsible for my own misery. Because I knew, subconsciously perhaps, that if and when I ever did accept responsibility for myself, I’d have to do something about it, or I would never know peace. I would never be able to dance." --The Tao of Tango, by Johanna Siegmann,"The Mirror Chapter", http://www.taooftango.com/PDF%20and%20Documents/Mirror%20Chapter.pdf When I first started, I couldn't face you at all. I could look as far as your ankles before flinching and turning away. Technique classes where we must stand facing one another, you and I, are

After watching the video of my dancing, I was startled at how different my feet look from not only the dancers I admire most, but also from simply more advanced dancers. My instructors are always telling me to turn my feet out, caress the floor, point my toes etc etc. And while I attempt these various things, it never comes off to my (or their) satisfaction. I was clearly missing something. I've tried exercises to strengthen my ankles and my feet, increase my flexibility - but I still felt there was something missing in my alignment. I could see it in the video very clearly. I was stepping, but not dancing. So time for more research. I started with Ney Melo and Jennifer Bratt's excellent advice HERE Then followed with Tango and Chaos's extremely thorough page on the subject HERE But it wasn't until I read this on Dance Forums, that I really got the alignment issue nailed. That post can be found HERE Now I'm doing dozens of exercises under my desk and already feeling

Another tango blogger ( http://me-likey-tango.blogspot.com - check him out!) used the word "turbulence" to describe a milonga that seemed to be particularly strange-feeling (or maybe chaotic is a better word.) The vibe just isn't the same as it usually is at that venue. I've run in to this a couple of times. It's especially jarring, and sometimes very disheartening, when it happens at a milonga that is normally very comfortable. The music is good. There are lots of familiar faces. But the feeling just isn't the same. Dances feel a bit bumpy. The line of dance can be erratic. Everyone seems to be hearing different music. I think there are few things that can contribute to turbulence. A higher number of new dancers than usual (not just beginner dancers, but dancers who don't usually attend that particular venue). If one or two dancers who are normally the "glue" of milongas (those dancers who welcome new faces, dance with all the new people etc, m

This may not be something that can be addressed in words, honestly. I'm planning to take a private soon, and will certainly address it there. But as I've found that many followers in my classes have been corrected on this also, I thought I'd ask for any advice. I am weak on my molinete/grapevines, not because I can't do them, but because I often get ahead of my leader. When I wait for the explicit lead, leaders have gotten impatient because I "missed" their lead. If I'm unsure that it was led (in other words, I'm guessing) - then I of course get ahead. When I am told to express my steps to the music, then I sometimes end up ahead of my leader again. Conversely, when I slow down and wait again for the explicit lead, I end up behind the music. Any advice out there for a confused newbie tanguera?

This post is the result of realizing that I had added something important, that I had accidentally left out of the original post (My First Tango Workshop), in my responses to readers' emails, but never put in the post itself. So I want to take this opportunity to clarify a point, and update longer term effect on my dancing. After the workshop with Oliver and Silvina (and after the "caca embrace incident"), as I was packing up and talking to another dancer, I mentioned feeling a bit over my head as I'd only been dancing for 4 months. At that comment, Oliver turned around and asked, "4 months?" I nodded. He remarked in a kinder tone, that for 4 months I was doing very well. Silvina had turned at that point and nodded agreement. So there was some ... I'm not sure what the word is that I'm looking for... resolution? I felt better, anyway - not quite so inept. I wrote that several times in answering emails from people - but apparantly only imagined tha

This past Saturday's milonga could definitely be classified as a "learning opportunity" for me. There were a lot of unfamiliar dancers from other cities, and more than the usual number of beginner to almost-intermediate dancers (like me). Floor craft was not as consistent as it usually is. Normally, this is my most comfortable, familiar milonga. I know almost all of the faces, if not the names. I've danced with most of the leaders etc. Not so last Saturday night. There was a short beginner class before the milonga as usual, which gave us the opportunity to get to know one another. Once the milonga started in earnest, I felt I was dancing with beginner after beginner. My usual partners either weren't asking me to dance, or weren't present at all, though a few came much later. It felt like I was having a harder and harder time dancing with anyone. I started to worry that I was looking like I was fresh from my first tango class. That was where the trouble really

I finally worked up the nerve to record my dancing. My most frequent vals partner and I decided it was time to see how we were doing. If you haven't done this, I do highly recommend it. But be prepared for a certain amount of cringing and wincing. As I watched the recording, this is roughly what was going through my mind: "omg I didn't collect my ankles. geez, I'm still not collecting . . . my ochos are crap . . . I need to pull in my tummy ... my toes aren't turned out, I look pigeon-toed!... ugh..." I nearly watched the last half of the video through my fingers. And then I relaxed. Took a deep breath. I looked for the things I was doing right. I've stopped hesitating before walking forward and outside of my partner. I'm not shifting weight without my partner, anymore - or occasionally sharing weight on both feet. Little things, but I am making progress. The best part though, was watching my partner. I never get to see what he's doing when we danc

After a month's "intensive" on vals at Esquina Tango - and then the continuation (due to popular demand) of vals classes into this month - I'm finding that I'm not only far more comfortable dancing vals - but that I get disappointed when little or no (gasp!) vals is played at the milonga. How did that happen so fast? Maybe it's just that the steps/patterns/choreography we've been learning involve a lot of turns (for example the "turning box" which is one of my very favorites so far) - a lot of fast turns. Most of the leaders I've danced with know that I'm pretty easy to entertain on the milonga floor - but turns of nearly any kind are my favorite. If I'm a little dizzy between songs - I'm having a good time. (I just have to refrain from making happy "wheee!" noises in my partner's ear.) Next mission - conquering my fear of milonga!

Sorry for the delay in getting this post written - seems like ages since the workshop. I was only able to take the first of Daniela's classes which focused on posture, strength and balance exercises. The class included around 30 people from experienced dancers to "I just walked in off the street, what class is this?" dancers and I believe that she accomodated all of us very well. The exercises, while simple and straightforward, were not easy to hold - which was her point. Bending knees deeply into lunges, while disassociating the torso and twisting - and, because you can always do more afterall, check foot position so that the toe is pointed out. She walked up and down the lines of dancers to check foot position, lower shoulders, straighten backs - meanwhile several dancers (including me) were starting to quiver from the exertion. We were barely moving but we were working hard just holding the forms. Most of the time Daniela maintained a careful balance between pointing o