My Tango Diaries

I've been having trouble consistently nailing my ochos. As soon as I stopped having such a wobbly axis, I seemed to have trouble pivoting enough - and with enough disassociating to make the step look and feel smooth, graceful .. and precise . I got a bit of advice from my instructor Monica, who I believe she said she got from Silvina Valz, regarding turning during ochos. She said pivot until you can see your butt (over your shoulder). How literally you take that is, of course, up to you. To my surprise, I found it incredibly helpful in remembering to disassociate my hips and first of all, not use my partner for leverage, and second, it gave me something more tangible to monitor my consistency. Do you have other ways you monitor how a step or movement needs to "feel" or look to know you've completed it correctly? (PS - that's me looking for my ocho booty and modeling my new Flabella tango shoes. :) )

Reminded of this by an advertisement from Buenos Aries " Losing by a head of a noble horse who slackens just down the stretch and when it comes back it seems to say: don't forget brother, You know, you shouldn't bet. "

Video features clips from milongas all over NYC as well as a few words from Murat Erdemsel.

There seems to be a way of leading that I hadn't noticed until recently. Or at least I hadn't truly appreciated it for what it was. In fact, it wasn't until I was feeling awful at a milonga - tired, nervous, sore - ready to give up on the night, that I really felt the effect of it. Most leaders test the waters when the dance with me (or anyone, I presume) to find out the skill level of their partner. Sometimes, they do the movements and patterns they enjoy and just watch and see what gets followed and what gets missed. If something is missed, usually they don't lead it again. They adapt. (Some leaders continue to lead it, getting both partners more and more frustrated, but that's another story altogether.) These leaders have an idea (of course) how they'd like the dance to go, with the particular music playing, and make adjustments on the fly. Some leaders start with their fanciest stuff first - eager to impress and dazzle their partner and the observers. I call...

Several people have recommended this poet to me, and there were so many beautiful, haunting poems to choose from that it took me ages to settle on this one - such a crystallized expression of la duende, (and of tango of course), of the dark places we carry with us and still manage to love from. Sonnet XVII - Pablo Neruda I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz, or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off. I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul. I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers; thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance, risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body. I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way than this: where I does not exist, nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall as...

Silvina Valz & Oliver Kolker Back in Austin Summer'09! July 6-13th Get to know them! This will be their 3rd year to come to AustinNot to miss! Experience, Energy, Elegance: true tango soul & inspirationTruly fun people, great teachers and now friend and part of our community! Not to miss!!Take your tango to the next level with exceptional instruction & stunning performances! Download Registration Form Here ! Click here for inspiration: “Dime mi Amor” Tango Demo "Arrabalera" Milonga Demo Austin Tango Visitor Info Class Schedule Saturday, July 11th - All Levels 2:15 - 3:45pm Tango Salon: Structure 4:15 - 5:45pm Milonga: Tuning Turns Sunday, July 12th - Intermediate Level 2:15 - 3:45pm Tango: boleos & Interesting Resolutions 4:15 - 5:45pm Milonga: Fun Combinations Extra Special Class Monday, July 13th - Interm/Advance Level 7:00 - 8:30pm: How to build a Choreography Work on fun moves, increase creativity & style on the socialdance floor. Get fancy ...

"Yes, Giorgio" (1982) was not a great film. It wasn't especially well acted. It was predictable. And yet I've seen it more than a dozen times, and I cry through the end every time I see it. Luciano Pavarotti was a brilliant singer - but a slightly less than brilliant actor. In this film, he essentially played himself. A famous opera singer, "Giorgio Fini", loses his voice during an American tour. He goes to a female throat specialist, Pamela Taylor (played by Kathryn Harrold), with whom he falls in love. Giorgio is married, and though he and his wife have an understanding regarding his affairs while he travels, Pamela is unable to resign herself to being perpetually "the other woman". At the end, during his triumphant return to the stage, as he sings Nessun Dorma, she applauds his beautiful performance and then leaves the theater, as they both knew she would. The story is, as I said above, predictable, almost cliched. But the end moves me every ti...