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2010 August 29
- What is a good dancer?
- .. Those who invite, they are so struggling to put a woman in a certain place.. They are so stiff.. They should dance themselves !
Yes.... So many puppet-master teachers are visiting us this days...
"A man should lead" is twisted by them into "A man should manipulate"..
Unable to dance and to lead they grab a woman and think their crude hands can make it nice for her. "Lift her slightly" is performed as if on the wrestling ring.. Do not lift her, she knows what to do herself. Lift yourself !
2010 August 27
Watching performances, people are often mislead about what Tango is. All those performers... Now we have yet another couple..
It is not a perfect pose or technique what makes a tango tango. Pose and technique is not a goal in tango, it is a tool.
The goal of tango is a super-sensitive, super-improvisational dance.
When you see a set of beautiful poses, fast tricks, and sexy looks, they look false when choreographed. They are taken and copied. They are images of nature. Still life. They are alife and true when they are the result of the absolute impro-dance which is always different.
A goal of tango learning should be obtaining a quality of being very sensitive to music, partner, circumstances, and freely sweem in the ocean of creative possibilities. Pose and technique are only tools, preliminary tools to start the real thing and provide freedom of interpretation.
It goes another way. Only those who practice sensitive and improvisational dance know what the pose and technique should be.
I do not say the desire to get the pose and technique should be obsolete. No, they are the basis without which tango movements become messy, unclear, non systematic, and unnatural, lucking innumerous creative possibilities. But making them a goal is inverting the tango dance inside out.
2010 August 24
I usually do not speak about tango technique in here, but I have noticed an alarming increase of bad habits among the dancers who do not have a power of tango confidence yet. It seems to me it was influenced by a swarm of visiting tango "maestros" in a couple of recent years.
The first one is deliberate stepping on the metatarsal. There is nothing wrong with stepping on the metatarsal ( a ball of the foot ), but, it is crucially wrong to portray that this is the only way of stepping and the goal of tango training. Stepping on metatarsal works well for small and slow steps, and it is suitable for salon style. In other way dancers should not be hesitating to step on the heal ! It is very useful to use heal - when dancing with a woman which is not very confident with her "being with the partner" skill, stepping on the heal can save you from a lot of foot pain later ! Besides, so called a "milonguero" step, a mark of experienced dancer is mostly done on the heal, it is just easier. Then there are numerous steps in tango, which are better to be stepped on the heal, and that includes side steps and cross. Orillero and Canyengue dancing is done on heal ! For milonguero dancers heal technique allows more tools and more space for soft and sensitive dance. Pivots are effectively stopped with the heal, and the heal itself can be used to generates wonderful pivots. Nuevo dancers will feel more confident when using heal.
The second is the "semi-close" embrace, when a man embraces a woman deeply behind the back, but still keeping the gap between torsos. This kind of embrace contrary to more simple and logical open embrace and close embrace ( with a touch ) is very difficult to master, and it is very difficult to preserve with an unconfident woman. There is absolutely no reason for this embrace if you do not dance performing on stage of Forever Tango. In simple open embrace, when a man's hand is closer to a woman's shoulder, it is much easier to lead ! Much much easier ! Can you lead at all ? Why you would want to complicate your life? Want to be with a woman closer? Go to tight close embrace ! Can not do it? Learn ! Everyone can do it. It is simple. How can you dance with a woman which is much bigger than you in that "semi-open-close" embrace? Or much smaller?
Yesterday I have observed a woman who can not make the simplest tango steps I teach on the very fist lesson for beginners, just because she was trained to seek to step only on toes ! And her partner was desperately trying to keep that "semi-open" embrace, shaking and wobbling. Why not to embrace this beautiful women tight ! Why not just step like normal people do ! Tango is not a ballet !
When you visiting classes of all those "maestros", keep in mind that they dance and train themselves professionally for 20 ( minimum ), 30 or more years, often since the babyhood ! You never ever is going to dance even remotely like them ! It is so sad to watch people who are desperately trying to look like Jorge Torres or Gabriel Misse, while they can not even make a simple step nicely.
Sorry for the pessimistic note. Use your heal ! Use simpler embrace ! Find the dance in simple moves ! And you will be just as great on the social dance floor as they on stage. I guarantee it !
People who promote "semi-open" embrace often call it "close embrace". I seriously doubt that they have advanced understanding of what close embrace in tango is. Here is the reason, I hope you will follow my logic. The difference between open and close embrace of Argentine Tango is that in open embrace partners feel each other through hands and arms, while in close embrace, they feel each other with torso, chest. The attention is paid to different parts of the body. Changing embrace means changing the location the points of contact: from torso to hands and arms and back. During it, while torsos separate in just a millimeter, the resulting change of contact is huge ! It is qualitative transition, very difficult for even advanced dancers. This transition itself is an element of a very very advanced dancing. It is not just separating by a millimeter, but a switching attention to different parts of body, to different internal mechanics of movements and feelings. One must learn how to do simple things before going on to more complex, right? So, perfect open embrace, perfect close embrace and then... And then we will see if you would want to change embrace ever ! Happy dancing !
Trying to step on metatarsal ALWAYS, and "semi-open embrace" can seriously hinder, compromise your successful advance in tango even to intermediate stage, when you are able freely dance in open and close embrace, slow and fast, and with the full range of tango elements dancing with variety of dancers. If I would not be convinced in it, I would not write about it. Tango is full of the most interesting things, do not get bogged in unnecessary complexities !
* * *
PS. August 26, 2010
A magic happened. I had a guest dancer at my practica. Usually, I had difficulty dancing with her, she was not moving well, not very sensitive, loosing balance. I had to put a lot of effort to lead her and to make the dance. We danced one dance and it was all the same. She is not my student, so I said nothing. But she is my friend. I invited her again. She said: "I am going to try new shows. I can not step on the ball of the foot in them - they are bad. I only can step on the heal. " We started dancing. That woman danced ! How well did she dance ! I could not believe it, she was dancing easy, rhythmically, confidently, lightly - totally different woman. "Did always you step on the metatarsal before ?!" - I exclaimed. She said "Yes"....
I wish you to dance always in bad shoes!
* * *
PPS. September 1, 2010
- And how would I make forward ochos in "Your" close embrace without disconnecting?
- Forward ochos are more complex elements. However, they are easy done in true close embrace without any disconnecting if you and your partner know how. Your Tango posture and ability to lead with body help you. I'll give you a hint. Ochos as well as most other pivots are not led with a man moving around a woman. No. There is another way. Once you know that "advanced" way, you can do anything. At least, if you do not do forward ochos well, do not do them ! They are rare and rather more advanced in close embrace. Rather make a right turn or ocho cortado.
2010 August 10
Check out an extraordinary site of an extraordinary dancer and teacher: Jaimes Friedgen
2010 August 8
I have witnessed a performance of Chicho and Juana ( MARIANO “CHICHO” FRUMBOLI & JUANA SEPULVEDA ) at the Antipanico tango festival in San Francisco, 2010.
4 dances: normal, milonga, slow, and social. Witnessing the live performance of such great masters is unforgettable. The dances, so complex as those can not be choreographed up front. It is only improvisational. There is nothing but tango when one can see the work of mind right here, right in the room and at the moment. A giant mind. Genius on march, so to speak.
The style of Chicho and Juana is fast and very complex, but harmonious, beautiful and surprising, even if they are dancing slow. Chicho gives so many figures in his dance, that would be enough for 20 dances of other professionals. No one can dance like that. And I can not express enough gratitude for his generosity !
I want to dance like Chicho ! I would like to dance like Chicho, in his wonderful style. And I can dance somewhat like this, yes. But life is life, it is full with imperfections and un-matches. The music at the milonga was played slow of 40s, unsuitable for Chicho style. And no one danced, even tried to dance like Chicho. So, what is the point. What is the point? It is to curry his dance in my mind and brain, and apply it in the appropriate moment and at suitable place. Thank you!
Photo credit: Mariano "Chicho" Frumboli and Eugenia Parrilla
One of my students of Super-Advanced tango workshop wrote me this letter which I would like to publish for you completely:
"The class was good. Particularly enjoyed the "T-shirt". I could see what was going on when you move. If you wear t-shirts, your students will get what you mean when you talk about the body. I could really see what was happening with the shoulders and rib cage. This must be why my embrace felt better to me and you.
The I more I study with you, the more I understand and the more I do not know about tango. I can not wait to fit all the pieces together and become less shaky.
There must be a better way to get more students to understand what you are doing. I have been thinking about the title that you give your class. Here is something that might be of interest: Approaching Tango from the inside out....or.... Want to know more about Tango than just steps and sequences?....or....Tango with a subtle approach.....
Then build the class you are teaching in this way. Repeat through out the class why you are teaching this way and state that you know that it is subtle.
Your classes are for dancers who have some training. They are not for people who just want to have fun and learn a lot of steps. Your students have to work too hard for results. For me, the work hard is the fun part. However, there may be a way to combine both. One way is to keep saying what is the benefit of learning to dance tango this way. For example, I did not know that when you taught the upper body moves that the end result would be a better embrace. I still did not know until we left and were walking to the car. I felt that the embrace was better but I did not know why until you mentioned this. I had to step back and think about why this was so, then I got it. Most students would not have thought to analyze why something is to obtain a result. They might get confused and wonder why they are taking the class.
When you teach a subtle and complicated move in the body. Have the class watch exactly what you are doing and then have them repeat it. Then point out what you see is a weak point in their understanding. Try it again and watch. Then repeat the class again in a month.
So some things have to be said a million times until the class understands what you are attempting to accomplish. Students need to make the connection in their minds through their bodies and also the other way around.
I had an instructor that taught the same warm up each day. She did nothing different until we moved in the center of the class and across the floor. Everyday the same thing for a year...this is good because we learned things about out bodies. We learned warm ups.
So having different but repeated warm up exercises that you can give regularly, not necessarily every class, can get your students to the point of really knowing what it is like to dance tango from the inside out.
Also, you can really learn something from N's protests. Her thing is that no one dances like you do. This I think is true because most of the Tango dancers dance from their feet and heads. Their thinking is how can I impress my follower or what kind of fabulous move can I execute that I can practice and see if the follower can follow and even how can I trick my follower. Never mind, how does it feel from the inside of my body and am I communicating with my follower?
So when I watched N and you dance at the end of class, this is what I thought. I have known from the first day that I saw you two dancing that she is not working her body like you teach. It was very clear to me. I think this is really difficult for her. Starting when she was a child in ballet her body was developed very straight. It was so long ago for her that she does not know how she got this way nor is it important for her to change this. It is also difficult for ballet dancers to change their posture because they can not feel what it is like to have their bodies twisted and isolated. It is foreign. They are really good at movement sequences, fast and slow foot & leg work and straight bodies. This works for the kind of dance that ballet is.
However, a lot of people are good at sequences, especially, people attracted to tango. However, this does not make a great dancer, but it can help. I think that working the body, analyzing movement and learning movement sequences are coming from different parts of the brain.
Where N can help you is to work out a kind of thinking process with her. If you can get her to understand body and moving from the body. This will help even if she does not understand. You might begin to understand how to approach students and find a way into their thought processes. If she gets one glimpse of what you teach and how it feels in her body, she will begin to work in this manner. She will not get enough ever. So this is true for the rest of your students. It is addicting to dance this way as you have found for yourself.
I would approach her in private not in a class and ask her if she is willing to keep an open mind about working with her body as you teach. Find ways that you can work with her for her to understand. Try some simple rotations by stablizing the hips and rotating the rib cage above the hips. Then try the other way by stablizing the ribs and rotating the hips . I am serious about her not being able to understand what this feels like in her body. She really does not and it is not her fault. I have seen this a million times with ballet dancers. I know that she is not a ballet dancer now but her body is trained like this and she can not remember anything else. She does not know how it feels and she can not see it as well. When she gets upset, it is because she is confused and frustrated. Why should she do something that she can not see or feel? I am sure that it is this way for other tango dancers for sure. So wearing a tight t-shirt is the way to go for visuals.
When I think about it in class, I try to clarify things for myself by asking or repeating what I see. When I do this, it is a clue for you to find away to talk to the class as well. This is a good teaching method. When a student asks a question or wants clarification, then that might mean other students might need the same thing as well and they might not even know it themselves. Jump on what I am asking and work on it in class some. Then step back and watch the result.
Making the connection from what you are teaching and how this can improve the students dancing is the pivotal point in each class. Give them reasons why and get them to feel results.
When I take a class with you, I come with a lot of knowledge on how the body works, how it works on my body. I am just adding and adjusting a somewhat developed dancer body. So with a little repetition, I can get it a little easier. Most tango students are not in class with this knowledge. I think you have a few that have danced somewhere in some style but not all and not like someone who is truely a developed dancer.
I think you have developed your body to a level of accomplishment for tango but it is harder to teach. You have to remember your process and make it understandable to students. This is the most difficult for teachers to be able to remember their process. Can I say,....been there done that:)
I once was told by a wise spiritual teacher that beings exist who have reached alter states of consciousness but they can not teach others. They did not get there from a developed path that they practiced. So what they learned and developed gets lost because they can not remember their process. I find this very interesting.
In the effort to gain more dedicated students and a tango school. It is very possible.
NN"
2010 August 8
I have found a new ARTS (Afro Roots in Tango Society )
Here is my entry: "Hellow, I very welcome ARTS. It is very ineresting to me. I feel I know how to dance tango in an African way, and I would be happy to dance with anyone who would want it. Thank you, and see you!
I remember a wokshop about 7 years ago by Ruben. Some people remember his lectures about the African Tango Routs he has made in his later visits. So, on that workshop Ruben "Milonga" taught Canyengue and Candombe. So he is a scientist and a dancer. It was fantastic !!! Everyone participated ( there was only about 10 people ) really danced Candombe with movement vigor and inspiration. Of course, we never were able to repeat the dance inspired by the great master of teaching, but the interst and understanding that tango really did come from incredible african moves which I like stayed with me since then.
I also want to tell many thanks to Ernest Williams, a great dancer and researcher of this dance. I remember a workshop he gave to us in Palo Alto - it was, perhaps, the most inspiring and fun workshops with a visiting teacher we ever had. His dances with Anna Karrassik in Huston and with with Maricela Willson at La Pista can serve as examples of the style.
I wish more people would realise the greatness of this dance and I hope with such a big organization like yours ( 134 members for now! ) It can be given a big spur. We should start dancing like this. Yes !"
2010 July 23
Pocho Pizarro:
2010 July 12
"All people are dancing differently, isn't it?"
Dancers of high level of dancing share the same good qualities.
People on lower level of dancing share the same mistakes.
2010 July 10
Translated from the interview with one of the best and beloved Russian actors Konstantin Raikin:
- Режиссура - это наука о том, как сделать, чтобы зрителю было интересно, - слова Константина Аркадьевича, который поставил за свою жизнь более 30 спектаклей.
- Directing is the science of how to make the audience wondering - the words of Konstantin Arkadievich, who has put in his life more than 30 performances
- Я вообще не верю в легкие пути, - говорит Константин Райкин о репетиционном процессе. Если человек умеет легко работать, значит, он эту легкость уже оплатил в какой-то предыдущей работе, значит, что-то уже было оплачено тройной ценой. По-другому не бывает. Репетиция - очень кровавая пора, бесстыдный, мучительный процесс. Если работа не оплачена мучением, отчаяньем, абсолютным ученичеством, в которое обязательно впадаешь, - ничего не выйдет…
- I do not believe in the easy way - said Konstantin Raikin of the rehearsal process. - If a person is able to work easily, then it's this easy already paid to some previous work, it means that something has already been paid triple the price. In another way, it does not happen. Rehearsal - is very bloody time, gross, painful process. If work is not paid by pain, despair, absolute discipleship, in which necessarily falls - it will not work ...
- ... интереснее работать не с теми, кто умеет, а с теми, кто хочет уметь. Это очень важно. Потому что, строго говоря, не умеет никто. Научиться этому делу нельзя, оно до конца непознаваемо, и ты всю жизнь пытаешься его осваивать.
- It is more interesting not work with those who can but with those who want to know how. It is very important. Because, strictly speaking, nobody knows how. To have learned acting is impossible, it is unknowable in full, and you've been trying to master it the whole life.
2010 June 20
On June 17, 2010 we have recorded 7 tango videos. Here they are:
Palo Alto Online News wrote couple words about it and put some photos.
2010 June 21
Many people are in search for the better tango. Many of them look for the quick remedy: go to a class with a famous name, learn complicated pattern, take a pill, and here you are - dancing tango like a king.
Aha. This is an illusion. It does not work !
Until a practitioner realizes that tango is in himself, it should be discovered, diligently nourished, and practiced, he will be in hectic search wasting his time and money.
It takes 2 years to start dancing tango meticulously practicing it. And any pill will not help you, will not replace your dancing friends !
2010 June 20
What is "Puppetmastering"? It is an art of making a woman dance. A puppetmaster is a man. All masters can act like puppet masters, but not all puppetmasters are masters. So, what is the difference?
The difference is that a master expects a woman to do dance with him. He expects that sort of dance which is called "Tango Conversation". He listens to what a woman whispers to him. A puppetmaster who is not a master does not listen to a woman. He does not know how, and he is not interested. So, the true, pure puppetmaster is the dancer who is not a master.
Beginner woman must be aware of puppetmasters. Dancing with a puppetmaster may give her an impression of good dancing, but that greatly reduces her chances to dance with a master. Masters do not particularly like women who dance with puppetmasters - they do not talk back ! They are speechless, they are puppets.
The difference between the level of a puppetmaster and a master is infinite ! Socially-wise, it is better to dance with a promising beginner, than with a puppetmaster. Avoid them! They are making you puppets.
I specifically dislike dancing with a woman who just been in the hands of a puppetmaster. I prefer to wait for a tanda for her to cool down. They have got into the puppet-mood which I do not like.
2010 June 20
How difficult is to be an advanced dancer ? It is difficult. Especially for women. While an advanced man in absence of an advanced partner can do some "puppetmastering" around, an advanced woman can not do it. It is practically impossible for a woman to make a good dance with a man who does not let her to do so. The solution is to become Super-Advanced. Super-Advanced dancer can try to pick up a promising beginner or an intermediate and make him dance.
So, it is much more demanding for a woman to be a good dancer: she is the one who is dancing, but a man can get away with just simple but nice leading. To have a happy tango life, a woman in this days should learn a lot.
2010 June 20
There is a huge difference between "to be led" and "to follow".
2010 June 20
Tango is intense. A good tango tanda is so intense that it is enough of 2-3 of them for the evening. If music is bad, it is better to wait for the suitable music than to try "to make a dance". Here is another remedy for the problem - one super-advanced man can satisfy 5-6 women per hour. Sorry for the dry math :). So, for women it means - going to lessons. Good lessons. Lessons where you learn how to dance, not how to be lead, dear ladies !
2010 June 21
So, is there any difference in woman who is the puppet and who is the dancer? The difference is huge ! The puppet's movements are induced, often with force, from her leader. Her energy goes from outside. The dancer emanates the energy from inside. The difference is so large as is these are two different dances. Also there is difference in reactions. The puppet reacts as following a natural disaster - passively. A dancers reacts consciously, like a queen ! The difference again, incomparable. The dancers adopts to her partner and situation, while a puppetmaster adopt the puppet to him and adopts to her.
Mathematically, the difference can be sketched as such. Assume the level of the puppetmaster is 10. The level of his puppet is always <1. By definition. The pure puppetmaster will not even let the dancer to be more than a puppet. The level of combined dance will be, multiplying, <10. The level of combined dance will never exceed the level of the puppetmaster.
The level of the active woman-dancer, not puppet is >1. By definition she is better than the puppet. Then the level of combined dance will be, multiplying, >10. It means the level of the partner dance will be higher then the level of each partner. They support each other, they inspire each other, they act in unison, they have synergy, they are greater together then separately ! That what gives a good dance wow feeling.
2010 June 21
So, how to find out who is a puppetmaster? First of all to be a puppetmaster is not bad. If he is not a pure puppetmaster. Masters also do puppet-mastering around.
I'd like to give you only one clue. When you see an advanced lady dancing with someone and her impression is as if she is tracking him, as if she is in defensive mood, overprotecting herself, when she does not allow herself any extra expression, any move or posture which would put her in vulnerable position endangering her health and well-being, it means she is dancing with a puppetmaster. Sometime, though, a master performing goes into the puppet-mastering mode when his partner does not perform well. He feels her weakness as a performer and is trying to make it at any cost. Who knows if it is a mistake or not !?
2010 June 4
A message from Natasha Dikareva, a San Francisco sculptor:
"Narrative Visions: Clay Onto Art, Market Street Gallery, opening reception June 11, 6-9 pm "
Dear friends!
I am very excited to participate in the Narrative Visions: Clay Onto Art exhibition. My works will be exhibited along with the art of six contemporary ceramic sculptors at the Market Street Gallery.
Market Street Gallery is located at 1554 Market Street, between Van Ness and Franklin: http://marketstreetgallery.com/
The exhibition runs from June 4th through 30th. The opening reception is June 11, 6 - 9 pm.
Looking forward to seeing you there,
Natasha Dikareva
2010 June 3
I'd like to share with you a story which happened to me today. Actually, I am writing it tomorrow, but in this virtual world the time is relative, it goes by its own way.
I had a meeting at Palo Alto, a private lesson, and Fantasy Dance studio class and practica scheduled for today. On my way, I have received a call from the private student, let us call her N, that she would like to move the lesson to Saturday. I went to my meeting and started to think how can I spend the free time most useful and pleasurable. Visiting the Palo Alto book store Borders was very attractive. But my car was full of music electronics. So, I decided to stop by the Fantasy studio and drop it there to diverge interest of people who are too interested in the contents of my car. I stopped by the studio, but the doors where closed. Too early? Knocking at the door I have found that I forgot my keys. Oho ! Well, owners are always here at 8 when we start, should I just come later? I still have 2 hours to enjoy the new books. Devouring a sandwich I was thinking what if no one would come? I never happened before.. but if there is an opportunity, there is a chance.. So I went home. I live in Hayward. Spending 2 hours driving in traffic is not very pleasant, but I calmed myself down and went.
When I came back at about 8, there was no one there. The door was closed, but now I had a key. It turned out that I did the right thing. What if N did not cancell the class? What if I relied on what is customary to suppose?
A lesson went great and the practica was nice.
2010 May 16
Pivots
A letter from A:
"I was at the Milonga last night. I started to understand and utilizing something most fundamental. It comes along with not using straight legs that I wrote about in the last email. It is something that I needed to rewire in my automatic mind/body self. I finally got it in my head and body that the pivots are one of the most useful and necessary elements of tango. The the question is where did I miss this link. I have been doing these pivots and working on the technique for all these months but never made this link. So what does that tell me? No one else that I study with puts so much work into the pivot as you do. And you are so correct in doing so.
I would say that the pivot is so much of what tango is. Pivots link all the tango steps. They get you in and out of steps. They help you stay aligned with partners. Pivots test your alignment, balance and core so that you are moving yourself and not the lead for the follower. So they help you know where you are as a dancer at any given time during a dance. Then it is easy to correct yourself if need be, so long as you understand alignment, balance and pivots. That is where all the other techniques that I can do come into play. They can keep you from hanging on your partners (leader and or follower). They keep you on the tango phrase musically.
So we should repeat the pivots in all different ways practicing. We will be practicing and then we will be putting together our own pivot combination. By doing so, it can be easily translated to when we dance with partners. Knowing pivots well can make our dance experience successful beyond expectations.
First we must understand the walk and how the walk links with the pivot. One can not do a pivot well without the correct walk. One can not dance tango well without a good understanding of the walk. Example for me when I went to the class Alicia Pons taught, I expected to learn some of her foot technique. She took one look at the class and just taught the walk. I found this interested to say the least. What brought us all in was her fame and her foot techniques but she knew or knows that you can not do any of this without the understanding of the walk. "
Igor Polk:
It is incredible how many pivot techniques there are in tango! And you should know all of them.
Besides pivots there is one more extremely useful and basic element of tango – corte technique ( rebounds ). As I have found, and to my greatest surprise, this is a very difficult concept for students to grasp. Tango movement technique is essentially all pivots and cortes put on a walk. Make them work well - and you are moving like an advanced dancer !
Joy:
"It's true and more. I don't know if you crochet, but for me dancing tango is like crocheting. My body is the "hook" and I'm constantly pulling in or releasing yarn, wrapping or unwrapping it around my hook in one way or another, automatically adjusting the tension or the force with which I'm pulling in or releasing the yarn, moving in this direction then that, but always with a kind of rhythm that's reflective of the music. Dancing tango is like crocheting to music only using my body as the hook that transforms the invisible yarn into a visual image of the music. While pivots are links, they are at the same time seamless links, perhaps the places in the dance where the tension is gathered and released as needed to weave the visual image of the musical phrasing. I think of pivots as the verbs of body poetry in tango. If you find a partner who understands this and who creates tango poetry (visual body images) with you in the dance, it's incredible."
2010 May 13
Martha Graham:
"There is vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, which is translated through you into action.
And because there is only one you in all time, this expression is unique and if you block it, it will never exit through any other medium and the world will not have it."
given by A
2010 May 11
Gancho
In my tango life I've faced a number of straight opinions about tango styles and figures. For example, can you believe it, there are quite a lot of people considering Boleo as an unnecessary and even harmful element of tango ! There is a number of people considering non-close embrace tango as "not-original" ! There is a number of people considering close embrace tango as inappropriate. They say dancing tango fast is vulgar, dancing milonga slow is vulgar. Practically anything in tango is blamed from one side or another. There is a very strong opposition to tango turns, judging by how many people do it at milongas. No wonder, we have a horrible line of dance !
Recently, I have asked some new students what do they want to learn at the lesson. Two men said: "Gancho". Then I asked what students know about ganchos. Two women, new to this class, too firmly said "Ganchos are not appropriate, they are not supposed to be danced, they are vulgar".
It shocked me. What is it all about? Who told them that? They can not come to this notion themselves, they do not know ganchos, they do not encounter them at the milongas. What is the source of this myth? And if so, why Ganchos earned this reputation?
Ganchos are sweet and easy elements, perfectly suitable for any style from Canyengue and Orillero to Salon. Ganchos are not vulgar, vulgar is is their wrong performance, misunderstanding of technique, rhythm, and styling. Ganchos naturally happen during the certain moves, and it is a mistake not do it them.
Ganchos.. Ganchos are as old as tango and an indispensable part of understanding what tango is. Ganchos are easily lead, of course without pushing, pulling, grabbing, through, bending, and as well as without shoving a foot between her feet, all these truly "vulgar technologies". But a woman must know how to do it ! So it feels nice, spicy, and fun.
2010 May 9
Dancers can be advanced and not advanced. They can couple together in 4 ways. Their dancing style and ways of leading and following differ, and consequently the approach to learning tango and teaching tango should be different. Here are they:
| Man | Woman | Communication |
| Advanced | Advanced | Full scale of dance |
| Advanced | Not advanced | Overleading, adaptation |
| Not advanced | Advanced | Gentle leading, confident following |
| Not advanced | Not advanced | Simple execution of patterns in the rhythm |
I am talking about when the couples of Not Advanced - Advanced and even Not Advanced - Not advanced are producing good dances. Yes, they can do it !
2010 May 4
Gentlemen, you know what leading is?
It is not when a woman dances what you would want, it is when you lead her in what she wants.
2010 May 3
One lady explained me a difference between a dancer and an advanced dancer:
"An advanced dancer always dances differently. Other dancers, good dancers, dance the same. I know what figures he is going to lead me, I am making my dance with him the moment he looks at me. And that is over in a second: I have played his dance in my mind in a second and that is enough, I do not want to dance with him any more. With an advanced dancer you never know what to expect. I am waiting a dance with him impatiently."
2010 May 21
Igor had a chance to take Facundo's class:
2010 April 12
Some people tell me "I dance advanced tango.. I dance it improvisationally..."
Under “Advanced tango” I understand, in addition to
ability to dance improvised, and
dance to variations of tango rhythms,
fluency with such figures like turns, to the left and to the right, in the correct, Argentinean way,
knowledge of all important tango elements like
boleos,
sacadas,
ganchos,
barridas,
sentadas,
leg wraps,
cortes and quebradas.
plus ability to dance correctly to
D’Arienzo ( Orillero style: fast, and sharp),
Pugliese ( Salon Style: slow, gorgeous, and smooth ),
dance in Milonguero style,
( Nuevo is included in this 3 )
fluency in Milonga and Vals.
plus
Ability to navigate around the floor freely moving along the line of dance without any deviation.
Ability to dance with large steps,
Ability to dance with very small steps.
Plus a number of other important aspects.
And this is only a list containing names just marking the milestones. There is the whole world of technique and implementations behind every of this strange argentinean terms.
As a dancer I expect my partners to know this,
otherwise they are all beginners to me.
And this is far from the most top level:
it is only a “black belt”.
It is only a pass to study truly advanced tango.
I admit that in order to be a good dancer, dancing in truly improvisational, fluent, sensual, and free manner most of the above is not quite required, but.. in order to call himself or herself an Advanced Dancer, one has to be familiar with everything above. Let us not diminish the art !
More than that. I believe, that the path to the truly improvisational, fluent, sensual, and free manner dance lies over all those "advanced" tango elements.
Igor
2010 April 3
Inga Savitskaya - Tango with an invisible partner, video:
another version:
Licedei - samba dance.
Klavy: Licedei too
2010 March 2
Announcement
New: 1-st and 3-rd Saturday, regular.
6:00 - 8:00 - Super-Advanced tango workshop, $15
1 hour guided research, 1 hour practice.
Tango Magdalena,
580 Grand Ave, Suite # 305
Oakland, CA 94610
Getting the dance into body..
Tango research with Igor Polk.
Welcome !
http://www.virtuar.com/tango
For serious tango dancers, ballroom dancers, ballet and modern dancers, hip-hoppers, martial artists, everyone who would like to take it seriously and to the maximum. Beginners ready for challenges are welcome too.
I'd like to assemble here the most advanced people who are interested in tango fundamentals, who want to know how grand and beautiful movements are produced, to decipher and prefect the most intricate tango rhythms.
So, it is fundamentals of tango. Salon, Orillero, Canyengue, Apilado, Milonguero, Nuevo styles. We will learn the most incredible things about body movements and tango rhythms. We will find the clear explanation of the advanced technique for pivots, turns, boleos, sacadas, barridas, leg wraps, ganchos, sentadas and all other numerous important aspects of tango.
Why to dance tango? Why there are so many tango figures? How to fall in trans while dancing tango? Why it happens, what should be trained to obtain this quality? Why tango is called a conversation? These questions will be addressed.
Why is it called "Super-Advanced", isn't it too much?
Well, "Advanced" around here usually means Sacadas, Volcadas and Colgadas. I want to go very far beyond that. Every step should be as grand as all of these. We will meet unsurpassed complexity of true tango rhythms, body movements, communication, choreography and improvisation.
How about dancing in "Volcada" position for the full dance? That is why this is not "Advanced", this is "Super-Advanced".
Tired of all these primitive movements ? Tired when a visiting teacher shows you a complex figure without any clue how his body actually produces the moves? Your body begs for dancing and all you have got is stumbling with awkward partners? You was told about tango conversation, but in return you've got pushing and pulling? Or nothing at all?
Welcome.
Igor Polk
http://www.virtuar.com/tango
A flyer link to Super-Advanced Tango Workshop
Another annoncement
New Wonderful Practica place and a class !
Thursday
8pm - 9pm - a lesson "Tango Secrets", $10 How to make better and more interesting familiar figures and elements of tango: Secrets of a real-dance-floor master. This lesson is designed for people who dance already.
9pm - 12pm - Tango Practica, $5, ( free with the class ).
At the "Fantasy Dance Studio",
2584 Leghorn Street Unit B, Mountain View, 94043.
Large dance studio about 1600sq.ft., mirror walls, easy parking, safe location. Variety of music including nuevo on demand.
1 min from 101. Exit San Antonio, pass Charleston, turn left to Leghorn, the studio is a small building right on the left. Drive into parking yard. Or exit Rengstorff. Turn right to Leghorn, and go almost to San Antonio. The studio is on the right. ( Samovar is at the corner with Leghorn. The Fantasy is in the next block between San Antonio and Independence ).
2010 March 12
Several of my students had an honor to come to a class of a very professional visiting teacher. Now their mind is obsessed in "rehearsing and working on" the very complex patterns that gorgeous professional dancer has an opportunity to present them. They are asking me how to make it ! Frankly, I have difficult time to repeat and explain it. What can I advise to them? That they have to have 10 years of professional dance training to approach it? I wish that "teacher" never come here again.
Especially in modern times, when people are greatly mislead by media about the complexity of things - everything just pops up in those stupid movies, arrogant TV shows, and computer games, isn't it? They loose the sense of reality. They do not even know what is behind simple and beautiful things - it is tons of sweat, time, and money. Millions of tons. Can you imagine a million? Kind of about the same like a thousand, isn't ? Not very far from a hundred. A difference between 2 millions and 1 million seems infinitesimal, but it is the whole million !
Senses mislead us. Brain gives up to conclude.
Here he is: a nice looking man, about the same height like we, about the same voice, about the same legs... In the university, you grinded up the rocks of knowledge for the whole 5 years every day. Every year was a challenge, wasn't? Uncountable night hours spend in front of books and in the labs. Numerous tests and exams. And as a result? A diploma. A new green "young specialist" about whom when he comes to work in industry they will say - "Ah, a fresh one ! You know nothing yet.. Here, work 3-5 more years, then we will see..." . So, that regular, nice, handsome tango dancer has 30 years of dancing experience! Everyday hard work on a dancing floor. Many hours a day. With hundreds of partners. If people were buildings, you would be a little hut in jungle. And that man would be a tallest skyscraper in the world ! Sit back. Relax. Enjoy his show. Applaud. Never try it yourself.
Not a single professional visiting teacher out of that swarm of them populating Bay Area in recent couple of years has learned from the type of teacher like himself and type of "lessons" they present. They learned meticulously attending courses of high-class professional trainers where they have learned and researched ballet and tango for years of hours practicing and practicing and practicing.
Learning dancing comes in stages. First you progress faster when you learn and train some things you are perfectly able to do. Slower comes coordination, sensitivity, rhythmics. That mostly requires changes in your neural system. Next come physical things like anything related to turns, tensions, speed, sharpness, agility, flexibility - your own physical body must change ! Actually change ! Grow new muscles. It takes time. A lot of time spend exercising and practicing. To the extreme ! Then something new may happen and you start over the circle of progressing. The best strategy is to concentrate on the next thing logically following your current level and not on the things way ahead of your abilities.
Tango fun is possible on any level - that is a very good thing. You do not need to dance like a pro to seduce tango funs around you.
2010 March 1
A student came to me. She was learning ballroom dancing. She moves pretty good, so she jumped right into Level 2 class. While I was dancing with her, I lead her to a new, unexpected move for her. She did it, but than realizing it she said: "Oops, I am making my own moves !", yeah, with a negative connotation. That is what good dancers do all the time ! Invent new movements, improvise ! We are making new movements every day, every tanda, every dance, and even every figure ! And this is not a figure of speech. That is true tango.
2010 February 27
I went through the familiar photographs of people in tango, and realized with an exceptional clarity - tango is about love. Love in the greatest sense of this word ! Like atoms, people fall into embrace and form a molecule of Love, and all together we fall into gas of Love, contained and brewing within delicate atmosphere of Milonga walls, and eventually Hovering its way into the outside.
2010 February 13
We have had 2 wonderful workshops with Brigitta Winkler again. Magically, everyone is dancing better after time spent with her. This is an ultimate goal of dance education and Brigitta is a magician in it.
Here is a funny video of very small children dancing tango:
2010 February 1
Video: If they keep practicing diligently, they will dance like this:
2010 January 21
Igor and Alberto Dassieu:
